Research carried out by the University of Tasmania shows people want to prepare for bushfire, but often don’t know how or where to look for the right information.

The research project surveyed more than 400 people living on the urban fringe of Hobart in areas most exposed to bushfire risk - places like Fern Tree, Mt Nelson and Lenah Valley.

It discovered that:

• more than 80 per cent of people living close to bushland expect to experience a serious bushfire in their lifetime and almost half said the thought of bushfire caused them stress.

• more than 70 per cent feel that preparing for bushfire will significantly reduce damage to their home in the event of a bushfire.

• 45 per cent believe preparing their home for bushfire will increase the value of their property.

The research findings show we still have a huge amount of work to do in preparing our communities for increasingly dangerous bushfire seasons.

By sparking conversations we aim to discover how councils can empower you to take action to protect your family and home from bushfire.