Victoria is expanding its network of AI-powered bushfire cameras from seven to 11, giving emergency services earlier warning of fires during a summer expected to bring heightened risk.
Rural and Regional Development Minister Michaela Settle said on Monday that the state government would provide $3.8 million for the expansion, with the additional cameras due to be installed by November 2027.
The project is being jointly funded with Hancock Victorian Plantations and the Green Triangle Fire Alliance. The cameras, which will be placed on private plantations, scan continuously for signs of fire and alert authorities.
Ms Settle said the system would provide a “24-hour digital lookout” and help firefighters respond before fires had more time to spread.
The existing network detected 40 fires during the 2023/24 fire season and 46 in 2024/25, according to the Victorian government.
Emergency Services Minister Paul Edbrooke said the expanded coverage would give emergency crews more time to assess and tackle emerging threats.
“Every minute counts when a bushfire starts, and this expanded camera network will give our emergency services the information they need to act quickly, respond earlier and help keep Victorians safe,” Mr Edbrooke said.
Australia’s south-east is preparing for a summer of high bushfire risk, with below-average rainfall contributing to dry conditions. Victoria’s far east has been identified as particularly vulnerable, alongside large areas of south-east Queensland, north-eastern Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia.
Recovery is continuing in parts of Victoria after January’s bushfires, the worst to hit the state since the Black Summer fires of 2019-20, which killed 33 people.
