Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans

TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS A CURRENT BAN PLEASE CALL 9671 2501

Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans are issued by the Shire of Wongan-Ballidu and are put in place when our local Bushfire Control Officer identifies the use of engines, vehicles, plant or machinery as high bushfire risk activities, during particular times of the day.

A Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban is a ban that individual local governments are responsible for issuing under the Bush Fires Regulations 1954 Section 38A, and/or Section 24C.

A Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban may be imposed for any length of time but is generally imposed for the ‘heat of the day’ periods and may be extended or revoked by the local government should weather conditions change.

It is your responsibility as a harvester operator to be aware of any bans in place before harvesting as you could be fined for breaching a ban. As the machine operator, you are responsible for checking whether any restrictions are in place before you undertake harvesting on your property. It is your duty to make sure your equipment is not likely to start a fire during a ban. If it does, you could be fined. But more seriously, you would be responsible for putting your property, family and community in danger.

To find out whether a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban has been imposed:

• Contact the Shire during business hours on 9671 2500
• Call the Shire's harvest ban line on 9671 2501
• Contact the your Local Bushfire Brigade Control Officer
• Tune in to  ABC Radio 6:30AM at 10:05am, 12:35pm and 2:05pm for live notifications
• Local businesses can request SMS alerts from the Shire to "Keep them Posted" by nominating a mobile telephone contact. Please visit the page or fill out the below web form to sign up. 

What can I NOT do during a ban?

• Harvesting operations are not permitted,
• Any “hot works” (e.g. welding, grinding, cutting, heating, lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, combustible engines etc.) in the “open air” are not permitted.
• Other – Use or operation of any engine, vehicle, plant, equipment or machinery in the area likely to cause a bush fire or contribute to the spread of a bush fire.

What can I do during a ban?

• Movement of Vehicles on “gazetted roads” (as described in Bush Fires regulation 24A(1) and Road Traffic Act 1974 section 5.1)).
• Movement of vehicles on a lane, driveway, yard or other area that provides access to, or a parking facility at, any residential, farming or business premises, if the area has been sufficiently cleared of inflammable material to prevent the escape of fire.
• Use or operation of a vehicle if it is for the prevention of an immediate and serious risk to the health or safety of a person or livestock, and only if all reasonable precautions have been taken to prevent the activity from creating a bush fire danger.
• Use or operations of vehicles and undertaking of “hot works” by those persons holding a current Exemption under Bush Fires Act 1954 s. 22C (Exemption from Total Fire Bans)

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