Burning Periods and Permits

Under Section 17 & 18 of the Bush Fires Act 1954, the restricted and prohibited burning periods are set by the DFES Commissioner for each Local Government area.  

The Shire of Wongan-Ballidu may decide to shorten or extend these periods to accommodate the seasonal conditions in any given year.

RESTRICTED BURNING PERIOD	13 OCTOBER - 14 NOVEMBER
PROHIBITED BURNING PERIOD	15 NOVEMBER - 13 FEBRUARY
RESTRICTED BURNING PERIOD	14 FEBRUARY - 31 MARCH

Dates may vary due to climate or weather conditions. Period variations will be advertised on the website and social media. 

Permits are required within restricted burning periods. Contact your local Bush Fire Control Officer for a permit to burn. Conditions apply to permits stipulating how burning shall be carried out. Any burning carried out without a permit or without following applied conditions are subject to fines.

All burning is prohibited on days of very high or above fire danger ratings, or if a total fire ban or harvest and movement ban has been implemented. 

Firebreak Notice (the Notice)

Pursuant to the powers contained in section 33 of the Bush Fire Act 1954, you are hereby required on/before 13 October 2023 to maintain an area of ground, of a specified width that is kept and maintained 'reasonably' clear of all material (living or dead) by scarifying, cultivating, ploughing or other means and includes the pruning and removal of any living or dead trees, scrub or any other material that overhangs the cleared firebreak area to a vertical height of 4.5 metres from the ground until after the 31 March 2024 on the land owned or occupied by you.

ALL FIREBREAKS MUST BE COMPLETED BY 13 OCTOBER 2024 FINES OF UP TO $5,000 APPLY FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY

Your Legal Requirements

1. Wongan Hills and Ballidu Townsites
   
   

   1.1 An owner of land zone Residential Rural Townsite and Commercial is required to reduce all annual grass and herbage to a height of not more than 75mm. 

   1.2 An owner of any land of less than 1 hectare (10,000 square metres) and zoned under the Town Planning Scheme as Rural Residential or Industrial is required to have all annual grass and herbage slashed or mowed to a height of not more than 100mm and construct a clear earth firebreak of not less than 2 metres in width immediately surrounding all buildings and/or haystacks situated on the land. 

   1.3 All land greater than 1 hectare (10,000 square metres) is required to construct a clear earth firebreak of not less than 3 metres in width immediately inside all external boundaries and immediately surrounding all building and/or haystacks situated on the land, and to reduce all annual grass and herbage to a height of not more than 100mm within 15 metres surrounding any building. 
   
   

2. Fuel Dumps and/or Depots
   
   2.1 All grass and flammable material is to be cleared from areas where fuel is stored and such areas are to be maintained free of grass and similar inflammable material until the 31st day of March. 
   
   
3. Rural Land
   
   3.1 Firebreaks of not less than three metres in width immediately inside and along the whole external boundaries of the properties owned and occupied by you. In addition, firebreaks of at least three metres in width area required surrounding, and not more than fifty metres from the perimeter of any building, group of farm buildings, haystack or fuel storage situated on the land. 
   
   
4.  Harvesting and Straw Raking, Bailing and Chaining Operations
   
   4.1 A person shall not operate any harvesting machine or header or undertake straw raking, bailing or chaining activities in any crop or paddock during the restricted and prohibited period unless a readily available mobile fire fighting unit containing a minimum of 400 litres of water capacity powered by an engine driven pump is in attendance in or adjacent to the entrance of the paddock being harvested, raked, baled or chained. 
   
   
5. Storage of Hay and Straw
   
   

   5.1 All hay and straw stacks in the Shire of Wongan-Ballidu that are stored outdoors are no larger than 10,000 bales 4 x 4 foot or 12,000 bales 4 x 3 foot, with a height no greater than 7.5 metres high and distance between stacks a minimum of forty metres clear ground.
   
   

6. General Provisions
   
   6.1 "Flammable Material" means material that can be easily ignited, i.e. dead or dry grass, leaves, timber, paper plastic and other material or things deemed by an authorised officer to be capable of combustion.
   

If it is considered to be impractical for any reason to provide firebreaks in the position or adhere to the provisions required by this notice, the written approval of a Bush Fire Control Officer must be obtained to prepare such firebreaks in an alternative position. If permission is not granted by an authorised officer, you shall comply with the requirements of this order.