National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in conjunction with Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Rural Fire Brigade and Lake Macquarie City Council, will be conducting hazard reduction burning in the Awaba Bay section of Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area, on Friday 2 October 2020 to reduce bushfire risk to properties, wildlife and cultural heritage.
Subject to favourable weather conditions 11.4 hectares will be burnt on Friday between Marmong and Bolton Points. Anyone driving in the area, particularly along The Ridgeway, are advised to use caution and respect temporary traffic control measures in place to manage road safety.
To ensure public safety and allow for effective prescribed burning operations the entire Awaba Bay section of Lake Macquarie SCA and the adjoining section of bushland to the south (in the vicinity of the Bolton Clark Macquarie View Retirement Village) will be closed on Friday 2nd October.
The burn area between Bolton Point Retirement Village and Alexanders Fire Trail will not be reopened until the area has been assessed as safe and any tree hazards managed.
NPWS, FRNSW and NSW RFS crews will follow COVID-19 safety procedures to manage risks to crews.
The NPWS hazard reduction program for 2020 is focussed on essential burns to protect park neighbours, assets or significant habitat to ensure ongoing recovery of the wildlife impacted by the summer bushfires.
Undertaking burns when conditions are right to ensure they are safe and effective is an important part of managing the potential risk of bushfire to communities and the environment before next summer. This work also provides firefighters safe zones and access where they can defend properties, should a bushfire occur.
All burns across NSW will continue to be coordinated with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) to ensure the impact on the community, including from smoke, are assessed at a regional level.
Details on specific burns will be made available in advance on the Rural Fire Service website, ‘Fires Near Me’ app, and on NPWS Alerts website.
For health information relating to smoke from bush fires and hazard reduction burning, visit NSW Health or the Asthma Foundation.
For up to date information on these, and other, planned hazard reduction activities, visit the Rural Fire Service.
