Queensland rangers have treated almost one million hectares of national parks and protected areas in a record year of hazard reduction burns.
It comes as authorities work to reduce the threat ahead of the upcoming bushfire season.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers carried out 546 planned burns across 981,081 hectares during 2025-26, surpassing the previous record set just a year earlier.
The burns are designed to reduce dangerous fuel loads, improve the health of protected areas and lower the risk of bushfires spreading to neighbouring homes and properties.
Environment and Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said the back-to-back records showed the importance of preparing national parks ahead of the bushfire season.
“Queenslanders expect us to take care of our own backyard, and that is exactly what More Rangers, Better Neighbours is delivering,” Mr Powell said.
“This is about doing the work before bushfire season, reducing fuel loads, looking after our national parks and making them better neighbours for Queensland communities.”
The State Government says the work has been strengthened by retaining 40 specialist fire ranger positions it claims were left unfunded by the former Government.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Fire Services Director Susan Scott said crews would continue planned burns as conditions allow.
“Every planned burn we deliver is contributing to a healthier environment and a more bushfire-resilient state, which is especially important as we enter the 2026 bushfire risk period,” Ms Scott said.
