Bush Fire Hazard Reduction
If you are concerned about bush fire hazards on your property, or the property adjacent to you, the RFS can provide advice regarding preparing your property against bush fires and what to do in the event of a bush fire. This advice is free and can be arranged by contacting your local Fire Control Centre and speaking with one of our officers.
The RFS is responsible for inspecting bush fire hazards, providing advice and if necessary issuing notices to reduce hazards to all landowners and managers.
If you believe there is a bush fire hazards near your property you can make a formal complaint by;
- Contacting your local Fire Control Centre in person, via email, mail, fax or phone or
- Filling in an Online Bush Fire Hazard Complaint Form.
The RFS may arrange for an inspection of the site to determine if a bush fire hazard exists. The landowner or manager will be notified separately of the results. Privacy legislation prevents the disclosure of your details.
If a hazard does exist, the RFS can issue a Bush Fire Hazard Reduction Notice to the land owner or manager requesting the hazard to be mitigated, in line with RFS recommendations. If the land owner does not comply with the notice, the RFS can remove the hazard at the land owner’s cost.
Bush Fire Hazard Reduction Notices can be issued to private, commercial and governmental landowners and managers, which include:
- General householders;
- Councils and
- Government agencies.
Who is Responsible for Hazard Reduction
If it's your property, it's your fuel and you are legally responsible for reducing hazards.
Under the Rural Fires Act, 1997, land managers and owners are responsible for carrying out hazard reduction to protect existing dwellings, major buildings or other assets susceptible to fire.
Effective hazard reduction is one way to reduce the risk of damage to homes and structures by bushfire.
In 2002, legislative changes were made to give the RFS Commissioner the authority to order all owners and managers of private, commercial and government land to conduct essential hazard reductions.
Agencies such as National Parks, State Forests and local councils reduce hazards on their property according to the strategies in Bush Fire Risk Management Plans put together by local Bush Fire Management Committees.
Private landholders or occupiers must also reduce hazards on their property.
If hazards are not reduced, the RFS can issue a Bush Fire Hazard Reduction Notice (Section 66 notice) requiring a private landowner or manager to reduce fuel loads.
The RFS offers advice and assistance on hazard reduction. RFS volunteers often do hazard reduction work to help protect their communities, but it is not their legal responsibility to do so, because the RFS does not own or manage land. Volunteers work with private landholders, National Parks, State Forests and NSW Fire Brigades to do hazard reduction on a range of land tenures.
The RFS is responsible for ensuring hazard reduction activities are carried out effectively. Local Bush Fire Risk Management Plans and hazard reduction activities are audited by RFS staff to make sure strategies in the plans are fulfilled.
If you are concerned about a bushfire hazard on neighbouring or any other property, contact the RFS.
The RFS has several publications available on living in bushfire prone areas these are available in PDF format from our Publications Area and from RFS Fire Control Centres.
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