Overview
- A report released this week by Emergency Leaders for Climate Action and modelled by ConnellGriffin projects $181.7 billion in direct economic losses from bushfires over 30 years, averaging about $6.04 billion a year.
- The study finds Australian fire seasons have lengthened by roughly 20–21% since 1979 and south‑east Australia now sees about 14 more extreme fire‑weather days per year, driven by warming, dry lightning and more extreme fire‑generated storms.
- Harm to human health and wellbeing is modelled as the single largest cost, followed by lost business output, damage to buildings and destroyed homes, while the modelling deliberately omits hard‑to‑quantify losses to wildlife, ecosystems and cultural heritage.
- The report says targeted investments—early detection tech (satellites, drones, AI), resilient home upgrades, backup power for critical comms and more large air tankers—could cut damage by 20% and avert more than $39 billion in losses and protect about 5,600 jobs each year.
- Emergency leaders warn near‑term risk is elevated with a strong El Niño and falling volunteer firefighter numbers (10,336 fewer volunteers in 2023–24 than four years earlier), prompting proposals for rapid‑response teams, smoke‑jumper style para‑attack capability and greater sovereign aerial capacity.