An Integrated Assessment Of Competing Land Management Actions For Asset Protection In Central Otago, New Zealand

Presentation at Research Forum of the 2012 Bushfire CRC and AFAC Annual Conference.

The Central Otago region of New Zealand faces fire risks from several sources. These include burning of tussock grasslands and woody vegetation by pastoralists, recreational activity in natural areas, and forestry operations. These activities pose significant risks to towns, surrounding communities, and biodiversity assets. We present a quantitative decision framework to provide an integrated assessment of the land management activities. We quantify trade‑offs between economic, social and environmental outcomes from various fire risk mitigation strategies. We present results for a range of scenarios, exploring alternative objectives for land management in Central Otago.