Report urges more support for First Nations women in fire roles

A new report says Australia is missing a key chance to strengthen fire and land management by better supporting First Nations women already working in the field. The Monash University-led research argues that culturally responsive, women-led training can improve workforce capability as fires and floods become more frequent and severe.

The report, First Nations women, cultural fire knowledge, wellbeing and memory, was produced through Monash University's National Indigenous Disaster Resilience program and Natural Hazards Research Australia. It examined the role of First Nations women in fire and land management and the effect of targeted professional development on participants' skills, confidence and well-being.

Zoe Schultz, a research fellow with the National Indigenous Disaster Resilience program and the report's lead author, said the sector has made gains on gender equity, but programs designed for First Nations women already working in fire and land management remain rare. Schultz said some initiatives focus on bringing young women into fire roles, while support for First Nations women on the front line is still limited.

Schultz said First Nations women are leading work to protect communities and Country, often without the level of support their expertise requires. She said investment in culturally supportive programs can help both equity goals and the capacity of Australia's front-line workforce.

Training exchange studied in Queensland

The report evaluated the first Australian Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training Exchange, known as AUSWTREX. The program was hosted in northern Queensland in 2025 by the Queensland Fire Department and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

Over 12 days, 30 First Nations women took part in training designed to build fire practitioner skills and enable the sharing of cultural and western burning knowledge. Researchers assessed the program through interviews, participant journals and observation, with a focus on how First Nations women-led spaces and cultural knowledge exchange affected well-being and memory.

The evaluation found the program gave participants a supportive setting to build confidence, take on leadership roles and share fire knowledge. According to the report, many First Nations women in the sector are frequently the only woman or the only First Nations person in their workplace, which can make the work isolating.

Chloe Swiney, manager of bushfire mitigation for the Rural Fire Service Queensland and one of the program's key organizers, said the training linked western hazard-reduction practices with cultural burning. Swiney said the exchange helped participants protect cultural heritage and build professional networks based on shared experience.

Swiney said some participants had their first chance through the program to join a cultural burn or apply their skills to protect cultural heritage. She also said the next test is whether workplaces recognize and value the expertise participants bring back to their communities.

Model for emergency management

The report says programs such as AUSWTREX can fill gaps in professional development for First Nations women across fire and land management. It found that culturally responsive training can support both technical skills and well-being.

Monash University said the findings offer a framework for the broader emergency management sector. The report argues that targeted programs can help build a more inclusive and resilient front-line workforce as Australia faces more complex climate-related hazards.

This story draws on original reporting from Phys.org.