Why we need a plan

Bush Fire Risk Management Plans are an effective instrument for managing risk to human activity and valued community and environmental assets. They are a key component in a multifaceted bush fire management approach for NSW.

We are planning together to manage bush fire risk in the Snowy Valleys area by preparing a new five-year plan of strategies and actions.

How will your input be used

The data from the Have Your Say survey responses has been anonymously supplied to your area’s Bush Fire Management Committee. They will assess data collections rather than individual answers, so that they can establish a clearer community sentiment and gain insights from a large sample size.

The personal details you submitted will be used to validate your submission and to allow notifications to be sent to you when the status of this BFRMP changes.

Our community

The Snowy Valleys Bush Fire Management Committee (BFMC) area spans 896,184 hectares (ha). The area covers the Local Government Area (LGA) of Snowy Valley Regional Council and features National Parks covering an area of 410,042ha and State Forests covering an area of 153,888ha. Also of interest is large tracts of private pine plantations as well as rich farming, grazing and horticultural land.

The Snowy Valleys area has approximately 75% bushland and 23% grassland with the balance being the built environment or water bodies. A bush or grass fire can happen at any time of the year, however the risk is higher during the warmer months of December to March, when bush, grass or scrub is at its driest.

  • At the last census there are 6,481 residential dwellings in the Snowy Valleys BFMC area with an approximate population of 14,891.
  • There are 1,632 businesses in the area (ABS, 2021). The top three industries include Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services and Construction. These account for 70% of businesses in the Snowy Valleys BFMC area. State of the art timber milling and processing facilities are established in both Tumut and Tumbarumba contributing significantly to the local economy. Most of the Snowy Hydro hydro-generation assets and infrastructure (including the Snowy 2.0 project) is located within the Snowy Valleys area.
  • The last major bush fire occurred in the area during the 2019/2020 bush fire season with 449,919ha burnt causing significant damage to assets and infrastructure across the area.
  • There are a number of high valued community assets across the area along with a number of historic and culturally significant sites and environmentally important sites.

Current Bush Fire Risk Management Plan for Snowy Valleys

The Bush Fire Risk Management Plan (BFRMP) for Snowy Valleys was prepared under one BFMC area made up of the former Tumut and Tumbarumba LGAs.

The current Snowy Valleys BFRMP was approved on 8 March 2018.

This BFRMP identifies the bush fire risks in Snowy Valleys and sets out the types of activities scheduled to mitigate the risk of bush fires to the area.

BFRMPs are routinely updated within a five-year period, however, the treatments and works outlined in the plans are subject to review and change on a yearly basis due to previous and predicted fire activity, prevailing and forecast weather as well as new and emerging risk factors.

View the current plan for Snowy Valleys

Snowy Valleys BFMC is made up of a range of stakeholders from the area including emergency services, land management agencies, local government and local aboriginal land services, and local community groups. This ensures key community stakeholders have a say on bush fire management activities for the benefit of their communities.

Snowy Valleys BFMC is made up of the following representatives:

Agency/Organisation
NSW Rural Fire Service
NSW Crown Lands
Essential Energy
Transgrid
Snowy Hydro
NSW Farmers' Association
Fire and Rescue NSW
NSW Forestry Corporation
Snowy Valleys Council
Bega, Brungle / Tumut, Eden, Merrimans & Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Councils
National Parks and Wildlife Service
NSW Police Force
Transport for NSW
Local Land Services

Bush fire survival plan

Getting ready for a bush fire is easier than you think. Make a bush fire survival plan so you know what you will do if there’s a fire near you.

Prepare your home

A well-prepared home is more likely to survive a bush fire. Even if your plan is to leave early, the more you prepare your home, the more likely it will survive a bush fire or ember attack.

Prepare yourself and your family

Preparation isn’t just about cleaning up around the house and having a plan. It’s also about making sure you consider your physical, mental and emotional preparedness.