With summer just around the corner, residents are being urged to ensure their property is prepared for the bushfire season, and that all burn-offs are completed before the Fire Danger Period is officially declared.
While local laws surrounding burn-offs may vary across the state, the Mitchell Shire only allows residents to burn off outside the Fire Danger Period, with restrictions varying based on the location of the burn-off.
For residential and properties under 0.4 hectares and semi-rural properties over 0.4 hectares, a council permit is not required if burning off between 10am–3pm on a Wednesday or Saturday. To burn off outside these hours, however, a permit must be obtained from council.
There are no restrictions or permits required for burning off on a rural property.
All burn-offs must be registered with the Country Fire Authority (CFA) at least two hours in advance via www.firepermits.vic.gov.au or by calling 1800 688 511 to begin burning off immediately.
Triple Zero Victoria Chief Operating Officer Nicole Ashworth said registering a burn-off online was quick and easy.
“Using the Fire Permits Victoria website to register your burn-off helps keep our non-emergency phone lines free for higher priority calls,” she said.
“Every year at this time, we see a spike in demand on the phone lines as landholders look to take advantage of suitable weather in the lead up to the fire danger period. This can sometimes lead to long wait times to register your burn-off.”
In addition to registering a burn-off, residents should notify their neighbours, check the weather forecast for the days surrounding and the day of the burn-off, establish a gap in vegetation or firebreak of no less than three metres of all flammable material, and ensure there are enough people to monitor, contain, and extinguish the burn-off safely.