As Australia’s leading bushfire experts; we design, develop and implement innovative solutions for bushfire prone areas. We understand the complexity of developing in bushfire prone areas and help you navigate this challenging space.Blackash has a deep understanding of bushfire in the Australian landscape and expertise in responding to this challenge.Our clientele are Australia-wide and include developers, homebuilders, building contractors, numerous government agencies (at State and Local level), larger corporations (e.g. mining and utilities) and other consultancies (e.g. town planners, project managers). We have over twenty-five years of experience in practice based solutions with a track record as a leader in bushfire management.

Program Director for AFAC and the National Program Board providing project management services for the development of a new National Fire Danger Ratings System. The Program is designed to strengthen the ability of fire authorities to accurately communicate bushfire risk to the community, enhance agency readiness and preparedness and contribute to risk management prevention.

The State Risk and Consequence Manager is an operational role in the State Control Centre of Victoria, to lead and facilitate strategic risk management to support the Emergency Management Commissioner on an all hazards, all agencies basis. The primary responsibility is to ensure state level risks for major emergencies and consequences of emergencies are identified and proactive mitigation strategies are applied to minimise impacts on the state of Victoria. It is responsible informing and supporting strategic decision making for the State Control Team (SCT), the State Emergency Management Team (SEMT), departments and agencies about the potential consequence of State-level emergency risks.Key focus areas include: (i) Providing a State-wide analysis of short, medium and long term risk and consequences on an all hazards basis for specific incidents and events(ii) designing and facilitating a whole of Government approach to proactively address consequences of emergencies; (iii) conducting operational strategic risk assessments focusing on identifying and communicating risk treatments. (iv) Coordinating and preparing the whole of Government SEMT reporting when activated

To integrate and streamline emergency management planning arrangements including consequence management and strategic risk management on an "all hazards, all agencies" basis. Responsible for taking forward initiatives which require coordination across multiple departments and agencies. To work collaboratively with staff across the Emergency Management Victoaria and with external stakeholders to develop, coordinate and implement relevant ‘all hazards’ risk and consequence management strategies.

The purpose of the Risk and Resilience business unit is to integrate and streamline emergency management planning arrangements including consequence management and strategic risk management. The work program for the Risk and Resilience business unit is guided by the State Crisis and Resilience Council Risk and Resilience Sub-Committee, and the unit is responsible for taking forward initiatives which require coordination across multiple departments and agencies. The Risk, Consequence and Resilience team are responsible for developing the State Risk and Mitigation Plan, community based planning,taking a lead on consequence management planning and improving emergency management risk assessment methodology. The General Manager leads the development of a coherent strategic framework for risk and resilience, working collaboratively with staff across the EMV Directorates and with external stakeholders to develop, coordinates and implement relevant ‘all hazards’ risk and consequence management strategies.I have played a key part of the strong central leadership team within EMV, working closely with the Emergency Management Commissioner and CEO to develop and drive a integrated and coherent agenda in accordance with the Government’s commitment to emergency management reform through the Strategic Action Plan and Directorate Business Plan.

The Geospatial Control Board (GCB) is the governance body that decides and recommends priority geospatial services for whole-of-government geospatial needs. The focus of the GCB is the operational oversight of the provision of geospatial framework data, supporting infrastructure and shared services needed to run government.

Responsible for the strategic growth of Eco Logical Australia Emergency Management and Resilience Business Unit and expansion of the bush fire component of the business.

Chair the Bush Fire Standards Group

Member of the AFAC Built Environment Technical Group

I was responsible for building community resilience in the complex areas of community engagement, planning and building controls. I was instrumental in achieving a number of significant organisational cultural changes and improvements in service delivery. I have demonstrated ability to initiate and manage change, allocate resources effectively and to maximise staff potential through mentoring and other support mechanisms.I have a proven track record in strategy and planning at an executive level and have demonstrated creativity and innovation in forming strategies and policies that reflect my knowledge of the emergency management sector and the workings of government. I have highly attuned political, social, environmental and commercial acumen and highly developed problem solving skills which deliver sustainable outcomes and strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and organisations

Responsibility for management of media relations, online communications, organisational communications, graphic design and publications for the NSW Rural Fire Service.

As Manager Development Control, I was responsible for the coordination and strategic direction of the overall planning and management of development control with the NSW Rural Fire Service. I developed, monitored and reviewed a comprehensive range of policies and procedures related to the management of bushfire and development control systems throughout NSW. I also provided direction, advice, assistance and support across the state, at regional and district levels to ensure that relevant acts, regulations and policies pertaining to environmental, planning and development control in bushfire areas were implemented

In the position of Manager Natural Environment and Bushland I was responsible for the management of all natural areas under the care, control and management of Ku-ring-gai Council. My responsibility covered 1,100 hectares, with an urban/ bushland interface of 89 kilometres and neighbours numbering above 3,100. Most of this area is designated high bushfire risk and contains many threatened species, populations and significant vegetation communities. I managed strategic issues and planning, implemented the organisations annual management plan, drafted and implemented yearly budgets, prioritised operational programs, undertook resource allocations and operational planning. I managed a multi-disciplinary team, consisting of field officers, professional technical and support staff. I was responsible for delivering a wide range of services to the community.

During my time in this position I was responsible for the design, management and implementation of operational programs for Council’s 1,100 hectares of bushland. In this capacity I Lead and managed a multi disciplinary team consisting of 28 full time staff with a budget of $1 million. My responsibilities included the following outcomes: Bushfire management consisting of the management of 42km of fire trails, 21km of bush walking tracks, 14km of fire breaks, fuel management (including hazard reduction burns, preparing fuel management programs and mapping fuel loads), bush regeneration (vegetation and weed intensity mapping, threatened species and significant community management, post fire maintenance and general bushland maintenance), noxious weed control, bushcare volunteers, contract works, project management and bushland education.

Responsible for the day to day management of bush fire management within the Bushland Division consisting of fire break maintenance, hazard reduction burns, fuel assessment mapping, fire trail maintenance, walking track maintenance, community education, and administration of Ku-ring-gai Bush Fire Brigade. Responsibilities included setting staff performance targets and undertaking performance reviews, managing staff, divisional reporting, staff recruitment, supervision and training, monitoring of budgets and adherence to occupational health and safety policies.

I was responsible for preparing fire and vegetation maps to be digitised onto Council’s Geographical Information System (using aerial, ortho photo and cadastre maps), determining annual total of hazard reduction, wildfire areas and bushland boundaries (using planometers, digital curve meters and various mapping techniques) and preparation of management burn programs.