Fire safety

Occupied or unoccupied land less than 4000m2

If your property is less than 4000m2 you are required to:

• Have the entire property clear of all flammable material, this does not include green standing trees, growing bushes and plants in gardens, and/or lawns.
• Mowing or slashing down to 40mm or other approved method by an Authorised Officer for this purpose.
• If mowing or slashing is carried out, then the height of the vegetation must not exceed, as far as is reasonably practicable, 40mm over the entire area of land.
• A four metre firebreak alone is not adequate on land less than 4000m2.

This includes the canal walls of properties situated in the various canal developments within the City of Mandurah boundaries 

Occupied or unoccupied land 4000m2 and over

When the area of land is 4000m2 and over, provide a trafficable mineral earth firebreak of 4m wide, with a vertical height clearance of 4.2m:

• Immediately inside all external boundaries of the land.
• Immediately surrounding all outbuildings erected on the land.
• Immediately surrounding haystacks or fuel storage.
• A vertical height clearance of 4.2m must be maintained on driveway access.

On all land 4000m2 and greater a minimum 2m gap between trees shrubs and any habitable building must be maintained. In addition no part of any tree should overhang any habitable building.

Note: A 4 metre firebreak may not be sufficient on properties with dense vegetation. Owners may be required to thin vegetation out to the satisfaction of the City to reduce any significant fire risk.

Benefits:

• They can reduce the spread of fire by providing a no fuel area 
• Can be used to isolate hazards and protect assets
• Allow safe access for fire fighting vehicles
• Provide a control line to assist brigades during firefighting, back burning or mopping up operations

Preparing for fire is a shared responsibility. The City has a role in setting the requirements for fire preparation on properties within its boundaries and checking that they are compliant.

If you would like assistance with your firebreaks please find following a list of firebreak contractors that have supplied our office with their numbers:

• Falcon Firebreaks 0427 381 050
• Steve's Slashing 0429 102 306
• Peel Firebreaks 0408 819 904
• Bouvard Earthmoving 0429 195 532
• Coastal Vegetation Management 0429 451 434
• Southwest Tractor Hire 0427 348 922
• Arboreal Tree Care 0402 274 259

Preparing for fire is a shared responsibility. The City has a role in setting the requirements for fire preparation on properties within its boundaries and checking that they are compliant.

Property owners of land 4000m2 and over must provide a trafficable mineral earth firebreak of 4m wide, with a height clearance of 4.2m.

If you would like assistance with your firebreaks please find following a list of firebreak contractors that have supplied our office with their numbers:

• Falcon Firebreaks 0427 381 050
• Steve's Slashing 0429 102 306
• Peel Firebreaks 0408 819 904
• Bouvard Earthmoving 0429 195 532
• Coastal Vegetation Management 0429 451 434
• Southwest Tractor Hire 0427 348 922
• Arboreal Tree Care 0402 274 259

If it is impractical for you to install firebreaks along all or parts of your internal boundaries, you may request permission from the City to install a firebreak in an alternative location or request alternative acceptable fire prevention methods. This is called a firebreak variation.

Your variation request must be received in writing to the City by November 1 to be considered.

Property inspections are carried out by City of Mandurah Fire Control Officers from November through to May each year. Work must be carried out by 17 November or within 14 days of becoming the owner, and maintained until 31 May.

Property owners who do not comply with the City’s firebreak requirements may be fined a minimum of $250 and hazard reduction work may be carried out by the City’s contractors at the property owner’s expense. Properties must be maintained to this standard until May 31 the following year.

An asset protection zone is an area around your property which should be free of fire hazards and potential fuel load (flammable material). 

If you live in a high risk bushfire area the, Fire and Planning Authorities and the City advise a 20 metre asset protection zone be installed around your home. 

Methods may include pruning or removing:

• Dead, dying and overhanging trees 
• Trees or bushes within 2 metres of the building 
• Trees under 2 metres dropping significant leaves 
• Tree branches hanging below 2 metres creating an understory fire risk
• All flammable materials to be at least 2 metres and wood piles to be stored at least 10 metres away from any building

Residents should check whether their property is within a Tree Preservation Area before starting any works. Fines apply for unapproved removal of trees in these areas. 

If your property is 4000m² or more you can apply for a seasonal fire permit. Permits will be available from the 1st May.

Please complete a Fire Permit Application, which will be available after 1 May. All conditions of the permit must be read and checked. Once completed, please return via email to ranger.admin@mandurah.wa.gov.au. The fire permit is not valid until it has been given a permit number and signed by an authorised bush fire control officer. Once submitted, it can take up to 4 days to be returned to you.

If your property is 4000m² or more, you may apply for a fire permit to burn garden refuse. If your property is less than 4000m², then no burning of garden refuse is permissible. Important note: Solid fuel barbecues and fire apparatus such as fire pits/braziers/chimeneas or other recognised equipment used for heating or cooking can be used at home but not

• during the prohibited burning period
• on days when the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a fire danger forecast of high, extreme, or catastrophic
• during a total fire ban.

These appliances should be fitted with a spark arrestor to limit any sparks into the atmosphere.

Under no circumstances can any type of fire, whether in an appliance or not, be lit on the beaches, reserves or any public land within the City of Mandurah.

All properties within the City of Mandurah are inspected for fire safety.

All blocks less than 4000m² must:

• Remove any dead wood, dry grass and flammable material on the property
• Cut all grass down to no higher than 4cm over the entire area of the property
• Do not remove any living, standing trees and bushes
• This includes the canal walls of properties situated in the various canal developments within the City of Mandurah boundaries

The Department of Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) have developed a suite of new bushfire planning and preparation tools aimed at helping residents to be better prepared for bushfire.

DFES are asking people living in a high bushfire risk areas to have a 5 minute fire chat and discuss three key questions with family and friends, or to discuss with their neighbours if they live alone:

• When will you know to leave?
• Where will you go?
• Which way will you go?

After people have answered the three questions above, they are then directed to take the next step, which is to seek out their Bushfire Preparation Toolkit. 

More information about the 5 minute fire chat, The Bushfire Preparation Toolkit and other fact sheets can be found on the DFES website.

Burning garden refuse

In accordance with the requirements of Section 24G of the Bush Fires Act 1954 the City prohibits the burning of garden refuse or rubbish at all times within the district of Mandurah with the following exemptions:

• properties zoned rural residential, or rural small holding under the City of Mandurah Local Planning Scheme 12; or
• on all land 4000m2 and greater

For these properties a Permit to Burn is required and permits will only be issued between 1 May and 31 October inclusive. Conditions of an issued permit must be fully complied with.

NOTE: Only those properties that are 4000m2 or greater are able to obtain permits to burn, all other sized properties are unable to have a fire to burn garden waste.