Forest Fire Management Victoria

Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) is made up of skilled staff from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water and VicForests.

Each fire season, more than 1,000 frontline forest firefighters work across Victoria. They include both permanent, full-time firefighters and seasonal firefighters. They are supported by 2,000 staff from across the sector who have a fire and emergency role in addition to their usual work.

FFMVic works with Country Fire Authority (CFA), Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), other emergency services and communities across Victoria to deliver the best local approaches to managing bushfire risk in Victoria.

Our partners also include forest contractors, who have played a valuable role in responding to bushfires during significant emergencies including the 2019/20 bushfire season, and in recovery works following bushfires, storms and floods.

While native timber harvesting will end by 1 January 2024, harvest and haulage contractors remain contracted by VicForests until 30 June 2024. Over this time, these contractors will help to support DEECA’s forest and fire management works, which reduce the risk of bushfire, and help maintain our unique environment and biodiversity with programs such as pest and weed removal, and clearing dangerous trees from roadsides. This works program will also make sure these contractors  are available for the 2023/24 bushfire season.

Planning is also underway for harvest and haulage contractors to be engaged to deliver Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) land management works over a longer period. These programs will support better forest health outcomes and make sure contractors can continue to work in the forests and help reduce bushfire risk.

Our core purpose is to protect people, property and the environment.

We do this by managing bushfires and bushfire risk in Victoria’s parks, forests and other public land, and by minimising the impact of fire on our communities, environment and everything we value most. This management includes:

• risk-based bushfire management and planning
• fire prevention and preparedness
• fuel management programs (including planned burning
• emergency response and recovery.

We also preserve and upgrade our parks and state forests across Victoria to provide more accessible  opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy nature.

FFMVic community objectives

• Providing an integrated approach to land management to reduce bushfire risk in Victoria
• Minimising the impact of major bushfires on human life, communities, infrastructure, industries, the economy and the environment
• Delivering a coordinated community and environmental recovery management when fires and other emergencies occur
• Being a trusted source of information for Victorian communities, to build and maintain long-lasting, strong, collaborative and respectful relationships with the communities we serve.

Code of practice for bushfire management on public land (PDF, 715.9 KB)
Code of practice for bushfire management on public land (DOCX, 2.5 MB)
Variation instrument for the Code of Practice for the Code of Practice for Bushfire Management on Public Land 2012 (amended 2022) (PDF, 217 KB)

Existing Agreements

DEECA and Fire Rescue Victoria have formally signed an agreement for fire prevention and suppression activities. The agreement allows personnel from DEECA, Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water, and VicForests to carry out certain fire suppression activities in the FRV Fire District, when they operate as part of FFMVic, and in the circumstances which are set out in the agreement. Read full agreement here (PDF, 7.3 MB)

Forest firefighters' presumptive rights compensation scheme

FFMVic firefighters who are diagnosed with certain types of cancers may be able to access compensation through the Forest Firefighters Presumptive Rights Compensation Scheme (the scheme).

The scheme applies to staff with firefighting roles from a range of Victorian Government agencies, including staff from DEECA, Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water, VicForests, DJPR, and their predecessor organisations.

FFMVic firefighters are eligible to access the scheme if they:

• were diagnosed as having a specified cancer on or after 1 June 2016; and
• are a current forest firefighter or have been a forest firefighter within the last 10 years; and
• have served the required period (between 5-25 years, depending on the cancer) or can demonstrate attendance at an exceptional exposure event; and
• attended fires to the extent reasonably necessary to fulfil the purpose of their service as a firefighter.

All claims will be assessed by WorkSafe with support from the Forests (Forest Firefighters Presumptive Rights Compensation) Advisory Committee, which is made up of individuals with expertise and experience in forest firefighting, scientific research on the relationship between firefighters; occupational exposure and cancers, or Australian law or public administration.

The Advisory Committee provides advice on the eligibility of individual forest firefighters to receive the presumption. The committee also considers whether forest firefighters who do not meet the qualifying period requirement may be eligible for special consideration if they demonstrate attendance at an exceptional exposure event.

To find out more, visit https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/forest-firefighters-presumptive-rights-compensation or call the DEECA Customer Service Centre on 1800 957 219.