Policy Review - Draft Bushfire Mitigation on Public Land

At Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s Ordinary Council Meeting held on 17 March 2022, Council resolved to place the draft Bushfire Risk Mitigation Policy on exhibition for a period of 28 days.

Port Macquarie Hastings Council (PMHC) has developed this policy to provide clear guidelines for assessment and mitigation of bushfire risk on public land whilst preserving the Local Government Area’s (LGA) natural amenity and environmental values. The risk of damaging bushfires on Council owned or managed land is mitigated by hazard reduction activities such as mechanical works and burning to manage fuel levels. PMHC in conjunction with other land managers in the LGA particularly the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Fire and Rescue NSW, work together to implement the Bush Fire Risk Management Plan (BFRMP) through the Bushfire Management Committee (BFMC). Other members of the BFMC include Midcoast Council, Forestry Corporation NSW and National Parks and Wildlife Services who PMHC often collaborates with. PMHC also aims to improve community understanding around bushfire and its associated risks through community engagement materials provided by the RFS and the “Ready Now” campaign supplied by Resilience NSW.

Updates from previous policy include:

• The previous policy focused on hazard reduction burning only as a mitigation technique, this method is inappropriate for PMHC due to the amount of forested land owned and managed by Council. PMHC’s primary treatment method for bushfire mitigation are mechanical works in the form of Asset Protection Zones and Fire trails, as well as community engagement for preparedness.
• Updates to legislation, from 3 to 24 critical pieces of legislation which impact decision making around bushfire mitigation.
• Inclusion of RFS terminology - abbreviations of land zones explained.
• Fuel management procedure - detail around required steps when applying policy.
• Explanation around how bushfire mitigation can be influenced by planning and development consent

Have Your Say

Submissions can be made by:

• reviewing the draft Bushfire Risk Mitigation Policy and providing feedback by completing the submission form below;
• emailing your feedback to council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au; or
• posting to:
  Chief Executive Officer
  Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
  PO Box 84
  Port Macquarie NSW 2444

All submissions must be received by close of business on Wednesday, 20 April 2022.