Council preparing for fire season

Published on 03 October 2024

Gannawarra Shire Council is undertaking efforts to prepare for the 2024/25 fire season.

With the Fire Danger Period to be declared in the coming weeks, Council staff are working to reduce potential fire risks on public and private properties.

“Our wet start to the year, followed by below-average rainfall during winter and early spring, has provided ideal conditions for potential fire risks, including dry, overgrown weeds,” Council Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Rollinson said.

“We all play a part in reducing our fire risk, especially with the weather to warm up in the next six weeks.”

As part of Council’s commitment to reduce Gannawarra’s fire risk, staff will be undertaking the following tasks:

• Slashing of roadsides along Council-managed sealed roads to reduce vegetation growth.
• Slashing of Council-managed properties to reduce vegetation growth.
• Spraying weeds along Council-managed roadsides to reduce future vegetation growth.
• Undertaking fire hazard inspections, identifying properties which need to be cleared of fire risks and issuing Fire Prevention Notices to landowners, instructing them to carry out works to reduce fire risks.

Council is working with other agencies, including VicRoads to ensure that fuel loads are reduced on properties and roads managed by these departments.

Residents are also encouraged to assist by removing or reducing any potential fire risks from their property.

“You can never anticipate when a fire is going to occur, so whether you live in a farming area or residential street, it is important to plan ahead and be ready for the fire season,” Mr Rollinson said.

“Residents of large properties or farms can employ measures such as removing excess weeds and dry grass, maintaining fire breaks, ensuring proper haystack storage and heat monitoring, installing firefighting equipment, and putting a fire plan in place, particularly regarding the management of livestock.

“Residents of smaller properties can prepare for the fire season by clearing gutters of debris, removing overhanging branches and wood stacks from beside housing, and by having an emergency fire evacuation plan in place for the household, in addition to fire protection and fire extinguishing equipment.”

For more information regarding fire management within the Gannawarra Shire, please visit www.gsc.vic.gov.au/fires

NOTE: This publication is certified in accordance with Gannawarra Shire Council’s Governance Rules.