FIRE AND WATER

The bushfire season of 2019–20 was ferocious and unprecedented in scale, intensity and longevity. It engulfed all states and territories, especially in the south-east where some fires burned to the shorelines of estuaries and beaches. The immediate social and physical impacts on fire-affected communities were stark and terrible. The economic costs, in terms of insurance claims and lost income to tourism and businesses, will run to billions. However, the long-term impact on marine and coastal environments is far more difficult to predict and may take months or years to manifest.