A new suite of research projects to fill crucial knowledge gaps in how Australia manages bushfires and other natural hazards is being undertaken at the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Co-operative Research Centre.

The project will be completed by June next year, addressing key themes that arose from the devastating 2019/20 bushfires, with a view to providing data and knowledge which can be further developed.

Each project will enable emergency services and governments to learn how to help reduce the devastating impact of bushfires in future fire seasons.

The research will explore fire predictive services, cultural land management and community‐led recovery through engagement, participation, leadership and behaviour in disaster prevention, relief and recovery.

“This research is really about landscape, people and culture,” the centre’s Research Director John Bates says.

“Bushfires are complex and ever‐evolving. This new research will continue the CRC’s mission to bring together a range of expertise across different scientific disciplines.”

The research portfolio was established in consultation with emergency and land management agencies, indigenous groups and researchers across Australia.