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All properties in City of Swan 2.5 hectares or larger that has areas of grass
The Australian Fire Danger Rating System project has provided an information pamphlet on grass fire behavior. It suggests the City's current requirement would be ineffective in most high-risk summer days.
Increased grass management will incur added costs and loss of stock feed. The purpose of this survey is to better understand this impact, so it is important that affected property owners take the time to review the three proposals and feedback what impact the options will have on them.
Kalamunda and Chittering
- Regardless of property size, slash dead grasses to a height no greater than 50mm.
Mundaring
- Less than 5ha, maintain all grass to a height no greater than 50mm.
- Over 5ha, maintain grasses to a height no greater than 50mm for a distance of 10 metres from any firebreak.
Wanneroo
- Less than 4000sqm, maintain all grass to a height no greater than 50mm.
- There is no requirement to maintain any grass on occupied properties over 4000sqm.
- Vacant land over 5ha, maintain grasses to a height no greater than 50mm for a distance of 10 metres from any firebreak.
Properties 2.5 hectares or under already require all grass managed thus are not affected by proposed changes.
A three metre wide mineral earth firebreak is required. Three metres of grass immediately adjacent to one side of any firebreak should be a height of no greater than 10cm.
This provides a total low fuel zone of 6m. An effective option for Moderate to mid-High fire danger rating.
Currently properties over 2.5ha are permitted to leave (most) grass unmanaged. The City is now looking at increasing the width of the low fuel zone (slashed grass + firebreak) required on these properties to better fit the findings by the Australian Fire Danger Rating System project.
Having a low fuel grass strip next to firebreaks will assist in containing or slowing down fires. The wider it is, the more it reduces the chance of the fire spotting across an adjacent firebreak. However increased grass management comes with increased cost to the landowner.
City is seeking feedback on what impact increasing the width of the slashed grass strip has on landowners as per the three proposals below
1. No change to the current requirements
3m wide mineral earth firebreak and maintain all grass immediately adjacent to one side of any firebreak to a minimum width of 3 metres and a height of no greater than 10cm.
This provides a total low fuel zone of 6m. An effective option for ‘Moderate to mid-High’ fire danger ratings.
2. Progressive three tier increase of grass management width.
3m wide mineral earth firebreak and maintain all grass immediately adjacent to one side of any firebreak to a minimum width of:
- i. 3 metres i.e. no change on properties between 2.5ha and 10ha.
- ii. 6 metres on properties over 10ha and less than 50ha.
- iii. 10 metres on properties over 50ha.
This provides a total low fuel zone between 6 and 13m. An effective option during ‘High’ fire danger rating.
3. Change grass management width from 3m to 10m wide
3m wide mineral earth firebreak and maintain all grass immediately adjacent to one side of any firebreak to a minimum width of 10 metres and a height of no greater than 10cm.
This provides a total low fuel zone of 13m. A very effective option during ‘High’ fire danger rating.
