Using BURNECON to evaluate the economics of fire management in semi-arid Woodlands, Eastern Australia

Abstract

This paper describes a general economic analysis package, BURNECON, for evaluating the benefits and costs of using management burns to improve grazing potential in the semi-arid woodlands of eastern Australia. BURNECON is a user-friendly, microcomputer-based decision support system; it provides the land manager with detailed economic analyses for choosing cost-effective options in using prescribed fire to control encroaching shrubs which reduce forage, animal gains and cause numerous management problems. An economic evaluation of three alternative livestock spelling strategies, after treating a paddock with fire, indicates that redistributing stock to other paddocks located on the property is more profitable than agistment off the property or selling with subsequent repurchase of replacement stock. The sell/repurchase option is the poorest strategy because of income lost for the year of spelling.