Fired-up conservationists gather just outside Walpole to protest proposed burning of red tingle treesCraig DuncanManjimup-Bridgetown TimesTue, 2 December 2025 4:00PMEmail Craig Duncan
Fired-up conservationists climbed to the summit of a South West mountain at the weekend to protest the planned burning of ancient tingle trees.
Co-ordinated by the WA Forest Alliance, around 100 protesters rallied atop Mount Claire — about 9km outside of Walpole — on Saturday.
They were rallying against the proposed burning of red tingle trees in the South West.
More than 100 giant tingle trees collapsed in the Valley of the Giants earlier this year following a prescribed burn co-ordinated by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
The burns conducted from October 24-December 18 2024 saw 114 jarrah, karri and tingle trees destroyed, with conservationists believing the number of felled red tingles — endemic to the Walpole-Nornalup National Park — is close to 150.
Speaking at the rally, WAFA senior campaigner Jason Fowler said tingle trees could only survive around three burns before falling over.
“The current prescribed burning regime means a lot more than three fires — so we’re seeing a lot of tingle trees getting heavily impacted,” he said.
University of Western Australia PhD student Nate Anderson wrote a paper about the impact of fire on large eucalyptus trees and said increased burning in the 1970s and 1980s could have lasting impacts.
“In a conservation context, it is important that human-imposed fire intervals are based on ecologically sound knowledge,” he said.
Mr Fowler claimed the DBCA planned to burn about 500ha of tingle trees around the Mount Clare area.
The DBCA was contacted for comment.
“We do know that prescribed burns done in the right places for the right reasons can protect homes, but in this situation, we’ve got a lot of scope to put firebreaks into the landscape,” Mr Fowler said.
“We’re calling on the environment minister to immediately remove all tingle forests from the burn plans.
“With a warming, drying climate, summer prescribed burns are becoming even more environmentally destructive and dangerous to undertake, and firefighting resources need to be available to respond to bushfires.”
WA Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn was also contacted for comment.
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