A changing narrative between 2019 and 2022

1. A changing narrative.
What caused the 2019 bushfire @ Binna Burra Lodge?
Based on information available at 5 February 2022

2. Early on Sunday morning 8 September 2019 unprecedented bushfires
destroyed the core heritage lodge and cabins at Binna Burra and caused
substantial damage to the Sky Lodges and other infrastructure.
The business was closed for one year, reopening remaining assets on
01 September 2020.

4. Two days before the Binna Burra fire: Friday , 6 September 2019

5. Two days before the
Binna Burra fire
Friday
6 September 2019

6. Sunday
8 September 2019
“Early this morning it
crept into the Binna
Burra resort and there
has been significant
structural loss”
Scenic Rim Regional
Council Mayor Greg
Christensen told a
community briefing in
Canungra on Sunday.

7. On Sunday 8 September 2019

8. Monday 9 September 2019
“It hurts many people of different
generations, we all feel the pain,”
said Steven Noakes, the chairman
of the Binna Burra Lodge.
Though his house was still intact,
he said, many of his neighbors
had lost their homes to the blaze
and more destruction was
expected.
“It’s a devastating impact and it
generates a range of emotions,”
he said.
“It’s difficult.”

10. Queensland Police Commissioner
Katarina Carroll said officers were
investigating arson as a possibility
in the Sarabah fire in Gold Coast
Hinterland, which destroyed 11
houses and five businesses.

11. https://7news.com.au/news/bushfires/binna-burra-fire-suspicious-qld-police-c-454809
16 September 2019

12. November 12, 2019

13. www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-13/binna-burra-fire-
an-accident-teenagers-discarded-cigarettes/11699474
Wed 13 Nov 2019

14. www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-bushfires-binna-burra-lodge-fire-likely-started-by-cigarette-news/6d079486-50f8-42fb-8762-4396fd72a88a
13 November 2019

15. The narrative changes
13 November 2019
Binna Burra Lodge chairman Steve Noakes welcomed the police decision to be more transparent with the
community. "It's nice to know the actual cause of it"
www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-13/binna-burra-fire-an-accident-teenagers-discarded-cigarettes/11699474
4 February 2022
The contents of the report have shocked the Binna Burra Lodge chairman, who is concerned it only came to light
through the ABC's Right to Information request. ‘It'd be very important and very useful to understand how the
police came up with their assessments within two months after the bushfire and how it matches against the
information that's become evident in the report the ABC has shared with us.’
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

16. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416
"We'd like to know
exactly what
happened and
what were the
causes of the
fire that caused
the devastation.”
Steve Noakes
Chairperson
Binna Burra Lodge

17. https://inqld.com.au/insights/2022/02/04/from-the-ashes-secret-report-casts-doubt-over-cause-of-fire-that-razed-binna-burra/
04 February 2022

18. https://headtopics.com/au/mystery-shooting-range-may-have-caused-bushfire-that-razed-binna-burra-lodge-not-a-
cigarette-23862089
4 February 2022

19. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-
burra-bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

20. 4 Feb 2022 www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

21. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-bushfire-qfes-report-abc-
rti/100793416

22. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-bushfire-
qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

23. 4 Feb 2022
One of the targets located at a makeshift
shooting range near where the bushfire in
Sarabah Valley was suspected of
igniting.(Supplied: QFES)
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-bushfire-
qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

24. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-
bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

25. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-
bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

26. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-
bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

28. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-
bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

29. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

30. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-bushfire-qfes-
report-abc-rti/100793416

31. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-
bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

32. 4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-
bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

33. "These reasons for fires are very significant in terms of issues to do with
insurance and attributing liability. They're very important pieces of public
record," Mr Noakes said.
"It'd be very important and very useful to understand how the police
came up with their assessments within two months after the bushfire
and how it matches against the information that's become evident in the
report the ABC has shared with us.
"We'd like to know exactly what happened and what were the causes of
the fire that caused the devastation.”
Mr Noakes also praised the efforts of firefighters, who saved hundreds
of homes, but questioned why the report had not been made public.
4 Feb 2022
www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-04/qld-binna-burra-
bushfire-qfes-report-abc-rti/100793416

34. Sunday 8 September 2019
Binna Burra on fire
Climate impacts

36. www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-12/cause-of-bushfires-is-complex-but-climate-change-is-part-of-it/11692176
Dr David Bowman.
Professor of
Pyrogeography and
Fire Science,
University of
Tasmania
Tuesday,
12 November 2019

37. What is the evidence on rising temperatures?
 The Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO say Australia has warmed by 1C since 1910 and
temperatures will increase in the future.
 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says it is extremely likely increased
atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases since the mid-20th century is the main
reason it is getting hotter.
 The Bushfire and Natural Hazards research centre says the variability of normal events sits on
top of that.
 Warmer weather increases the number of days each year on which there is high or extreme
bushfire risk.
www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/11/what-are-the-links-between-climate-change-and-bushfires-explainer?fbclid=IwAR27r5yldeHZ5YhnR7Deg9oXiNeW-G4ouDFzT_qI-T0tNEFGKPzH3EjhYgg
Temperature, fuel load, dryness, wind speed and humidity all affect fire risk
and are compounded by global warming.

38. Estimated changes in days of high to catastrophic fire danger (based single model run of
annual maximum temperature and total rainfall from a grid square over Melbourne from the
CSIRO Mark 3.5 A1B model, based on Laverton data). Source: Jones et al., 2013.
Climate change is
exacerbating
catastrophic bushfire
conditions.
By 2020, the number of
‘very high’ or ‘extreme’
fire days could increase
by 4-25%, and 15-70%
by 2050
(Hennessy et al. 2005; The
Australia Institute 2007).
www.climatecouncil.org.au/not-normal-climate-change-bushfire-web/?fbclid=IwAR0FXByt7TEzZR9b31UKKbEzCQ1MCRmb1rd7-1ZIU7_8P0E3kT_2U-QB5rc#FB

39. Binna Burra Lodge provides a critical case study on the implications of climate change on ecotourism businesses.
In 2019, despite being prepared for disaster, large sections of BBL, including heritage-listed buildings, were destroyed by wildfires
linked to climate change. This chapter examines the challenges faced by BBL management and the actions they took before and
after the wildfire to ensure that the lodge not only recovered but built back better prepared for new climate-related impacts,
based on core ecotourism principles. #climatechange #binnaburralodge
www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003001768-16/ecotourism-climate-change-jonathon-day-steve-noakes

40. The Binna Burra narrative continues …
Camping out on the Illinbah circuit circa 1930s.
Photo: Arthur Groom, © Binna Burra Collection.
Pioneer cabins @ Binna Burra in 1961
Stewardship of the Binna Burra
Bell 2021