AUSTRALIA – Western Australia’s controversial prescribed burning program has come into the sights of the environmental watchdog, which has cast doubt over its effectiveness and urged the Cook government to conduct an independent scientific review. The Environmental Protection Authority also wants a cap on the number of hectares of forest in the state’s Perth, Peel and South West burnt under the program. The authority’s recommendations were contained in its assessment of the government’s proposed 2024-33 Forest Management Plan, which outlined future uses and activities in about 2.5 million hectares of state forest. Prescribed burning is a polarising issue in WA, divided by those concerned about its impact on the environment and human health and those, including the government, who say it protects lives and property by reducing bush fuel loads and, subsequently, the intensity of bushfires in summer.