Bushfire Notice Survey

January 2024

To complete the 2024 Bushfire Risk Reduction Notice survey, follow the link: https://yoursay.busselton.wa.gov.au/draft-bushfire-notice

Update 11 June 2021

The City of Busselton is undertaking a review of the Bushfire Notice and has sought community feedback. The review has attracted significant community interest with over 1500 survey responses and more than 170 written submissions received during the consultation period.

The City is now very carefully working through all the feedback received which, given the volume of responses, will take some time. However, initial analysis of feedback indicates:

Broad objection to the extent of vegetation clearing and the management of vegetation associated with proposed changes to the Asset Protection Zone (APZ) in areas designated Urban-Bushfire Prone, as well as in Rural-Residential and Rural categories.

• Concern regarding the amount of clearing and costs associated with the requirement for boundary firebreaks in Rural-Residential areas where they are currently not required.
• General concerns across all categories regarding the potential impact on amenity, the environment and financial implications.

City of Busselton Mayor Grant Henley said: “We understand this has been a difficult consultation, but it has highlighted some very important concerns. While Council is yet to consider the proposed changes to the review, I can assure people that the process will not be rushed. We have already committed to retaining the current Bushfire Notice for the 2021/2022 season and for more consultation to be undertaken in the forthcoming months prior to any Council decision.”

City of Busselton Officers will recommend that Council does not introduce additional boundary firebreak requirements for Rural-Residential properties or proceed with the APZ requirements set out in the proposed Notice. Officers will further recommend that Council considers alternatives that would reduce the potential amenity, environmental and financial impacts of requirements to manage vegetation near houses.

A report to the Council seeking their consideration of the above recommendations will be presented in July or August 2021. Following that the City will host a series of stakeholder workshops and seek additional external specialist advice. A revised draft/proposed Notice will be presented to Council in late 2021 followed by a further round of consultation in early 2022. This additional consultation will include face-to-face and online information sessions. In the first half of 2022, Council will be asked to consider the revised draft/proposed Notice. If endorsed the new Notice would come into effect for the 2022/2023 summer period.

Update 1 June 2021

The Bushfire Notice survey closed on 31 May 2021 with 1504 surveys completed completed plus another 174 submissions received outside of the survey The key issues received were regarding the potential APZ standard and boundary firebreaks. Potential changes to those and other aspects of the proposals will be identified and considered before any more formal steps are undertaken.

So, where to from here?

• The City will collate and consider community feedback and develop a second draft Notice taking into consideration community feedback.
• The consultation outcomes and the second draft Notice would also then be presented to the Council for their consideration.
• Further community consultation, including face to face and online information sessions, would then likely be undertaken on a revised draft Notice.
• Following that further consultation, the revised draft Notice will again be presented to the Council for their consideration, at which time the Council could choose to make further changes in response to feedback and/or undertake a further round of consultation

Update 26 May 2021

The City is seeking feedback to potential changes to the Bushfire Notice. Proposals include changes to the requirements to remove or trim vegetation near houses, as well as increased requirements for boundary firebreaks in some rural-residential areas. Consultation commenced on 9 April 2021 and to date, over 700 survey responses have been received. This is an excellent level of response and should provide a useful guide to the community’s views on the issues.

The Bushfire Notice survey has been extended for three weeks ending 31 May 2021

Council made a decision on Wednesday, 28 April that the City will not adopt a new notice prior to the 21/22 fire season – that means that the existing notice will continue to apply this coming summer.

At the close of the current round of consultation, the views expressed by the community will be very seriously considered, and it is not expected that the draft notice will be adopted in final form without change – changes are expected.

The draft notice is an outcome of reflecting in our Bushfire Notice, principles that have been set out in State planning legislation and policy in recent years. Through the consultation process, the City is seeking to identify whether those principles are consistent with the values and views of our community. If they are not, Councillors will give that careful consideration before any final decisions are made. Your feedback may also provide the City with information that would assist in future advocacy at a State level.

The City is not in a position to individually respond to all queries that may arise through this process. We are seeing a high level of interest, and certainly a high level of concern with some of the draft proposals. A number of people have also asked questions via email and/or asked to speak with City staff regarding the draft notice outside of the survey. A comprehensive set of FAQs are available on this site to your right.

The City held a series of information sessions via video-conference. 

• Friday, 14 May 2021 3:00-4:00pm
• Thursday, 20 May 2021 6:00 – 7:00pm
• Friday, 21 May 2021 3:00-4:00pm

In the sessions, we briefly explained the rationale of the draft notice; the process from here; run through responses supplied for some of the questions already received; and take some questions from those attending. A video of the presentation is available to view here.

Background Information

Bushfires occur every year in the City of Busselton and pose a potentially significant risk to life, property and the environment. Governments, communities and individuals, who have a shared responsibility to manage the risk, use a range of approaches to do so (e.g. fire brigades, prescribed burning programmes).

One of the key approaches involves the setting and enforcing of local government regulations that require landowners to manage fire risk on their own properties. That is done through what are often referred to as ‘Bush Fire Notices’ or ‘Firebreak Notices’ (and will be referred to here as the ‘Bushfire Notice’).

The City is reviewing its Bushfire Notice and is seeking feedback from the community on potential changes before making any final decisions.

Key factors that have led to the review include:

• It has not been substantially reviewed for over ten years.
• Because of increased development and changes to the climate, the risks in some areas have increased.
• There have been changes in State level regulations, particularly since 2015.

In general, the potential changes would increase the requirements placed on landowners to manage bushfire risk on their properties, including through increased requirements to remove or trim/cut vegetation near houses and access ways. In identifying the potential changes, the City has been conscious of a range of considerations in addition to bushfire risk, including the environment and visual amenity.

The proposed changes are not ‘set in stone’, and the City expects that some people may have concerns with aspects of the proposed changes. The City will consider feedback very carefully before any final decisions are made.

What category is your property in?

Your property will fall into one the four proposed new bushfire categories. Click here to search for your property on the City's Intramap site. Select the address tab at the bottom of the page and input your address details. Intramaps will search and identify your property. The current and proposed new new bushfire category relating to your property will be identified on the right hand side of the screen.

1. Category 1 - Urban
2. Category 2 - Urban Bush Fire Prone
3. Category 3 - Rural-Residential
4. Category 4 - Rural Bush Fire Prone

You can provide your feedback on the proposed control changes by completing the survey below.

Submissions close Monday 31 May 2021.