January 2012

Council's Role in Fire Prevention

Municipal Fire Prevention is a statutory responsibility of all Municipalities falling within the Country Area of Victoria. Section 43 of the CFA Act states ‘it is the duty of every municipal council and public authority to take all practical steps (including burning) to prevent the occurrence of fires on, and minimise the danger of the spread of fires on and from – any land vested in it or under its control or management: and any road under its care and management’.

The works Council undertake to meet our responsibilities include;

• Infrastructure Works Programs on Parks and Reserves – maintain areas of high public use through slashing and vegetation management
• Development and implementation of Coastal and Bushland Fire Prevention Works plans for identified high risk reserves – identify specific works that relate to the reduction of likelihood and consequence of fire on land managed or owned by council
• Roadside Slashing Program – reduce roadsides fuels and reduce the likelihood of ignitions caused by hot vehicle parts

The CFA Act requires municipalities to prepare and maintain a Municipal Fire Prevention Plan (MFPP).  Municipal Fire Prevention provides a coordinated approach for public, private and community sectors in identifying fire risks, specifying who is responsible for those risks and how those risks are to be treated.  Council's plan was audited in September 2009 and will be due for audit again in September 2012.

The plans were reviewed in 2010 to include relevant information regarding Neighbourhood Safer Places – Places of Last Resort and Township Protection Plans as determined by the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.

The Municipal Fire Prevention Committee has been replaced by the Municipal Fire Management Planning Committee which has accepted responsibility for the Municipal Fire Prevention Plan and for developing a Municipal Fire Management Plan.

Other activities Council performs to prevent the likelihood and consequence of fire in Bass Coast Shire are:

• Fire Hydrant Maintenance
• Static Water Tank instillation and maintenance
• Fire Access Track instillations and maintenance
• Fire Danger Period Signage maintenance and instillation
• Green Waste Amnesty
• Response to Customer Queries relating to fire hazards
• Issue Permits to Burn during the Fire Danger Period
• Media Campaigns – including attendance and support to Fire Ready Meetings, press releases, advertisements, direct mail, CFA information in customer service centres etc

Council working with our MFPP and working with other agencies

A Municipal Fire Management Plan has been developed by the Bass Coast Municipal Fire Management Committee. The Committee consists of CFA, Department of Sustainability and Environment, (DSE), Phillip Island Nature Parks, (PINP), Bass Coast Shire Council, VicRoads, Parks Victoria, South Gippsland Water, Westernport Water and Victoria Police.

The plan provides for how, the Council, fire agencies and other relevant authorities and organisations can work together to effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from, major bushfire events.  While the management of all types of fires is important, the document has focused on bushfire in the first instance. Future updates of the plan will include planning for other types of fires such as structural fires and chemical fires which are still covered through the Municipal Fire Prevention Plan. The plan recognises the extensive work already being undertaken in fire management across this municipality and is essentially a plan for improving the integration of this existing work and developing new ways of working together including planned burning. Township Protection Plans have been created for Silverleaves, Harmers Haven, Grantville and The Gurdies with significant input from this Committee this year.

Roadside slashing versus clearing of roadside vegetation

Councils Road Management plan specifies the grass slashing requirements for Council managed roadsides.  This information is replicated in our Municipal Fire Prevention Plan and our Municipal Fire Management Plan.  The fire prevention benefits of this work reduce roadsides fuels and the likelihood of ignitions on roadside caused by hot vehicle parts.

Where specific areas of roadside vegetation are identified as needing further maintenance works and an assessment identifies a significant fire risk, Council will implement the relevant treatments to reduce these risks.

Examples of this in recent times are:

• Silverleaves where roadside vegetation was causing access issues for CFA tankers.  Extensive works were carried out to trim back tree branches to improve access.
• Lohr Avenue in Inverloch where the same issues were raised and works completed.
• Stanley Rd Adams Estate where roadside fuel loads were identified as high, extra slashing was organised and a roadside burn is being planned.

The difference between fire prevention activities and Local Law neighbourhood amenity issues

The Municipality appoints a Municipal Fire Prevention Officer (MFPO) who is responsible for issuing permits to burn during the fire danger period and issues fire prevention notices for hazard removal to private landowners in Bass Coast.  Bass Coast Shire Council has powers under the CFA Act, relating specifically to failure to comply with Fire Prevention Notices and breaching conditions of Permits to Burn issued during the Fire Danger Period. Council may enter private lands to remove fire hazards if fire prevention notices are not complied with.

A fire prevention notice may be served only if the fire prevention officer forms the opinion that it is necessary, or may become necessary, to do so to protect life or property from the threat of fire; and that there is no procedure under any other Act or regulations made under any Act that is more appropriate in the circumstances to address that threat. Fire Prevention Notices tend to be served on larger blocks of land in or abutting residential areas and on residential blocks where a higher risk is identified. These Notices will ask for potential fine fuels to be removed and may ask for breaks in vegetation to be provided or fire breaks to be slashed on rural or farming properties.

Councils Local Law is in place to provide a safe and healthy environment in which the residents of the Shire are able to enjoy a quality of life that meets the general expectations of the community. Councils Local Law has provision for issuing Notice To Comply notices in relation to clause 108 Unsightly Land. This clause identifies that an owner or occupier of land must not keep or allow his or her land to be kept in a manner which is unsightly or detrimental to the general amenity of the neighbourhood including land which has grass exceeding 30 cm in length.

Council use this section of the Local Law to make sure that grass in residential areas are maintained leading in to and throughout the summer period.

We have completed inspections of all major townships in Bass Coast Shire issuing either Notice to Comply notices to residential blocks and Fire Prevention Notices to larger blocks or higher risk residential blocks.

We have issued 900 Notice to Comply notices since November 2011 and 200 Fire Prevention Notices since November 2011 and have had around 95% compliance.

People taking personal responsibility and having personal bushfire survival plans

Fire Agencies, land managers and private property owners implement measures to reduce the likelihood and consequence of bushfires in Bass Coast Shire. Even with this work being completed leaving a high risk bushfire area early is the safest way to survive a bushfire. The Fire Danger Rating is the trigger to act and the higher the rating, the more dangerous the situation if a fire starts. Residents and visitors need to take responsibility to develop a bushfire survival plan for themselves and their family.  Further information can be obtained at cfa.vic.gov.au or by calling the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667.

Management of native vegetation reserves

Council has worked with the CFA to produce Fire Prevention Works Plans for Council managed coastal and bushland reserves. The plans identify vegetation management issues in reserves and foreshores and general fire prevention issues. They layout an annual works program and, through inspections with the CFA, extra works are identified on a yearly basis.

Many of these areas are reserved for conservation of native flora and fauna and we work with DSE to maintain their biodiversity values. However some intervention is required to prevent or control bushfires.