Bushfire hazard reduction aims to reduce bushfire fuel before the onset of a bushfire to minimise damage to life, property and the environment if a bushfire occurs.

Hazard reduction either significantly reduces current fuel levels around the asset so they are less likely to be affected by fire, or provides adequate space for fire agencies to work in while fighting fire.

The most common practice is to reduce the amount of fuel so the fire

• generates less heat and is less dangerous for firefighters and the general public
• travels more slowly
• has a lower flame height and is less likely to develop into a crown fire and
• is less likely to produce embers that cause spot fires.

Please remember that for your safety you should not clear vegetation for firebreaks in Council reserves. It is illegal for anyone other than qualified personnel to carry out work on Council land.

What to do if there is a bushfire

In the event of a bushfire please contact 000 and provide details as requested by the operator.

Only consider staying to defend your home if you are well prepared (long sleeved clothing of natural fibres, sturdy shoes, goggles, gloves, hat with firefighting equipment and a plan).

If you are unwell, elderly, caring for children or unsure about staying, please evacuate early. This means many hours prior to the fire reaching your property. A late decision to go could be fatal. Have a prepared bag of documents, valuables and take your pets.

Total fire bans and bushfire season

Total fire bans are declared by the Rural Fire Brigade Commissioner on days of extreme fire danger caused by a combination of weather conditions and dry vegetation.

The bushfire season is from the 1 October to 1 March.

Newcastle hazard reduction program

The City of Newcastle hazard reduction program is designed to establish and maintain asset protection zones in areas that are identified with a bushfire risk rating of extreme, very high and high. Works are undertaken by qualified contractors using brushcutters and hand tools

Newcastle Bushfire Management Committee

A Bush Fire Management Committee (BFMC) is a committee established under the provisions of the Rural Fires Act 1997 and the Rural Fires Regulation 2002 (the Act and Reg).

The BFMCs are not Council committees, nor are they Rural Fire Service Committee; they are responsible to the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee (BFCC). BFMC are subordinate committees to the BFCC and are subject to its directions. The membership of a BFMC is specified in the Act and Reg.

The BFCC is a NSW statutory body representing the Crown, established under the provisions of the Rural Fires Act 1997 and the Rural Fires Regulation 2002. The role of the BFCC is to provide a forum through which a broad cross section of Government and non-government organisations with an interest in the prevention, mitigation and suppression of bush fires come together to develop and progress policies and procedures aimed at ensuring a coordinated, agreed approach to major issues.

Bushfire Risk Management Plan

A Bush Fire Risk Management Plan (BFRMP) is a comprehensive document that maps and describes the level of bush fire risk across a Local Government Area. The BFRMP identifies assets within the community at risk from bush fire, assesses the level of risk to those assets and established treatment options to deal with the risk and who is responsible to carry out those treatments.

The Bushfire Risk Management Plan (BFRMP) is used to determine such things as where mechanical clearing or hazard reduction burns are conducted, which areas require specialised fire protection (Hospitals, Aged care Facilities and Schools), and which areas need to be targeted for community education.

The aim of a BFRMP is to minimise the risk of adverse impact of bush fires on life, property and the environment.

The objectives of the BFRMP are to:

• reduce the number of human induced bush fire ignitions
• manage fuel to reduce the rate of spread and intensity of bush fires while minimising environmental/ecological impacts
• reduce the community’s vulnerability to bush fires by improving its preparedness and
• effectively contain fires with the potential to cause damage to life, property or the environment.

Methods of hazard reduction

Methods that can be used can include

• hand clearing – raking up leaves, clipping, clearing out gutters
• mechanical clearing – mowing, slashing, ploughing, trittering, bulldozing, grading and
• burning – pile burning, prescribed burning.

Hand and mechanical clearing in many situations should be considered as they could be the most suitable method used to protect the assets. These methods can be safer than burning, easier to organise and maintain.

Who carries out controlled burns

The City of Newcastle Bushcare Officer carries out the controlled burns in conjunction with NSW Fire Brigades local fire stations

Controlled burns

To assist in reducing the risk of bushfires, The City of Newcastle with the assistance from NSW Fire Brigades schedule several types of burns that are carried out throughout the year when weather conditions are favourable.

Broad area / hazard reduction burns – These burns are help to minimise the chances of loss and damage to adjoining property and to create fuel breaks and fire suppression access tracks. These burns can cover large areas of bushland / grassland.

Ecological burns – These burns increase the biodiversity of bushland reserves. A long time frame (more than 10 years) between fires can result in a decline in bushland health and biodiversity of fauna and flora.

Pile burns – Removed vegetation such as noxious weeds can be placed into small piles and burned when conditions are suitable

Strip burns – These burns are conducted behind adjoining properties to create fuel breaks.

Legislation

Under the Rural Fires Act 1997, Newcastle Council is responsible for conducting hazard reduction to protect existing dwellings, major buildings or other assets susceptible to fire.

As land owners Newcastle Council reduce hazards on their property according to the strategies in Bush Fire Risk Management Plan put together by Newcastle Bush Fire Management Committee.

How can you reduce bushfire hazard around your home

All home owners that adjoin bushland reserves are responsible for ensuring their property is protected from bushfire.

You can make a list of potential bushfire hazards that are located around your property. A bushfire hazard exists wherever there is bushfire fuel, i.e. combustible material. Wood piles, wooden sheds and stacked flammable building material increase vulnerability to bushfires. If any of these materials are stored next to or under your house you should consider removing them to a safer place away from your home.

You can reduce the spread, speed and heat of a bushfire by preparing your property. These preparations must begin well before the bushfire season.

Make your home bushfire ready

• keep your grass short
• rake up leaves and grass cuttings and place them in a compost bin
• don’t store boxes, cartons or wood next to or under your house
• regularly clear leaves and debris from your gutters and down pipes
• make a list of emergency contact numbers and keep them near your phone
• make a fire plan and keep it current. At the beginning of the fire season, decide whether you will stay of go in the event of a bushfire, not when a fire occurs
• don’t store highly flammable liquids in the house
• keep your garden hoses connected to the outside taps and make sure the hose can meet all parts of your house and garden
• if you have a pool and / or water tank think about getting a portable pump so you can user the water to hose down the house and garden
• make sure that firefighters can easily access your back yard
• place all of your firefighting needs into a box and store where it is easily accessible
• keep a battery operated radio and torches and
• check your house and contents insurance is up to date.

Managing bushland

Managing bushland reserves to assist in minimising the threat of fire is an ongoing responsibility of The City of Newcastle. Not every bushland reserve is fire prone, nor does every bushland reserve pose a bushfire threat.

If Council’s Bushcare Officer identifies a fire threat, a series of protection mechanisms can be employed. The most appropriate mechanism is the establishment of an Asset Protection Area (APZ). These APZ’s are located between the fire threat (bushland) and the adjoining properties. The establishment and maintenance of these APZ’s is the responsibility of Newcastle Council.

Newcastle Council’s responsibilities for bushfire mitigation are confined to land to which it owns or managers, all privately owned land should be referred to the Rural Fire Service.

The management of Council’s APZ’s requires cooperation from neighbouring properties. General garden waste dumping and illegal storage of materials within these areas reduces the effectiveness of the APZ to provide quick access for fire fighting agencies in the event of a bushfire. Stored or dumped materials in the APZ can increase a fire risk due to the combustible nature of these materials.