According to todays Sunday Age,
here, , Phil Koperburg is somewhat pessimistic.
Article says (for those who, like me, find the Age's web site slower than Charlie time on Ripple 3 at 0300),
"The next bushfire season in NSW could be worse than last year as much of the state was still dry from the drought, Rural Fire Service Commissioner Phil Koperberg said yesterday.
However, he said the Rural Fire Service and the National Parks and Wildlife Service were confident that their off-season strategic hazard reduction measures would prepare them for the worst.
NSW Premier Bob Carr and Emergency Services Minister Tony Kelly yesterday joined the fire chief at a burn-off at Galston Gorge, north of Sydney.
Mr Carr said such efforts by volunteer firefighters were vital if the state was to be prepared for another hot, dry summer.
"You can't have a scorched earth policy, fire is part of the Australian landscape," Mr Carr said. "What this is about is strategic intervention to minimise the risk to communities, conducted in a responsible way."
Commissioner Koperberg said 2 million hectares of land across NSW had been burned as a result of either wildfire or hazard reduction over the past 12 months. But a large part of the state was still susceptible to fire.
"Given the fact that 89 per cent of NSW has slipped back into drought and given the fact that meteorologists are talking about the possibility of a re-emerging El Nino effect, then we can't dismiss the possibility of either this drought extending or us slipping back into drought (completely)," Commissioner Koperberg said.
"If that's the case then much of NSW will continue to be exposed to probably marginally worse prospects for the fire season."
He said weather was the obvious factor in any fire season and it was hoped optimum conditions would continue for the Rural Fire Service to reduce fuel loads on 200,000 hectares before summer.
- AAP"
Chief Pilot briefings for the season start in two weeks
