Councils

This is the first year that information from local councils has been included in this report. Local councils, particularly those in high bushfire-risk areas, play a crucial role in managing bushfire risk and lead and support a variety of activities under the Road Management Act 2004, Country Fire Authority Act 1958, and Fire Rescue Victoria Act 1958 to reduce risk to local communities across the State.

In September 2024, OBRM surveyed Victoria’s 79 local councils about their bushfire risk management practices. 27 councils responded, noting that some councils (e.g. metropolitan councils) may not have responded given their bushfire risk is low.

Survey insights reveal the diverse range of bushfire risk reduction efforts councils undertake. Each council manages bushfire risk according to its unique risk profile, shaped by factors like location, landscape, population, and infrastructure. Some of the key bushfire risk management actions delivered by local councils – often in partnership with other agencies - include:

• fuel management on council land, including on roadsides, to reduce bushfire risk to communities, businesses and the natural environment
• community engagement initiatives that provide guidance on practical actions community members can take to reduce bushfire risk and enhance their resilience in the event of a bushfire, often in collaboration with response agencies
• ensuring land use and development comply with bushfire risk planning requirements in the Victoria Planning Provisions, applying and implementing the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), and assessing planning permit applications to ensure developments meet bushfire safety standards
• maintenance of Bushfire Places of Last Resort (also known as Neighbourhood Safer Places), which may provide protection from direct radiant heat in situations where safer options for refuge or evacuation are not accessible in an emergency
• where necessary, serving Fire Prevention Notices under the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 and Fire Rescue Victoria Act 1958 detailing the fuel reduction required to be undertaken by private landholders to reduce the risk posed by bushfire fuels on their land
• working with emergency agencies to develop and maintain Municipal Emergency Management Plans, outlining local arrangements for preparing, responding to, and recovering from emergencies, including bushfires, and
• supporting emergency services and communities during bushfire events, including activating emergency relief centres, assisting with road/tree clearing on local roads, traffic management, animal welfare, and sharing response agency warnings and public information.

This report includes examples of bushfire management efforts led by councils across Victoria, including case studies from Mansfield, Strathbogie, Murrindindi, Cardinia, and the Surf Coast.

In future reports, OBRM will continue collaborating with councils to determine what standardised data could help meaningfully assess progress towards the outcomes of the Strategy and VBMERF.

Winter Fuel Reduction Initiative: Strengthening Bushfire resilience on the Surf Coast

The Surf Coast Shire is a high bushfire risk area, due to conflating factors including vegetation types, topography, limited access/egress and demographics which include high rates of holiday homes and tourism during the summer. Due to this, Council have implemented a Winter Fuel Reduction Program which aims to support residents and the wider community in reducing bushfire risk. The Program operates across seven townships, focusing on reducing fuel loads on properties located on the township-forest interface.

Property owners are provided with information on reducing fuel loads on their properties, while council reduces fuel loads in its road reserves. Residents are able to place materials suitable for mulching on their nature strips for removal.

Fire Prevention Officers are available upon request during the Program to undertake property inspections, providing tailored advice on reducing bushfire risk to residents through actions such as removal/modification of vegetation, tips on garden design, creating a bushfire safety plan and building design. Properties observed with risk not participating in the program are issued a Fire Prevention Notice directing action to be taken.

Homes on the interface are at a high risk of loss during a bushfire. There is also a strong correlation between life loss, house loss and proximity to forest¹. Through the Program, the Surf Coast Shire have reduced fuel loads, reducing this risk. Additionally, reducing fuel loads on the interface reduces the potential of fire fronts penetrating township areas.

Residents are better informed on their specific bushfire risk, and ways they can mitigate the risk of property loss and enhance their personal safety.

The most recent Program in winter 2024 targeted the Lorne area, engaging with 552 properties, modifying 110 nature strips and removing approximately 300 cubic meters of mulch across public and private property. The Program operates on a rotational basis, with an ambitious aim to be visiting all 2,820 identified high-risk interface properties every three years.

LEAPing into Resilience: A collaborative approach to community bushfire preparedness

The LEAPing into Resilience project, a joint initiative between Mansfield, Strathbogie, and Murrindindi Shire Councils, demonstrates a collaborative approach to bushfire risk management at the local level. This Australian Government-funded project facilitated the development of Local Emergency Action Plans (LEAPs) for fifteen communities across the three municipalities.

Recognising the shared responsibility of individuals, communities, agencies, and councils in emergency management, the project fostered a collaborative engagement approach. This ensured that the LEAPs reflected local priorities and concerns, with bushfire or grass fires identified as significant risks in all participating communities.

It is intended that the LEAPs will serve as localised extensions of Municipal Emergency Management Plans, outlining specific actions and responsibilities for communities, agencies, and councils to enhance preparedness and resilience in the face of emergencies, including bushfires. It is also intended that LEAPs are integrated into community plans and action groups where they exist, which will promote ongoing review and community ownership of local bushfire risk management strategies.

This proactive approach to community engagement and localised planning strengthens bushfire preparedness and fosters a culture of shared responsibility, contributing to greater community resilience in the face of bushfire threats.

Examples of Strathbogie Shire LEAPs can be found on the Council’s website: Local Emergency Action Plans (LEAPs) - Strathbogie Shire

Cardinia Shire's Bushfire Prepare Program: Empowering landholders to reduce bushfire risk

Recognising the need for a comprehensive approach to bushfire risk management across all land tenures, Cardinia Shire developed the Bushfire Prepare Program. This initiative, funded by the State Government's Safer Together Program, provides landholders with the knowledge and resources to actively participate in bushfire fuel management.

Bushfire Prepare is particularly important in Cardinia Shire, which has a significantly higher proportion of privately owned land compared to neighbouring areas with similar bushfire risk. This program addresses the ‘missing link’ of private landholder engagement in bushfire risk management.

Through accessible online modules and practical workshops, Bushfire Prepare empowers landholders to understand bushfire behaviour, fuel management strategies, and planning scheme requirements. The program covers topics such as:

• Basic fire behaviour
• Bushfire planning
• Fuel management options
• Safety practices
• Equipment operation, and
• Planning and conducting burns.

The Program is designed for properties ranging from one to ten hectares in size but is a valuable resource for anyone in a high bushfire risk area seeking to reduce their risk.

Cardinia Shire residents can access support from the Cardinia Emergency Management Team to create land and fire management plans and conduct their first burns. The program guides landowners through the process of independently completing small burns, in line with local laws. Landowners begin by completing the training provided by the Council, either online or face-to-face. They then prepare a burn plan, submit it to the Council for approval, and, once the plan is reviewed and a permit is issued, carry out the burn in accordance with the permit and plan conditions.

Bushfire Prepare has been recognised for its innovative approach, receiving a ‘Highly Commended – Victoria’ award at the Resilient Australia Awards 2023. The program is designed to be adaptable for use throughout Victoria and will be expanded across the State in the coming years.

By promoting shared responsibility and empowering landholders, Bushfire Prepare contributes to a safer, more resilient community.