The Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook was released by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC on 2 September, with large areas of above normal fire potential predicted along the eastern coastal and central regions of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and also across southern Western Austalia.

The Outlook is used by fire authorities to make strategic decisions on resource planning and prescribed fire management for the upcoming fire season.

The outlook is decided at annual workshops convened by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC and the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council for both southern and northern Australia. At the southern workshop in Hobart the outlook was assessed and a range of broad climate factors were considered.

Media outlets that featured the outlook included ABC TV news, the Sydney Morning Herald and ABC Country Hour programs across the country.