Govt launches new website to extinguish bushfire arson

The Federal Government has unveiled a new website aimed at reducing the number of deliberately lit bushfires in Australia.

The Bushfire Arson Prevention website, launched by emergency management minister, Robert McClelland, will inform the public about arson, including identifying risks and reporting suspicious activity.

“Sadly, up to 50 per cent of bushfires in Australia are deliberately lit or start in suspicious circumstances,” McClelland said.

“Each year, deliberately lit bushfires devastate communities, livelihoods and property, and in the worst cases, kill people.”

According to McClelland, the website recognises the community’s role in detecting suspicious behaviour and cooperating with police in protecting the neighbourhood.

“Government and emergency authorities can’t fight arson on their own — we need the help of the community,” he said.

“It is often locals who identify an area as a fire risk or are the first to notice suspicious behaviour of potential arsonists.”

The government released a national police database in October called the National Arson Notification Capability, which monitors known and suspected arsonists by adding arson warning flags to criminal records.

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