Fire Hazard Reduction Notice Major Review

A Fire Hazard Reduction Notice (notice) is a legislative document that allows local governments to instruct landowners and occupiers on the steps they must take to prepare their properties for fire season.

Under Section 33 of the Bush Fires Act 1954 (WA) the City of Swan requires landowners or occupiers to:

• Maintain firebreaks where required, and
• Take actions to remove risks and hazards that may be conducive to a fire outbreak, spread or extension of a bushfire.

An up-to-date notice is an important tool for the City to keep the community safe, protect the natural environment, protect asset investment and consider amenity of place.

The City conducts an internal review of the notice each year to accommodate minor amendments where required.

In 2024 the City is conducting a major review in consultation with key stakeholders and the community to accommodate a number of changes that have happened over the past decade, including:

• The 2023 release of a guidance note from WALGA and DFES to amend our template
• Significant changes to development within areas of the City
• Our understanding and knowledge of best practice bushfire prevention and management has increased
• Update of state-level planning and strategic documents, including AS3959 – Construction of buildings in bushfire areas
• The current notice has redundant or unnecessary provisions.

Significant community impacts and feedback over time have also presented an opportunity to consider and incorporate key elements that complement the intent of the draft notice.

Internal business units have prepared the draft notice in consultation with Elected members, various members from state departments (DFES and Parks and Wildlife), and representatives from our local volunteer fire brigades. The Bush Fire Advisory Committee (BFAC) is aware of the proposed changes and members will also provide further input as part of this consultation.

The community is now invited to review the draft notice on key elements such as the new clause and useability of the document.

Previously all properties over 5,000m² required a boundary firebreak.

The key change is that properties over 5,000m² now do not require installation of boundary firebreaks if:

• over 90 per cent of their property consists of buildings, non-vegetated areas and/or irrigated orchards/vineyards, and all grass is maintained to 10cm or less.

These properties are still required to maintain firebreaks around fuel storage areas, haystacks and flammable materials. They also need to maintain fire service access routes (FSARs),  emergency access ways (EAWs) and other works if deemed necessary by a Fire Control Officer.

Other minor changes in the draft notice include:

• Firebreaks, FSARs, EAWs and driveway clearance heights increased from 4m to 4.5m
• Removal of specifications for plantations
• APZ no longer increases for sloping ground
• Heritage consideration added to environmental considerations

To compare the current and new draft notices please view the document library in the right-hand pane.

Most likely, no. Assuming the size and nature of your property have not changed since the 2023/24 fire season, you will not need to undertake any additional maintenance than previously specified.

Some properties over 5,000m² may now not need to have mineral earth firebreaks (see our fact sheet and draft notice for more details).  

It is important to inspect your property every year to ensure compliance with the final notice even if in previous years you have been compliant. Throughout the fire season, firebreaks  need maintenance to clear flammable material (e.g. long grass, dry grass, overhanging branches).

Head to the DFES website for property maintenance advice: https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/hazard-information/bushfire/prepare

One quick way to find out the size of your property is to navigate to the City of Swan’s Intramaps page.

1. Type your address at the bottom of the screen or scroll and zoom to your property.
2. Click on your lot parcel.
3. View the area by square meters in the right hand pane.

We have also prepared a real time video example on our Swan Engage project page to help you understand how to calculate your non-vegetated area.

Once published, the conditions specified in the 2024/2025 Fire Hazard Reduction Notice, will outline any actions required to comply with the notice. Compliance with the notice must be from November 1 until April 30 each year. For further guidance on this, the City will provide an updated Fire Season Guide on our website, along with other guidance documents.

The final notice has allowances for alternative firebreak routes and also allows extra time for compliance where land is stocked (until December 1 2024).

If you have a specific concern that you believe is not addressed in these documents, please get in touch with the Community Safety Team early to talk about your concerns and any questions you have (commsafetysupport@swan.wa.gov.au or 9267 9022).

If your property has been identified as non-compliant with the notice for the first time, the City will advise what actions to take to avoid a fine.

The notice applies to all properties in the City, however upwards of 9,000 properties are expected to require some level of fire hazard reduction maintenance to comply with the notice. As part of our duty of care to the community, the City resources fire hazard inspections every year leading up to and during fire season.

Not all properties are inspected every year. This may have been the case with your property and therefore the non-compliance was not previously identified.  

It is very important that landowners understand their responsibilities for bushfire hazard reduction to avoid placing yourself, your property and others at risk.

We invite you to complete our community survey to tell us your thoughts on key changes within the notice. The survey is open until Friday, August 2 2024 and feedback will be considered prior to final version and gazettal.