Firebreaks

REGULATIONS

Perimeter Fire breaks

Perimeter fire breaks are required on properties larger than 4,000m2.

Fire breaks must be 3 metres wide with 4 metres vertical clearance.
The land must be ploughed, cultivated, scarified, chemically sprayed, slashed or otherwise cleared to a maximum vegetation height of 50mm.
Any overhanging branches, trees, shrubs must be cleared to a vertical height of 4m over the designated fire break.
A perimeter fire break should be constructed as close as possible to the property boundary and must be placed within 20 metres of the property boundary.
Fire breaks longer than 400m should include a fire appliance turning area of at least 10 metre diameter at appropriate locations to allow fire vehicles to safely exit a property.

Hazard Specific Fire Breaks

If you have any of the following on your property, regardless of the property size, fire breaks must be constructed around them as follows:

Green power domes –3 metre fire break
Wood heaps and hay stacks – 3 metre fire break
Fuel storage areas – 3 metre fire break
Garden refuse piles – 3 metre fire break
Power poles - 2.5 metre fire break

Fire Break Standards are Your Responsibility

If a contractor has been engaged to install fire breaks on a property, the landowner/occupier is responsible for ensuring that the fire break meets the required standards.

Strategic Fire Access Route (Strategic Fire Break)

A Strategic Fire Access Route (SFAR), previously referred to as Strategic Fire Break, is both a major fire access road and a major fire break designed to allow a heavy duty fire appliance to access properties.

Where a SFAR is located on your property, you will be required to install and maintain it, to the satisfaction of the City.

SFAR do not replace the requirement for individual perimeter fire breaks unless this is specified in an approved Bushfire Management Plan or Scheme plan .

The SFAR must not be obstructed by buildings, fences, tree planting and so on. Unlocked gates are to be provided on property boundaries where the SFAR crosses.

Strategic Fire Access Routes must meet the following conditions:

be a minimum of 6m wide
be maintained clear of all fire fuel
have an all-weather trafficable surface of at least 4m
have a vertical clearance of at least 4.5m
include a turning area (minimum radius of 10m) approximately every 500m
have places installed every 100m, which should be 20m long and 6m wide.

Details of the locations of SFARs are included in Bushfire Management Plans and sub-division guide plans or can be obtained from the City of Albany Planning Department.

Bushfire Management Plans

Where an approved Bushfire Management Plan is in place, all properties covered by the Plan are to comply with the conditions of that Plan.

This includes maintenance of all strategic fire access tracks, emergency access ways and fire service access routes that may be present on your property. If you are unsure if your property is covered by a Bushfire Management Plan, please contact the City of Albany Planning Department.

Please note that a Bush Fire Management plan approved by the City can be used to set the standard for or vary the fire management notice for an individual property or for a number of properties.

If you are unsure if your property is covered by a Bushfire Management Plan, please contact the City of Albany.

Bush Fire Prone Areas

Houses located in bush fire prone areas constructed after April 2016, or any extensions built from that time, must comply with the Department of Planning’s State Planning Policy 3.7. These dwellings shall comply with the definition of APZ as per section A2.1 of the Department of Planning’s Guidelines for Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas.

For more information visit the Department of Planning website.

A map of bush fire prone areas is available on the DFES website.

For more information visit the Department of Fire & Emergency Services Building Protection Zone webpage.

Inspections and Compliance

Officers authorised under the Bush Fire Act 1954 will be conducting inspections during the fire season to ensure compliance.

Officers and contractors can legally enter your property for this purpose.

If you have concerns about a property not being compliant during the fire season, please contact the City of Albany on 6820 3000 or through the "Report It" online form.

For more information about constructing and maintaining your fire breaks download the DFES Guide to Constructing and Maintaining Fire Breaks.

· FIRE MANAGEMENT NOTICE 2023-2024

Limitations and Clarifications

The Fire Management Notice is intended to be the minimum requirements a landowner or occupier is to enact. The clearing of native or protected bush may require additional approval.

The is beyond the notice to:

Wholesale clear above the requirements of the notice,
Force neighbour's to trim overhanging branches,
Create a protection zone outside of your property boundary,
Lower BAL conditions on neighbouring land.