Bushfire Season Readiness and Emergency Response Plan

Purpose. This plan sets out how Timberline prepares the plantation estate, the native forest allocation and the Heyfield mill for the fire season and how crews respond if a fire starts on or near a work site.

1.Purpose and period

This plan covers the fire danger period from 1 October 2026 to 30 April 2027 and all Timberline sites and coupes. It sits under the Work Health and Safety Policy and the Environmental and Cultural Heritage Protection Policy and is agreed with the state fire agency each year.

2.Pre-season preparation

Before 1 October the Forest Operations Manager will confirm that every fire trailer, slip-on unit and water point is serviced and located, that firebreaks and access tracks on the estate are graded, that every machine's fire suppression system is tested and that every crew member has completed the fire prevention and detection refresher. The mill will clear sawdust and bark from around the kilns, heat plant and chip stockpile and test the fire pump.

• Service all fire trailers and slip-on units by 25 September
• Grade all firebreaks by 30 September
• Test machine fire suppression and record on the equipment card
• Deliver the fire refresher to every crew

3.Daily restrictions

On days rated High the supervisor will increase patrols and move fuel storage away from work faces. On days rated Extreme, harvesting and roading machines will stop by 1 pm unless the Forest Operations Manager approves continuation with a dedicated fire watch. On days rated Catastrophic no machine will operate in the forest and crews will withdraw to the base.

4.Fire detection and reporting

Any smoke or fire sighting must be reported by radio to the supervisor and the fire agency immediately with the location from the coupe map. The supervisor will withdraw crews to the assembly point, account for every person and stand up the fire trailer only if it is safe to attack the fire at its start.

5.Evacuation and refuge

Each coupe map shows the assembly point, the escape route and the nearest safe refuge. Crews must not attempt to outrun a fire through unburnt forest. Machine operators will stay with their machine in a cleared area if the escape route is cut off and will follow the machine refuge drill.

6.Fire salvage

After a fire, no crew will enter a burnt coupe until the Forest Operations Manager has completed a tree hazard assessment and issued a salvage plan. Salvage operations will follow the environmental care procedures for burnt ground and the communication protocols agreed with the fire agency.

7.Roles and review

The Forest Operations Manager owns this plan and the fire readiness of the estate. The Sawmill Manager owns mill readiness. The SHE and Certification Manager will run a fire drill at each site before 15 October and record the outcome. The plan will be reviewed after each fire season.