Cardinia Shire Council will ease some of its local burning off rules during November 2019 to provide residents in bushfire prone areas greater opportunity to reduce fuel loads on their property ahead
Burning off will be permitted six days per week (Monday–Saturday) rather than three days per week from 1–30 November 2019 (unless the Fire Danger Period is declared earlier) on properties sized 20 hectares or under, and located in the designated Bushfire Prone Area.
Cardinia Shire Mayor Councillor Graeme Moore said increasing the permitted days to burn off for properties of this size is one way Council is supporting residents to prepare for the summer season.
“Council recognises the importance of reducing bushfire fuels, and we encourage residents to consider all methods of vegetation waste disposal. This includes Council’s free green waste drop-off days in November, the kerbside hard and bundled green waste collections that started late October, and composting or mulching.
“For residents choosing to burn off, please ensure you do it responsibly and safely, and keep your neighbours and local authorities informed,” Cr Moore said.
Open Air Burning Regulations: 1 – 30 November 2019 ONLY (unless Fire Danger Period declared earlier)
For properties under 20 hectares (49.42 acres) located in a designated Bushfire Prone Area, burning off is permitted Monday–Saturday ONLY. No burning off is permitted on a Sunday.
Guidelines still apply, including:
- only one open air fire is permitted at a time
- 3 metre fire break / minimum clearance from other combustible materials
- burn off material should not be wet or green
- Only vegetation can be burnt
- the fire is not within 10 metres of any structure
- maximum size of the material to be burned (pile size) is 8 cubic metres, or 2 metres in any dimension.
The General Fire Safety Provisions should also be followed at all times.
Open Air Burning conditions for land more than 20 hectares, and for those properties not in a Bushfire Prone Area, remain unchanged.
Once the Fire Danger Period is declared by the Country Fire Authority no fuel reduction burning will be allowed without a permit from the Country Fire Authority.
