The City of Mandurah emphasises the imperative for local property owners to ensure their properties are ready for the impending fire season.
The City performs fire safety inspections across all properties within its jurisdiction. The stipulation is that all fire prevention measures should be in place from November 17, 2023, and maintained up until May 31, 2024. These safety inspections will commence on November 20, 2023.
Securing from bushfires is a common responsibility between the City, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), and property owners.
For Properties Smaller than 4000 sqm
Occupied or unoccupied lands of less than 4000 sqm must adhere to the following requirements:
- Ensure the entire property is devoid of any flammable materials, excluding green standing trees, garden plants, and lawns
- Mow or slash down vegetation to 40mm using a method approved by an Authorised Officer
- Ensure the vegetation height does not exceed 40mm in any part of the land, as far as it can be reasonably controlled.
For Properties Larger than 4000 sqm
Occupied or unoccupied lands of 4000sqm and over must adhere to the following requirements:
- Establish a 4 meter wide trafficable mineral earth firebreak with a height clearance of 4.2 meters:
- This should be immediately inside all external boundaries of the land.
- Surrounding all outbuildings erected on the land.
- Around haystacks or fuel storage areas.
- Maintain a vertical height clearance of 4.2m on driveway access.
- Lands of 4000m2 and greater must maintain a minimum 2m gap between trees, shrubs, and any habitable building.
- Ensure no part of any tree overhangs any habitable building.
NOTE: Dense vegetation on properties must also be thinned to mitigate any significant fire risks, as per the City’s satisfaction. To create an Asset Protection Zone within a tree preservation area, as designated in the City of Mandurah Local Planning Scheme No 12, applications for tree or vegetation removal must be submitted to the City.
The City carries out several preventive initiatives throughout the year to help residents prepare for potential bushfires. These include prescribed burning, fire management plans, vegetation management strategies, fire breaks, community education, and enforcement.
We strongly recommend all residents residing in a bushfire-prone area to have a bushfire plan. To start or review your plan, visit mybushfireplan.wa.gov.au.
For further information on fire safety, please visit www.mandurah.wa.gov.au.
