BURN off restrictions will be eased for small properties throughout October to allow Mornington Peninsula residents to prepare properties for fire prevention purposes.
During October, open air burning will be permitted only on Fridays and Saturdays between 9am and 4pm on land between 500 and 1500 square metres, provided that:
- the property is within the Mornington Peninsula Shire Bushfire Prone Area.
- For the purposes of fire prevention.
- No more than 1 cubic metre of vegetation is burnt at any one time.
- The fire is not within 10 metres of any neighbouring dwelling.
- The General Fire Safety Provisions are followed at all times.
The easing of restrictions for land less than 1500 square metres aims to assist owners of smaller properties to prepare and maintain properties in the lead up to the fire season.
Property owners are asked to consider the potential impacts of smoke on neighbours and to only burn off if there is no alternative to remove vegetation. Smoke from burning off activities undertaken incorrectly may impact human health and the environment, and can also cause environmental nuisance, particularly in populated areas.
Smoke can present a health risk to vulnerable groups such as people with asthma, people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiac conditions, the elderly and young children.
The shire had releases advice on burning off safely. In addition there are general fire safety provisions that must be adhered to:
- Giving notice to adjoining landowners/occupiers 24 hours prior to the burn.
- Calling 1800 668 511 at least two hours prior to the burn to log fires with the ESTA.
- Establishing a fire break of no less than three metres cleared of all flammable material.
- Ensuring the fire is supervised by an adult at all times.
- Ensuring there is sufficient fire protection equipment available on site at all times.
- Ensuring the vegetation to be burnt is dead and dry prior to lighting (no green waste).
- Ensuring at the site of the fire, the wind speed does not exceed 20 kilometres per hour.
Outside of October, open air burning is prohibited on properties smaller than 1500 square metres. Burning off restrictions remains the same for land more than 1500 square metres and more than 40,000 square metres remain the same.
For more information visit mornpen.vic.gov.au/openairburning. To check if a property is within a bushfire prone area visit mapshare.vic.gov.au/vicplan.
First published in the Mornington News – 27 September 2022
