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Kevin Tolhurst

Senior Lecturer, Fire Ecology and Management, University of Melbourne
Kevin Tolhurst is Senior Lecturer in Fire Ecology and Management in the Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science, University of Melbourne based in Creswick and a member of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre.

Kevin provides expert advice on fire behaviour and fire suppression strategies at major bushfires. Some recent examples include the Black Saturday fires in Victoria in 2009, and the Great Divide Fires in 2007. Kevin has been involved in several inquiries and court cases involving fires including: Linton Coronial Inquiry, Canberra Coronial Inquiry, House of Representative 2003 Inquiry, 2005 Wangary Coronial Inquiry S.A., the 2008 Parliamentary Inquiry into the 2007 fires in Victoria, and the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.

Kevin’s current research activities are centred around developing a bushfire risk management decision support system to be used nationally. This work has been a core activity in the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre since 2003.

His research and consulting interests include:
• Wildfire behaviour prediction
• Development of prescribed burning techniques and guidelines
• Landscape scale fire ecology management
• Fire risk management
• Ecological impacts of repeated fires

http://www.forestscience.unimelb.edu.au/people/staff/kevin_tolhurst/index.html
http://www.bushfirecrc.com/research/a41/a41.html

The burn legacy: why the science on hazard reduction is contested

Feb 25, 2020 13:20 pm UTC| Insights & Views

When it comes to reducing the extent of bushfires, scientists disagree on the best way to do it. Hazard reduction burning (also known as prescribed burning or controlled burning) is controversial and, depending on the...

We have already had countless bushfire inquiries. What good will it do to have another?

Jan 16, 2020 09:53 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

As our country battles the most extensive fires of our lifetime, there are increasing calls for a royal commission into the states and territories preparedness and the federal governments response to the disaster. A...

What has Australia learned from Black Saturday?

Feb 07, 2019 14:45 pm UTC| Insights & Views Business

Black Saturday was a day like no other; it will be forever remembered in the history of bushfire disasters in Australia. The fires burned about 300,000 hectares in a single day; 173 human lives were lost and more than...

Economy

U.S. Stocks Hold Steady After Christmas as Trading Volumes Stay Light

U.S. stocks were mostly unchanged following the Christmas holiday, as subdued trading activity and thin volumes defined the session ahead of a shortened New Years trading week. With many global markets still observing...

Oil Prices Hold Steady in Asia as Geopolitical Tensions Support Market

Oil prices were mostly unchanged during Asian trading on Friday, holding on to gains from earlier in the week as geopolitical tensions continued to underpin the market. However, thin holiday liquidity and limited...

Lebanon Cabinet Approves Financial Gap Law to Tackle Ongoing Economic Crisis

Lebanons cabinet has approved a controversial draft law aimed at addressing the countrys prolonged financial crisis, a move seen as a critical step toward unlocking long-awaited international financial support. The...

China to Tighten Crude Steel Output Controls and Export Regulation Through 2030

China has announced it will continue strict regulation of crude steel output and prohibit the addition of illegal new capacity from 2026 to 2030, reinforcing its long-term strategy to curb overcapacity and reduce carbon...

Asian Stocks and Gold Rally as Investors Chase Year-End Gains Amid Dollar Weakness

Asian stock markets climbed to their highest levels in six weeks on Friday, extending a strong year-end rally as investors looked to finish the year on a positive note. Despite thin trading volumes due to market holidays...

Politics

Zelenskiy to Meet Trump to Advance Ukraine Peace Talks and Security Guarantees

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Friday that he plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday as part of ongoing efforts to bring an end to Russias war in Ukraine. The high-level meeting is...

Najib Razak Jailed 15 More Years in Landmark 1MDB Verdict With Major Political Impact

Malaysias former prime minister Najib Razak has been sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison and fined 11.39 billion ringgit (about $2.8 billion) after being found guilty of abuse of power and money laundering in one...

Japan Approves Record ¥122.3 Trillion Budget as Takaichi Seeks Fiscal Balance

Japans government, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has approved a record-breaking budget worth 122.3 trillion yen ($785 billion) for the next fiscal year starting in April, underscoring its attempt to balance...

White House East Wing Ballroom Plans Face Scrutiny Ahead of January Hearing

The White House is set to reveal new details about President Donald Trumps proposed East Wing ballroom during a federal commission hearing scheduled for early next month, according to official notices. The project, which...

Zelenskiy Discusses Ukraine Peace Efforts With Trump Envoys

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that he held an extensive discussion with U.S. President Donald Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, focusing on possible ways to...

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

Nvidia and Groq Strike Strategic AI Inference Licensing Deal

Reports earlier this week suggested that Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) had agreed to acquire AI chip startup Groq in a $20 billion all-cash transaction. However, updated details clarify that the arrangement is not a traditional...

TSMC Honors Japanese Chip Equipment Makers With 2025 Supplier Awards

Several leading Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturers have been recognized with 2025 Supplier Awards from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), highlighting their growing importance in the global chip...

Nvidia to Acquire Groq in $20 Billion Deal to Boost AI Chip Dominance

NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has reportedly agreed to acquire Groq, a fast-growing designer of high-performance artificial intelligence accelerator chips, in a $20 billion all-cash transaction, according to a CNBC report. The...

Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling

A federal judge in Texas has blocked the enforcement of a new state law that would have required app stores and developers to verify users ages, marking a significant legal win for major technology companies and digital...

FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has welcomed Instacarts decision to end its artificial intelligence-based price testing, a move that follows weeks of consumer backlash and regulatory scrutiny. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson...