2024/2025 FIREBREAK NOTICE

Published on Monday, 16 September 2024 at 11:19:47 AM

For the prevention and control of bush fires and diminishing the dangers resulting from bush fires

Notice to all Owners and/or Occupiers of Land within the Town of Victoria Park.

Pursuant to the powers conferred in Section 33 of the Bush Fires Act 1954, you are required on or before the 31^st October 2024, or within fourteen (14) days of the date you become the owner or occupier should this be after the 31^st day of October 2024 and thereafter up to and including the 30^th day of April 2025, to clear inflammable matter on land owned and/or occupied by you in accordance with the following requirements –

1. All land which is 2000 m² or less in area;

Remove inflammable matter from the whole of the land, except living trees and shrubs; plants under cultivation and lawn, by means of ploughing, cultivating or slashing to a height of no more than 50mm.

2. All other land within the Town of Victoria Park–

• Firebreaks of a minimum width and height of 3 metres are to be cleared immediately inside all external boundaries of the land;
• Firebreaks to a minimum width of 3 metres and height of 3 metres are to be cleared immediately surrounding all buildings situated on the land; and any place where inflammable liquids and gas products are kept;

In addition to the requirements in this Firebreak Notice (Notice) Council may, by notice in writing, require an owner and/or occupier to act as and when specified in the Notice with respect to anything which is upon land and which in the opinion of Council is or is likely to be conducive to the outbreak of a bush fire or the spread or extension of a bush fire.

The term “Inflammable Matter” for the purpose of this Notice includes dead plant material and all other combustible material not associated with a structure or living garden.

All firebreaks must be cleared on or before 31 October in any year and thereafter maintained clear of inflammable matter up to and including 30 April in the following year.

If for any reason an owner and/or occupier considers it impractical to clear firebreaks or comply with other fire protection measures in accordance with the Notice, the owner and/or occupier may apply in writing to Council no later than 31 October in any year for a variation.  If permission is not granted in writing by Council or its authorised officer, the owner and/or occupier must comply with the requirements of this Notice.  Any variation granted by Council will apply only for a single Firebreak Period.  A variation granted by Council shall only remain in force until 30 April in the following year.

The penalty for failing to comply with this notice is a fine of not more than $5,000.00 and a person in default is also liable whether prosecuted or not, to pay the cost of performing the work directed in this notice if it is not carried out by the owner or occupier by the date required by this Notice.

Appointment of AUTHORISED OFFICER  

Please be advised that the below named persons are hereby authorised to act for and on behalf of the Town of Victoria Park in accordance with the following legislation: 

Fire Control Officers  

In accordance with section 38 of the Bush Fires Act 1954, the following employees for the 2024 – 2025 bush fire season are appointed as: 

Chief Bush Fire Control Officer: Tim Cronin 

Deputy Chief Bush Fire Control Officer 1: Tania Lyon 

Deputy Chief Bush Fire Control Officer 2: Andrew Moulin  

Deputy Chief Bush Fire Control Officer 3: Kayla Windram  

Fire Control Officers: 

Ian Joo 

Chetan Sharma  

Jethro Phiri  

Edy Srblin  

Andrea Smith  

Sabesan Josephraja  

Deborah Shephard  

for the purposes of the Bush Fires Act 1954. All previous appointments are cancelled.