Hazard Reduction
Bushfire Hazard Complaints
Posted: 25/05/2006Making a Bushfire Hazard Complaint
Unlike many other Local Governments, Blue Mountains City Council has not conferred its responsibility for managing bushfire hazard complaints to the NSW Rural Fire Service. Therefore, all bushfire hazard complaints relating to private or Council managed land within the Blue Mountains local government area need to be directed to Council.
Should your complaint relate to land managed by a public authority other than Council, your complaint should be directed to the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Hazard Reduction on your property.
What is Hazard Reduction?
Hazard reduction (HR) means either reducing or removing bushfire fuel (combustible material) around an asset (i.e. your house or sheds). This is done for two reasons:
- to minimise the threat of damage to life, property and the environment
- to provide adequate space for people to work in while fighting fire.
Under the Rural Fires Act, 1997, land managers and owners are responsible for carrying out hazard reduction to protect existing dwellings, major buildings or other assets susceptible to fire.
Completely removing fuel means an area will no longer support fire, but doing so can be harmful to the environment. It is more common to reduce the amount of fuel, in which case a fire would:
- generate less heat and be less dangerous for firefighters and the general public
- travel more slowly
- have a lower flame height and be less likely to develop into a crown fire
- be less likely to produce embers that cause spot fires.
There are three main methods of hazard reduction:
- hand clearing: raking up leaves, clippings, clearing out gutters
- mechanical clearing: mowing, slashing, ploughing, trittering, bulldozing, grading
- burning: pile burning, or “controlled” or “prescribed” burning which use fire to reduce the amount of flammable fuel.
As of 1 July 2003, all bushfire hazard reduction work conducted in NSW requires a Bushfire Hazard Reduction Certificate (and possibly other approvals as well). The aim of these certificates is to streamline the assessment process for hazard reduction work on private properties whilst maintaining adequate protection for the environment.
Unlike many other Local Governments, Blue Mountains City Council has not conferred its responsibility for assessing and issuing Bushfire Hazard Reduction Certificates to the NSW Rural Fire Service. Therefore, all enquiries regarding bushfire hazard reduction on land within the Blue Mountains local government area need to be directed to Council.
For information about Hazard Reduction Certificates and contact details for Council's Fire Protection Officer, click here.
A permit to light a fire will also be required for burning hazards during the Bush Fire Danger Period and if the fire may pose a threat to a building.
The RFS has several publications available on living in bushfire prone areas:
- Planning for Bushfire Protection
- Building in a Bushfire Prone Area
- Before you Light that Fire
- Standards for Asset Protection Zones
- Standards for Low Intensity Burning
- Standards for Pile Burning
- Standards for Windrow Burning
- These are available in PDF format from the RFS Website Publications Area and from the RFS District Office
More about Hazard Reduction:
- Scheduled Hazard Reductions
- Recognise Bushfire Hazards
- Who is Responsible for Hazard Reduction?
- How to do Hazard Reduction
- Permits and Approvals
- Asset Protection Zones
- Be Careful with Burn Offs
- Water Supplies and Equipment
- You Can Report Bushfire Hazards
- Bushfire Hazard Complaint Form
- Environmental Assessment of Hazard Reduction
- Hazard Reduction Statistics 2004-05
Other useful information:
- Are you at Risk of Bushfire?
- Safe Burning Practices
- Bushfire Management in NSW
- Building in Bushfire Prone Areas
- Planning For Bushfire Protection: available in PDF format from our Publications Area
More information...
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