East Gippsland Shire Council will soon start inspecting properties throughout the municipality in preparation for the upcoming bushfire season. The Shire’s Emergency Coordinator, Shane Turner, said landowners of properties that pose a fire risk or contravene the CFA Act will be issued with an infringement notice. “The fine for non-compliance has increased since last season, jumping from $1408.40 to $1517,” Mr Turner said. “These adjustments have been made by the Department of Justice, and the Shire has the responsibility to enforce these higher penalties immediately.”
Mr Turner said in past years the Shire had slashed non-compliant land and passed the cost onto the
landowner. However, he warned this would no longer be the case. “The Shire will not be undertaking any slashing this year on private land,” Mr Turner said. “It is the responsibility of the landowner to ensure their property meets the required standard before inspections start. This means that grass must be maintained to less than 10cm in height,” Mr Turner concluded.
Green waste disposal is free at all Shire landfills and transfer stations for trailer and utility loads. Charges only apply when logs or stumps measure more than 300 mm in diameter. The Shire encourages all members of the community to take advantage of this free green waste disposal, particularly to ensure that properties have a low fuel load as the fire season approaches.
Grass must be maintained to less than 10cm in height. Infringements are issued for properties that pose a fire risk or contravene the CFA Act. Act now and take advantage of free domestic green waste disposal at Council’s landfills and transfer stations.
Residents should understand their fire risk and get prepared. Shire Mayor Cr Peter Neal – who is an active CFA volunteer himself - encouraged East Gippsland residents to "understand your fire risk and get prepared. Talk to your family or household today about what you can do to prepare for the upcoming summer and how you plan to stay safe,” Cr Neal said.
Green waste can be disposed of free at Shire landfills throughout the year. With all forecasts pointing to an early fire season, it is critical residents prepare their property now. “Fire prevention isn’t just for people with acreage, people in residential zones also have responsibilities to reduce their property’s fire risk,” Cr Neal said.
Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said Victoria has already seen significant fires this year and above average conditions are forecast for the upcoming summer. “Now is the time to talk to your family, friends or neighbours about when you’ll leave before a fire starts and where you’ll go,” Mr Lapsley said. “Use Fire Danger Ratings to decide when to leave. Fire Danger Ratings are not a weather forecast – they tell you how dangerous a fire would be if one started. As the ratings increase, so does your risk of fire. If the Fire Danger Rating is Code Red, Extreme or Severe, you’re risking your life if you wait and see. Leaving early is the safest option to protect yourself and your family."
“Make sure you understand where to find warnings, what the different levels of warnings mean, and how to use them. Last summer there were over 2,300 warnings issued in Victoria. It’s up to you to stay informed by using more than one source of information, and understand the levels of warnings, what they mean and what you should do,” he said. Never wait to receive an official warning before you leave. Fires can start quickly and threaten homes and lives within minutes,” he said. “Making informed decisions now – not when a fire starts, is vital to your safety this summer.”
This year, Victoria has already seen over 160 fires threatening land, lives and property in the Northern Central region. The Shire has prepared Local Incident Management Plans for many of its communities, which identify an assembly point in case of emergency.
To view the plans, visit the Emergencies page of RINET or the Emergency Management section of the Shire’s website. For more information on understanding the risk where you live, visit cfa.vic.gov.au/myrisk. To access fire danger ratings and warnings, visit emergency.vic.gov.au.
