Burning-off restrictions have been lifted for land parcels below 4000 square metres in the Macedon Ranges to assist residents in getting fire ready.
Macedon Ranges council, in consultation with local CFA brigades, will allow burning-off on smaller blocks during October.
Acting assets and operations director Shane Power said residents must ensure they didn’t create a nuisance for neighbours and should continue to monitor burn-offs for at least seven days to ensure they were fully extinguished.
Mr Power said council was urging residents to monitor weather conditions before starting any burning-off on their properties.
Residents were preparing their properties for the warmer season by removing fuel such as long grass, weeds, twigs and leaves, he said.
Large loads of green waste, excluding noxious weeds, can be dumped for free at the council’s transfer stations until December 31.
“Significant rain in recent weeks and warmer weather conditions will result in a green landscape across the shire,” Mr Power said. “But this doesn’t mean that we can become complacent about the fire risk during summer. With nearly 1700 kilometres of council-managed roads in the shire, we must prioritise our roadside slashing programs to target high-traffic roads near grasslands and township boundaries.
“We are planning to initially focus on areas in the north of the shire that are known to dry out the quickest and we will monitor regrowth carefully over the fire season.”
Council’s fire management officer will begin inspecting private properties for fire risk in mid-October.
The Macedon Ranges, Cobaw and Wombat state forests remain among the highest bushfire risk locations in Victoria, Gisborne CFA captain Sam Strang said.
“It only takes a few really hot days to dry anything out and then we’re at risk of a bushfire any moment,” he said.
- Register a burn-off: 1800 668 511.
- Information: www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/fire-ready
