PETER CLACK is The Canberra Times journalist who wrote the defining book Firestorm: Trial by Fire, a book steeped in gripping exposes of bureaucratic incompetence and foolishness. In this book, one of very few popular books ever written about Australia’s harsh and bushfire-prone environment, Peter shows that bushfire's are vitally necessary for survival. Hundreds and perhaps thousands of species depend on periodic fires to propagate and to find rebirth – that is except the human species.

The hard fought lessons of two centuries of battling fires and understanding bushland have been swept away by self-interested public servants and green environmentalists.

In their mistaken crusade to preserve the bush they actually have assisted in its destruction. Ordinary urban fire-fighters who faced Canberra’s horrific fires tell the true story their way. When the storm of burning embers struck Canberra in February 2003, five of a total of nine fire trucks were destroyed in minutes. Why? Because they had a design fault that administrators refused to fix. This involved a protective filter on the air intakes that would have cost less than $100 per vehicle. It was a miracle that dozens of fire-fighters weren’t killed when burning embers set fire to motors and disabled the vehicles. Why did these facts not surface for months after the disaster, despite Peter’s efforts to make it public? You have to question the policies of the Rural Press owned Canberra Times to avoid any criticism of Government or its important advertisers.

Peter has been a journalist in Canberra, Victoria and Queensland for 20 years. But he was recognised in Canberra as a reporter who broke stories and asked the uncomfortable questions. He battled the ACT Government bureaucracy for its persistent blunders and subsequent cover-ups. Yet he crafted strong ties with politicians from all sides of politics and he won the respect of the Australian Federal Police.

Peter launched his book live on ABC television from the National Press Club, and he has appeared on television and radio ever since. He is a gifted journalist and he has an extensive corporate knowledge of Canberra. This website is a product of his desire to see some truth emerge over the bureaucratic chaos that reigns in Canberra.