Getting ready - Nillumbik Shire Council

2AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE...Message from the MayorThe rainfall over the past 12 months hashad some positives, the dams are now fulland the grass is greener than it has beenfor a long time. However don’t let this lullyou into a false sense of security.This year we have been informed by theBureau of Meteorology that there is athreat of grass and scrubland fires withwarm summer days and the temperaturenot dropping much overnight.Now is the time to start getting ready forthose drier summer months ahead andmaking sure our gardens and propertiesare prepared as best as they can be.It’s important to think about the bushfirerisk that we all face and the CFA hasan online ‘FireReady’ Quiz to help youtest your knowledge about fire and firepreparation. Answer 10 simple questionsand you’ll be on the road to being FireReady. They also have a new Fire ReadySmartphone App which includes; realtimealerts, fire distance from user, statusof fires and planned burns info. Youcan also take advantage of a home visitwhere CFA officers will let you know whatwork you can do around your property –you can call them on 9262 8501 to makean appointment.There is also the CFA HouseholdBushfire Assessment tool which talksyou through a process of identifyingthe topography of your property, yourvegetation levels and other issues thatwill help you determine whether or notyour home could be at risk.Over the past 12 months or so, Councilhas employed trained emergencystaff and also ensured that other staffare able to assist in the event of anemergency. Council officers have alsotaken part in emergency exercisesand developed their understanding ofCouncil’s role during an event.We all need to think about the level ofbushfire risk we face and take steps tominimise that risk. The best way to dothis is to make educated and informeddecisions about how to best prepareyourself, your family and your propertyfor summer.Last year we received more calls thanwe ever have before about the heightof the grass on Council roads andreserves. Council has two differentprograms: one for maintenance and onefor specific fire prevention work.There are many roads and reservesmanaged by Council and we have toprioritise our work based on the risk thatthey pose to our residents. Not everyroad or reserve will be managed from afire prevention point of view. They willstill be maintained as part of our generalprogram but they may not receivespecific bushfire prevention work.While we work as quickly as we can,sometimes the weather provideschallenges that can be difficult tomanage. We will continue with ourmaintenance program with the resourcesavailable however we may not be able toachieve as much as we would like.Finally, I hope you find this Gettingready bulletin informative. If youwould like more information aboutfire prevention or vegetation removal,please visit: www.nillumbik.vic.gov.auor www.cfa.vic.gov.au.When it comes to being fire ready,everyone has a part to play. From theVictorian Government, CFA, NillumbikShire Council and you. It’s important thatas a community, we are each getting ready.Councillor Helen ColemanMayor

WHAT YOU CAN DO ON YOUR ROADSIDE 3Removing vegetation from the roadsideIt’s important that Council strikes the right balance both legally and with communityexpectations when managing the vegetation along roadsides.Under the Roads Management Act 2004,consent from the coordinating roadsauthority is required before undertakingany works on a roadside.Council is the manager of local roads andwe administer this consent through LocalLaw No. 5. This details what types ofvegetation can be removed from Councilland without permission and what requiresa permit.How do I know if I need a permit?The need for a permit depends on thetype of land. Most of Nillumbik’s roadsidevegetation has been mapped intocategories according to its environmentalsignificance. Whether a permit is requiredor not depends on the nature of the worksto be carried out and on whether theroadside is of low or high environmentalsignificance.To find out if your adjoining roadside is ofHigh or Low Environmental Significance,please call Council on 9433 3111.What can I do without a permit?Under Local Law No.5, if you livedirectly adjoining roadsides which havelow environmental significance, youcan do the following without a permit:• remove fine ground fuels (grass,leaves, twigs, loose bark)• remove regionally controlled weedsand those weeds listed in Council’spublication Live Local Plant Localwhich can be found on Council’swebsite www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au• maintain and mow any part of the roadreserve containing exotic vegetationabutting your property• remove vegetation that has fallen ontothe road from your land• remove vegetation that is the subjectof a fire prevention notice• participate in works undertaken byFriends groups, Landcare groupsand community fireguard groupsin accordance with an agreementapproved by Council.Under Local Law No.5, if you livedirectly adjoining roadsides which havehigh environmental significance, youcan do the following without a permit:• remove regionally controlled weedsand those weeds listed in Council’spublication Live Local Plant Localwhich can be found on Council’swebsite• maintain and mow any part of theroad reserve abutting your propertycomprising exotic vegetation• remove vegetation that has fallen ontothe road from your land• remove vegetation that is the subjectof a fire prevention notice• participate in works undertaken byFriends groups, Landcare groupsand community fireguard groupsin accordance with an agreementapproved by Council.When do I need a permit?If you live adjacent to roadsides withlow conservation significance or highconservation significance, you needto apply for a free Local Law permit to beable to remove fallen trees, logs, branchesand dead shrubs up to 1.5m high.How do I apply for a permit?You can apply for a permit online atCouncil’s website www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au or you can request a hardcopypermit application form by calling Councilon 9433 3111. Permits or notices areissued free of charge.What if I had a permit in the past?In 2009, Council provided permitsto approximately 4,200 residentsliving adjacent to roadsides with lowconservation significance. Thisenabled them to remove fallen trees,logs, branches and dead shrubs up to1.5m high.Residents living adjacent to roadsideswith high conservation significance,were invited to apply for a free permit ofwhich 39 were issued. Residents whohad a permit in 2009 or 2010, can simplycontact Council and a permit will bereissued.This will enable them to remove fallentrees, logs, branches and dead shrubs upto 1.5m high in 2011-2012. Permits canbe promptly reissued by phoning Councilon 9433 3111.What about main roads?Main arterial roads in the Shire arethe responsibility of VicRoads. Ifyou wish to cut, collect or removelive, dead or fallen timber orvegetation from the road reserves,you need to contact VicRoads on131 171 or visit www.vicroads.vic.gov.au for their consent.

4NEIGHBOURHOOD SAFER PLACES – PLACES OF LAST RESORTYour personal safety must be your top priority. The safestBushfires can be deadly and the only way to ensure yourBushfires can be deadlyThe Victorian Bushfires RoyalCommission recommended that theVictorian Government consider a range ofbushfire shelter options. NeighbourhoodSafer Places – Places of Last Resortare one of these options and a numberof locations have been identified acrossVictoria and here in Nillumbik.ArWhile these locations have been identified asNeighbourhood Safer Places – Places of Last Resortin Nillumbik, these locations cannot be guaranteedas ‘safe’. They should not form part of your BushfireSurvival Plan and should only be used if all otherplans have failed.There is only one safe option for many of ourresidents on high risk days – leave and leaveearly. On a Code Red day it is preferable to leavethe night before.4•HurstbMIn certain locations across our Shire, the messagefrom the CFA is that on Code Red days when fire riskis at its most extreme you should not plan to defendyour property.Know where you are going and plan your journeyallowing plenty of time for the problems trafficcongestion can cause.5•2•3•1•Our hope is that Nillumbik, and indeed the whole ofVictoria, remains fire free this summer. But the onlyway to ensure your safety and that of your family is toplan ahead and be fire ready.Council and the CFA continue to identify and assesspossible Neighbourhood Safer Places – Places ofLast Resort locations.This map is current at the time of printing butplease refer to the CFA or Council website for anup-to-date listing.Montsalvat •www.nillumbik.vic.gov.auwww.cfa.vic.gov.au

5option is always to leave before bushfire threatens.safety is to be well away from the threat.thurs Creek• St AndrewsMarket siteridge Farmersarket site •Neighbourhood Safer Places -Places of Last Resort• Kangaroo Ground War Memorial Park& Tower of Remembrance1. Diamond Creek Community CentreMain Hurstbridge Road, Diamond Creek(Melway 12 A6)2. Diamond Hills Reserve OvalPlenty River Drive, Greensborough(Melway 11 B9)3. The Outdoor Performance CentreCivic Drive, Greensborough(Melway 11 A10)4. Yarrambat Golf Course ClubroomsYan Yean Road, Yarrambat(Melway 184 F5)5. Collendina ReserveCorner Collendina Crescent and Eastgate Drive,Greensborough (Melway 10 F10)

610/30 EXEMPTION – HELPING MAKE NILLUMBIK FIRE-READYChanges to the Planning RegulationsThe Department of Planning has made a number of changes to the Victoria Planning Provisionsfollowing recommendations from the Royal Commission and these changes have come into effectfrom November 2011.These changes apply to• the amount of vegetation that can beremoved from around a property;• the Wildfire Management Overlay,• building regulations and• bushfire shelters.For further information about bushfirebuilding visit www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/bushfireBushfire ManagementOverlaysAreas that were within the WildfireManagement Overlay will now be subjectto the new Bushfire Management Overlay.This new overlay will have an impact onnew developments such as the siting ofa building, providing defendable space,on-site water availability and emergencyvehicle access.The new overlay will also ensure that anyfuture developments in areas affected bysignificant bushfire hazard only take placeafter full consideration of bushfire issues.If risk to life and property from bushfirecannot be reduced to an acceptable levelthe development will not proceed.For further information about whetheryour property is subject to a BushfireManagement Overlay please contact thePlanning Unit at Council on 9433 3343 orCFA on 9262 8444.Vegetation removalThe temporary 10/30 exemptionintroduced to the Victoria PlanningProvisions in 2009 has now been madepermanent with some additional changes.Permits are no longer needed to removetrees around an existing building (that isused for accommodation) for up to 10metres nor to clear any vegetation excepttrees for up to 30 metres from that buildingon your own land. The building must haveexisted before September 2009.If you live on a property which has aBushfire Management Overlay applied thenpermits are no longer needed to removetrees around an existing building (that isused for accommodation) for up to 10metres nor to clear any vegetation excepttrees for up to 50 metres from that buildingon your own land. The building must haveexisted before September 2009.The exemption applies to all buildings usedfor accommodation regardless of whetherthere are any overlays.However, landowners need to ensurethat they have checked their Land Titleparticulars to ensure that there are nocovenants or other legal agreements whichare not covered by the exemptions.To check title particulars, residents cancontact the Land Titles Office on (03) 86362456 or visit www.land.vic.gov.au.Finding the balanceThe 10/30 rule has now been in place forover two years. Some residents haveutilised the provisions, but in general,most residents have kept the trees andvegetation around their property.Council continues to encourageresidents to think carefully about treeand vegetation removal and to contactthe Planning Unit on 9433 3111.Nillumbik is called the Green WedgeShire and we are known as the ‘lungs’ ofMelbourne. Our beautiful open spacesand natural treed environment, togetherwith our friendly villages, add to thelifestyle of the Shire.While we like the environmentsurrounding us, bushfire safety is ofparamount importance. Striking the rightbalance is essential.Before removing trees and vegetation,people need to think about their value– do they provide shading or screening;what, if anything, will need to bereplanted, and will their removal causeproblems with land slip or erosion.If you feel you need technical advice, youcan contact a Geotechnical Engineeror a Land Management Consultant.Research shows that fine fuelsenhance fire intensity so it is worthwhileconcentrating on cleaning up things suchas long, dry grass, fallen leaves andtwigs and then decide whether to removetrees or vegetation.Vegetation and bushfireIn addition to the above, we would urgeresidents to think about their personalsafety and those around them if they dodecide to remove trees. You should alsoconsider how you intend to dispose ofunwanted vegetation.While tree and vegetation removalmay help reduce fire risk in certaincircumstances, it’s important that peopleare not complacent believing that this isall they need to do to be safe during abushfire.Everyone should have a comprehensivebushfire survival plan – a well thoughtout plan about how you will prepare andrespond to a fire in your area. For moreinformation about preparing your planvisit www.cfa.vic.gov.au.

8HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR PROPERTY READYFREE garden greenwaste drop-offsFree Garden Green Wastedrop off dates for 2011-2012have been scheduled for thefollowing dates:Sunday 11 December 2011Sunday 8 January 2012Sunday 12 February 2012Sunday 11 March 2012Recycling & Recovery Centre290 Yan Yean Road, Plenty(Melway 11 D1)Open:8am-4pmWhy have agarden clean up?“Fires need fuel to burn in the formof plants, shrubs, trees and gardenwaste. The path a fire takes dependson where the fuel is. This means youneed to prepare your land before thefire season to lessen the fuel load.“Managing the shrubs, plants andtrees (known as vegetation) aroundyour home and property, gives yourhouse a fighting chance of survival.”www.cfa.vic.gov.auThe CFA website has some greatinformation about cleaning up yourgarden and some tips to reduce yourfire risk.It provides information about:Burning off on your propertyIf you would like to burn-off at home for fire hazard reduction purposes someconditions apply. Residents with more than one acre (0.4 ha) of land can burn-offall year round except during the Declared Fire Danger Period and Total Fire Bandays. Residents on less than one acre must get a permit to burn. There is moreinformation on burning-off safely on Council’s website.• understanding your risk• using the layout of yourproperty• reducing fine fuels• trees, lawns, removing weedsand mulching• plant selection.www.cfa.vic.gov.auMayor,CouncillorHelen ColemanWingrove Ward 0437 940 930Deputy Mayor,CouncillorKen KingSugarloaf Ward 0427 549 759CouncillorBelinda ClarksonBlue Lake Ward 0429 430 977CouncillorLewis BrockBunjil Ward 0428 561 753CouncillorMichael YoungEdendale Ward 0437 840 866CouncillorPeter PerkinsEllis Ward 0437 455 064CouncillorChris ChappleSwipers Gully Ward 0428 376 942Civic Drive, Greensborough | PO Box 476, Greensborough VIC 3088Telephone 9433 3111 | Facsimile 9433 3777Website www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au | Email nillumbik@nillumbik.vic.gov.auPrinted in Nillumbik, using vegetable inks on recycled paper.