Each year, property owners and occupiers are required to maintain their land in accordance with the Shire's Firebreak and Fuel Load Notice. These requirements help reduce bushfire risk, improve emergency access and provide safer conditions for firefighters and emergency responders.
The annual notice outlines the firebreak and fuel management standards that apply to properties throughout the district. Requirements may vary depending on property size, location, vegetation and bushfire risk.
This page provides access to the current Firebreak and Fuel Load Notice, information about compliance requirements and details of local contractors who may be able to assist with works. Property owners are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the requirements well before the annual compliance date.
Firebreak and fuel management requirements are an important part of reducing bushfire risk across the Shire. Questions often arise about property requirements, compliance dates, maintenance standards, variations and inspections.
If you cannot find the information you need below, please contact the Shire for further assistance. Staff can provide advice on requirements, available options and the process for requesting a variation where appropriate.
Are State Government departments subject to the same regulations as private landowners?
We understand there may be concerns about the different rules for private landowners and State Government departments when it comes to bushfire mitigation.
State Government departments, as part of the Crown, are not subject to the same regulations as private landowners. While we recognise this difference, the Shire is committed to working with all levels of government to ensure consistent and effective bushfire risk management across both public and private land.
If you have specific concerns regarding State Government land or actions, we recommend contacting the relevant department for further clarification.
How is reducing fuel load going to make any difference if a fire comes through?
Reduced ground fuels slow the fires rate of spread. It won’t stop the fire but it does give firefighters more chance to save lives and properties!
What happens if my property is not compliant?
Non-compliance with the Notice is considered a serious offence as it can compromise the safety of both the individuals occupying the land and the wider community.
If you fail to meet the requirement stipulated in the Notice, you may receive a warning notice with an additional 10 calendar days to ensure your property is compliant. Your property will then be reinspected and if it still fails to comply with the Notice the Shire is authorised to engage a contractor to carry out the work at your expense. The property owner will receive an invoice for the works plus associated administrative costs.
Who checks my property and can they enter my property without my permission?
Fire Control Officers, authorised under the Bush Fire Act 1954, are permitted to enter your property to undertake inspections to ensure compliance with the Shire’s Notice. This includes the Shire’s Fire Hazard Inspection Officers, Fire Protection Officers and Bushfire Risk Management Officer.
What is a Bushfire Management Plan (BMP)?
Within the context of the Notice, a BMP is a document submitted by developers at the time of creating a new sub-division which provides details of the bushfire mitigation measures that are to be put in place for that sub-division. This may include strategic firebreaks, low threat vegetation, emergency access ways, or fire services routes. A BMP can also be required for individual properties, this would be noted on your Certificate of Title as a 70A Notification.
My neighbour hasn’t installed their firebreaks, what can I do?
If you have concerns about other properties within the Shire please contact the Shire’s Fire Hazard Inspection Officers on 9290 6696 or via firesafety@mundaring.wa.gov.au.
Can I use a chemical herbicide spray to kill vegetation to create a firebreak?
Yes, as long as the firebreak area is bare earth by 1 November. Spraying herbicides will kill weeds, plants and but the dead material then creates a flammable fuel source if it has not degraded sufficiently.
Firebreaks can be constructed by one or more of the following methods: ploughing, cultivating, scarifying, raking, burning, chemical spraying or other method as approved by an Authorised Officer.
Why does a firebreak need to be 3 metres wide with 4 metres vertical clearance?
Breaks are required to be 3 metres wide with 4 metres vertical clearance to allow clear access for firefighting appliances, which are currently up to 3 metres wide and 3.5 metres high. As well as providing the width for vehicles to traverse firebreaks there also needs to be an allowance for negotiating corners, vehicles can be up to 9m long. The vertical clearance is required to limit damage to the firefighting appliance and to ensure that crews on the back deck can work safely, without fear of injury from over hanging tree branches.
Why does a firebreak need to be bare earthed?
Firebreaks, when established, need to be a bare earth mineral break. They will then assist in preventing the spread of fire into neighbouring properties and provide suitable terrain for the drivers of firefighting appliances. If erosion or other land use issues prevent a bare earth firebreak being established where required, you will need to apply for a Variation to that requirement.
How can I reduce the fuel load on my property?
You can rake and remove the ground fuels, burn them in piles during approved burning times, or compost the leaf litter and use it in other areas of your garden. Under-pruning shrubs and trees close to your home and managing dead and dry material suspended in shrubs is also a good way to reduce fuel loads. Good management of fuel levels does not necessarily mean you have to remove trees and shrubs. In most cases managing ground level fuels and some pruning of shrubs and trees is sufficient.
How will reducing the fuel loads on my property make a difference if a bushfire comes through?
Reviews of significant bush fires find, generally, that well-prepared properties suffer less damage and loss than those that are not. Reducing the fuel loads around your home means that embers from a bushfire will have less chance to catch fire when they hit the ground. This will also reduce the damage caused by the fire and slow the rate of spread of the fire. The better you prepare your property the higher the chance it will survive a bushfire, even if you are not there!
Do I have to clear all vegetation around my house to put in an Asset Protection Zone (APZ)?
No, an APZ is a 20 metre low-fuel zone around your home. This may include, but is not limited to, under-pruning bushes and trees, removing ladder fuels, thinning out isolated bush clumps, etc. Note, if your house is close to your neighbour’s boundary line, the APZ does not need to extend beyond your property boundary. For more information visit www.mundaring.wa.gov.au/safety-rangers/bush-fires-and-fire-management/asset-protection-zones.aspx.
Do I need to maintain my firebreaks and low fuel zones throughout the whole fire season?
Yes, it is the landowner/occupiers responsibility to maintain their firebreaks from the first day of November each year through to the thirty first day of March the following year.
What is an Asset Protection Zone (APZ)?
An APZ is an area of very low fuel levels and managed gardens and vegetation close to a house that lessen the impact of an advancing bush fire. Bush fires spread and increase in intensity by consuming any available fuel in their path. In most cases homes are damaged or lost due to the radiant heat and embers caused by nearby fires, so to minimise the impact on your home your best defence is to reduce the amount of fuel close to your house. For more information visit www.mundaring.wa.gov.au/safety-rangers/bush-fires-and-fire-management/asset-protection-zones.aspx.
What is a firebreak?
A firebreak is a strip or area of ground, not less than 3m in width, and 4m in height, immediately inside all external boundaries of a property. It must be constructed to a trafficable surface that is kept and maintained totally clear of all flammable material, including the pruning and removal of any living or dead trees, scrub or any other material encroaching into the vertical axis of the firebreak area.
Am I able to clear my Asset Protection Zone (APZ) and firebreak area without a clearing permit?
Yes, but only around existing assets (houses, sheds, tanks etc) and to the area/dimensions specified in the Notice. For more information visit www.mundaring.wa.gov.au/safety-rangers/bush-fires-and-fire-management/asset-protection-zones.aspx or contact the Shire's Fire Hazard Inspection Officers on 9290 6696.
What do I do if I can’t meet some or all of the Notice requirements?
If you are unable to comply with some, or all, of the conditions contained within the Notice please contact the Shire’s Fire Hazard Inspection Officers on 9290 6696 or via firesafety@mundaring.wa.gov.au. There may be the opportunity for you to apply for a Variation.
What happens if I am struggling to get in contact with a contractor or get the contractor to complete required works on my property before the due date?
If you are having issues with the availability and/or timing of contractors to complete required works on your property, please contact the Shire’s Fire Hazard Inspection Officers on 9290 6696 or via firesafety@mundaring.wa.gov.au.
Can the Shire recommend any firebreak contractors?
Whilst the Shire is unable to recommend any particular contractor we do have a list of local contractors that landowners/occupiers can engage with. Contact the Fire Safety Team on 9290 6696 or via firesafety@mundaring.wa.gov.au to obtain a copy.
I cannot meet the requirements by the deadline, can I get an extension?
The Shire asks that landowners/occupiers make sure their properties are compliant with the requirements of the Notice by the due date to reduce the level of bush fire risk for the whole community. However, we do understand that on occasion there might be genuine reasons why the requirements can’t be met by the deadline. As such extension requests will be considered on an individual basis.
How do new owners know what needs to be done on their new property?
The Shire has a process in place whereby when a settlement agent places a property enquiry with the Shire they are advised of any outstanding works to be completed on the property.
All new landowners are posted rates information, including a copy of the Notice. New (and existing!) property owners are encouraged to contact the Shire’s Fire Hazard Inspection Officers on 9290 6696 or via firesafety@mundaring.wa.gov.au to arrange a free fire hazard inspection to seek clarification on any fire risks on the property.
What happens if I didn’t receive a copy of the Notice, or have misplaced it?
There are a few options available to you;
Please note if you did not receive your Notice in the mail, you are still bound by the requirements of the Notice.
What is the Shire of Mundaring Firebreak and Fuel Load Notice?
The “Notice” is a legal document under section 33 of the Bush Fires Act 1954 that instructs landowners/occupiers of the actions they must take to prepare their properties for the upcoming fire season. Landowners/occupiers who fail to comply with conditions contained in the Notice by the date of inspection may be issued with a penalty of up to $5,000.00 under the Act.