Preparing for Bushfire: Action Plan for Hobart by City of Hobart

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

Preparing for Bushfire: Action Plan for Hobart Endorsed by Council November 2021 © Hobart City Council 2021. All rights reserved. This publication is subject to copyright and protected by the laws of Australia and other countries through International treaties. Except under the conditions described in the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments no part of this publication or publications may be broadcast, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any forms or by means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, duplicating or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. City of Hobart assumes no responsibility whatsoever with regard to any infringements of third party copyrights arising through your use of this publication. The creators of any music, images, video and text have moral rights in this reproduction in relation to their works. Except where otherwise stated, all photographs are copyright to City of Hobart 2021.

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PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD MAYOR

WHY WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT BUSHFIRE

WHAT DRIVES BUSHFIRES

FIRE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND HOME?

HANDY CHECKLISTS

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD MAYOR Before every bushfire season I believe it is vital we all prepare for the dangers that might come. Through early preparation I want all Hobart households to reduce their risk and be safe in the event of a bushfire. This document provides information to help individuals and households make more informed decisions about what to do before and in the event of a bushfire. The Tasmania Fire Service is responsible for managing bushfires and coordinating the joint efforts that go into that task. As the manager of nearly 4600 hectares of bushland, including the Queens Domain, Wellington Park and Knocklofty Reserve, the City of Hobart contributes to the Tasmania Fire Service’s efforts by carrying out regular prescribed burns, maintaining an extensive network of fire trails and creating fuel breaks between City of Hobart managed bushland and people’s homes.

Lord Mayor Councillor Anna Reynolds

Hobart is one of the most bushfire-prone cities in Australia. To lower the risk, the City of Hobart reduces flammable materials in our forests and protects Hobart and its people with fuel breaks. We do everything we can to keep you safe if bushfire ever threatens the city, but we also need the people of Hobart to take steps to keep life and property safe from the threat of fire. My key take home message is to prepare early and have a clear plan about when, where and how you will move to a safer place if your property might be impacted by a bushfire.

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

WHY WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT BUSHFIRE Bushfire is a serious threat to property and lives in Hobart. Changes to the planet’s climate mean bushfires are increasing in frequency, intensity and extent around the world, including here in Tasmania. The City of Hobart manages bushfire risk in our parks and reserves, and maintains fuel breaks between reserves and private property. But these steps will only help protect properties that are well-prepared for bushfire. It is the responsibility of each household to prepare for and manage their own bushfire risk. To protect your home and family, there are important things you need to do before every bushfire season. This action plan explains what causes bushfires, how we can manage the risk, and what you need to do to protect your home and family from bushfire. The increasing threat of serious bushfire means we all need to make changes to how we think about and prepare for bushfires.

A brief history of fire in Tasmania Fire has been part of Tasmania and Australia for a very long time, certainly before Europeans arrived. A core sample containing pollen and charcoal taken from deep sediment in a lake on Flinders Island off the coast of Tasmania showed Aboriginal people were actively using fire as a management tool at least 12,000 years ago. The first reference to bushfires in Australia by European explorers was in Abel Tasman’s diary entry on December 2, 1642 during his exploration of Tasmania’s east coast. A short time before we got sight of our boats returning to the ships, we now and then saw clouds of dense smoke rising up from the land, which was nearly west by north of us, and surmised this might be a signal given by our men, because they were so long coming back, for we had ordered them to return speedily, partly in order to be made acquainted with what they had seen, and partly that we might be able to send them to other points if they should find no profit there, to the end that no precious time might be wasted. When our men had come on board again we inquired of them whether they had been there and made a fire, to which they returned a negative answer, adding however that PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

at various times and points in the wood they also had seen clouds of smoke ascending. So there can be no doubt there must be men here of extraordinary stature. This day we had variable winds from the eastward, but for the greater part of the day a stiff, steady breeze from the south-east.

Parts of the Tasmanian landscape reflect these past burning practices. An example of this fire-shaped landscape can be seen today in the open button grass moorlands found throughout the Tasmanian highlands. Aboriginal fire practice across Australia was severely disrupted by the arrival of Europeans and as a nation we have not taken the time to learn with Aboriginal people to manage fire across the landscape.

How often do we have major bushfires? Because fire records in the past are limited, and records in the early days of European occupation are almost non-existent, a clear answer to this question is not easy. Tasmania has seen considerable fire activity across the landscape and it appears to be increasing in frequency, intensity and extent. Records kept since the early 1800s show significant fires in Tasmania across a number of years. In 1954 a large fire threatened the southern outskirts of Hobart and, along with other fires that burnt that year, led to the establishment of a new Bushfires Act, which was designed to limit the damage caused by fires lit inappropriately and escaping onto other properties. It was not until the 1967 Black Tuesday bushfires, which left 62 people dead, injured 900 and destroyed 1293 homes, that the Rural Fires Board was established, leading to the formation of the Tasmania Fire Service.

The changing landscape In 1967 the Hobart bushfire, which remains a defining event in Tasmanian history, moved so rapidly that many people had very little time to prepare for the catastrophic impact as it approached the capital city. But a bushfire does not have to be as intense 7

Fires throughout Tasmania’s recent history.

or widespread as the 1967 Hobart fire to have significant impacts on people’s lives. Over time, the memories and experiences from major bushfires fade. People are continually moving to Hobart from elsewhere in Tasmania, Australia and the world. Many of these new residents will have little knowledge of the landscape’s fire history. Increased residential development, particularly on the urban fringe, means more people than ever now live close to bushland. Houses have been built on the edge of steep bushland valleys and ridges at places like Mt Nelson, West Hobart and on the edges and in the foothills of kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Most of these areas were developed at a time when there were few, if any, planning laws requiring new houses be built to withstand bushfire.

But having nature on our doorstep comes at a cost. It means we must manage the bushfire risk in our bushland reserves to minimise the threat to people, homes and infrastructure. At some point a bushfire will occur in bushland surrounding Hobart. And while the bushfire risk cannot be completely removed, with careful thought, hard work and the cooperation of our entire community, it can be reduced. The City of Hobart undertakes many actions to reduce the risk of bushfire for the people of Hobart. Details can be found in the City of Hobart Fire Management Strategy.

The bushland in and around Hobart is extremely important to the health and identity of the city and the people who live here. We are intimately connected with nature and wilderness. Whether it is a quiet afternoon spent in one of our many parks, riding or walking to work along the Hobart Rivulet, or a day spent walking on kunanyi/Mount Wellington, some of our best and most cherished times are spent in nature.

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

BLACK TUESDAY The bushfires which attacked Hobart and adjacent areas of Southern Tasmania in the summer of 1966-67, peaking on 7 February, produced one of the most damaging natural disasters ever experienced in Australia. In this case some 653,000 acres of Southern Tasmania burned. In the short space of four or five hours on that ‘Black Tuesday’, the burning caused the deaths of 62 people, destroyed about 1400 buildings (mostly homes, but also factories, schools, hotels, post offices, churches and halls), savagely disrupted communications and power facilities, and destroyed about 1500 cars and trucks. The fires also dealt massive damage to surrounding farms, pastures and livestock, and total monetary damage was assessed at about $40 million (at 1967 values). Reference: Wettenhall 2006 Charles Roberts and his dog, Elsa, survey the ruins of the Fern Tree store. Photo: Stuart Roberts

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

WHAT DRIVES BUSHFIRES? It is not necessary for everyone to become a fire expert, but it always helps to know a bit more. If we understand the factors that can alter fire risks we can make more informed decisions about what we should do to reduce that risk.

Fire ignition.

Fire behaviour.

Fire ignition and behaviour Two concepts are always closely considered by bushfire managers. They are often conveyed as simple triangles. The first is the fire ignition triangle, which shows the three factors involved in any fire – fuel, oxygen and heat or a source of ignition. Only one of these three factors can be changed through bushfire management, the availability of fuel. The second concept is fire behaviour, which again is often conveyed as a triangle. Bushfire managers cannot change the weather or topography, but they can influence fuel loads. When predicting fire behaviour the amount and type of fuel as well as how it sits in the landscape becomes very important. For example, lots of shrubs and young trees or trees with fibrous bark can act as ladder fuels, helping fire climb into forest canopies.

Weather Weather is a critical factor for when and how an area can burn. Bushfires tend to escalate when the temperature increases above 30°C, the humidity drops below 30% and when wind speeds increase above 12km/h. We cannot control the weather but we can take advantage of the right weather conditions to safely reduce the build-up of flammable materials in our forests through prescribed burns. The City of Hobart carries out prescribed burns across small, easily managed burn areas when the weather is mild, usually between autumn and spring. Prescribed burns are ideally carried out when the temperature is under 25°C, the humidity greater than 40% and winds are below 10km/h. Vegetation on the ground should be dry enough to burn and the soil needs to contain enough moisture to prevent the fire from burning too fiercely. Forecast rain in the days following the burn create the safest conditions.

Topography The other key factor that affects bushfire behaviour is topography. The angle of slope, slope height and the shape of valleys all influence fire behaviour and intensity. Valleys and peaks can direct wind in ways that are quite unpredictable. The angle of a slope is a critical factor in how a fire travels – how fast it spreads as well as its intensity. The steeper the slope the faster the fire will move up it. A fire moving in a straight line across flat land

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

at 2km/h will double its speed almost immediately if it hits a slope angled upwards at 10 degrees. For every additional 10 degrees in slope the fire will double its speed. If our 2km/h fire hits a slope angled upwards at 20 degrees it would start travelling at 8km/h. If the slope was angled upwards at 30 degrees the fire would race ahead at 16km/h. How fast can you run?

What can we change? We cannot remove oxygen from the air, or prevent all fire ignitions whether sparked through lightning strikes, lit by fire bugs or ignited by accident, but we can reduce the build-up of a continuous layer of flammable vegetation in our forests, woodlands and grasslands through prescribed burns. The creation of a network of fuel breaks is another tool used to change the landscape and manage the threat of bushfire.

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

FIRE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM The City of Hobart runs three programs to reduce the City’s bushfire risk: 1. Fuel breaks. 2. Fuel management. 3. Fire trails. In 2017 a Tasmanian Vegetation Fire Management Policy was developed by the State Fire Management Council to provide guidance in the use and control of fire to reduce bushfire risk. The City of Hobart has based its bushfire management plans on this policy, and encourages a shared approach to bushfire management, one that includes the local community. The policy reinforces the City’s strategy of using fire to reduce the build-up of bushfire fuels in fire-prone areas as a primary means of reducing bushfire risk. The policy also highlights the importance of treating bushfire fuel in zones close to assets such as houses, and the need to take a landscape approach to risk assessment. The City does this through an annual program of prescribed burns and an extensive fuel break program.

FUEL BREAKS Every year as part of efforts to protect Hobart from bushfire the City carries out fuel break maintenance across its bushland reserves. Fuel breaks are cleared or semi-cleared strips of land between bushland and homes, buildings or infrastructure. They are designed to lessen the impacts of fire coming out of bushland by substantially reducing fuels such as tall grasses, shrubs and smaller trees. Fuel breaks also create open, clear and defendable spaces for firefighters. The City does everything it can to manage the bushfire threat to homes, including maintaining fuel breaks between bushland reserves and residential properties, but we need individual residents to take action too. If you live next to a fuel break it is very important 12

that you keep your side of the fence free of bushfireprone vegetation to help the defence of your home in the event of a bushfire. The diagram on page 13 shows how fuel breaks extend into individual properties – most likely the space from your house to your property’s boundary with nearby bushland. Every year, well before the bushfire season starts, residents living adjacent to bushland reserves are advised to cut back fire-prone vegetation and to check for fire hazards. By maintaining the fuel break on your side of the fence with these simple steps you can reduce the risk of bushfire to your house: • Minimise bushfire fuel by keeping fire-prone vegetation to a minimum and flammable material such as wood piles away from the house and other buildings. • Cut back fire-prone vegetation between your property and reserve boundaries and check for fire hazards. • Do not dispose of garden cuttings in nearby bushland, this increases the bushfire risk. • Avoid planting trees or shrubs in or adjacent to a fuel break, they hinder the effectiveness of the fuel break. • Keep grass short, no more than 10cm high in summer. • Prune shrubs and keep them away from windows. • Keep gutters clean and your roof free of leaf litter. • Remove large shrubs from next to or under windows, away from wooden walls or under eaves or fascias. Fuel breaks are an effective fire prevention and firefighting tool, but they cannot stop all fires all of the time. During severe and catastrophic fires fuel breaks can help reduce the intensity of bushfire, but once a fire has escalated to an intensity where there is a significant ember attack, spotting well ahead of the fire front and/or crowning through the PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

FUEL BREAK AREA

YOUR PROPERTY

MANAGED FUEL LOAD

BUSHLAND RESERVE

Fuel breaks between houses and bushland reserves extend on to private property, abutting the nearest edge of your home.

top of the forest canopy, it is unlikely a fuel break will stop a fire of this magnitude.

FIRE DANGER RATING

During lower intensity fires, fuel breaks provide significant advantages. They provide safer access for firefighters and create a buffer zone between firefighters and fire front, reducing exposure to radiant heat and other fire-related dangers such as falling trees and branches. If property owners have created a similar open space on their property, especially around their house, it can be used to defend the property from bushfire.

CATASTROPHIC

100+

150+

EXTREME

75-99

100-149

SEVERE

50-74

50-99

VERY HIGH

25-49

HIGH

12-24

LOW-MODERATE

0-11

The Tasmania Fire Service’s fuel break guidelines can be downloaded from fire.tas.gov.au. The guidelines are designed to be used in conjunction with the Fuel Break Width Calculator, which can also be found on the Tasmania Fire Service website.

FUEL REDUCTION Prescribed burns Every year the City of Hobart undertakes a program of prescribed burns across its bushland reserves. These burns significantly reduce the build-up of bushfire fuel such as dry leaf litter and grass and can be effective for at least three to five years, sometimes longer. It is not possible or desirable to burn all of Hobart’s bushland every year. Burning native forest, woodland and grasslands too much can have adverse impacts on both native plants and animals. Carrying out prescribed burns over a longer period of time creates a mix of fuel loads across the landscape and leaves sanctuaries and habitat strongholds for animals and plants. PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

FIRE DANGER INDEX FOREST GRASSLAND

Reducing the amount of flammable material in Hobart’s bushland reserves can lower the severity of future bushfires and the movement of bushfire through the landscape. Just like fuel breaks, prescribed burns cannot stop all fires all of the time. However, when combined with fuel breaks, they can reduce the intensity of bushfires. Once a bushfire escalates to a Severe, Extreme or Catastrophic rating and there is significant ember attack, spotting well ahead of the fire front and/or crowning through the top of the forest canopy, it is unlikely any amount of fuel reduction or fuel break activities will stop fires of this magnitude. When fire conditions reach Extreme or Catastrophic levels the amount of fuel on the forest floor makes little to no difference to a fire’s intensity. In one study following Victoria’s 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, where the Forest Fire Danger Index exceeded 100, it was found that even in areas where prescribed burns had been carried out less than five years before the event, there was no measurable effect on the intensity of the fires. During a forest fire once the fire danger rating exceeds about 50 the fire switches from being fueldominated to weather-dominated. That means that 13

MEASURING BUSHFIRE RISK TO YOUR PROPERTY In Australia the potential impact of a bushfire on a house or building is calculated using a BAL rating – Bushfire Attack Level. BAL ratings take into account a building’s potential exposure to ember attack, radiant heat and direct flame. They consider risks such as the slope of the land, which can exacerbate fire conditions, the amount of nearby fire-prone vegetation, the location of the building on the property, its proximity to other houses and the design and construction materials used in the building itself. Most houses in Hobart were built before this rating system was created and do not meet these new building standards. In Hobart new houses or developments in the area mapped as being ‘Fire Prone’ will not be approved unless they have a BAL Assessment and can meet all of the conditions in the associated Fire Management Plan. Given that many established houses in Hobart do not meet the new BAL standards the City of Hobart builds and maintains its fuel breaks to assist in reducing the impact of fire, especially from radiant heat (the heat you feel when standing in front of a fireplace). But what does a BAL standard mean? If built to the standards listed below your house should be able to 14

withstand the related bushfire conditions: BAL Low: There is insufficient risk to warrant specific construction requirements. BAL 12.5: Ember attack (BAL 12.5 Construction Requirements). BAL 19: Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers, together with increasing heat flux (BAL 19 Construction Requirements). BAL 29: Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers, together with increasing heat flux (BAL 29 Construction Requirements). It must be noted that the Tasmania Fire Service is very reluctant to consider approving houses designed to be sited within a BAL-40 or BAL-FZ environment. The chance of a house being badly damaged or destroyed by fire in such an area remains very high. BAL 40: Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers, together with increasing heat flux and with the increased likelihood of exposure to flames (BAL 40 Construction Requirements). BAL FZ: Direct exposure to flames from fire, in addition to heat flux and ember attack (BAL FZ Construction Requirements). Source: bushfireprone.com.au/what-is-a-bal PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

while bushfire fuel continues to have an effect, fire behaviour is determined to a much greater extent by weather conditions. During the bushfire season, both the Bureau of Meteorology and the Tasmania Fire Service regularly release local fire danger ratings. In Hobart, once this rating enters the Severe category (50-74) a number of actions are triggered to reduce the impacts of any bushfire that could ignite under these conditions. Many of Hobart’s reserves are in bushfire prone areas. While they are great places to visit and enjoy, on days of higher fire danger they may not be safe. The City of Hobart may close selected reserves in the interests of public safety when the Fire Danger Rating is Severe or higher.

frequent fires. There are animals and plants that will not survive even a small amount of fire, while others, especially many plants, rely on frequent burning as part of their life cycles. Tasmania’s grasslands were once extensive throughout the state’s midlands – a landscape most likely created and maintained through regular burning by Aboriginal people.

Timing of prescribed burns

We still have areas of these native grasslands in Hobart and they require fire every three to five years. This is known as the fire interval or fire threshold, and varies for different vegetation. Wet forests should not be burnt at intervals of less than 80 years, if at all. However, under most conditions wet forests will not burn and often only burn during a major wildfire, so prescribed burns are rarely an option in this type of forest.

The City of Hobart takes prescribed burning very seriously and has invested heavily in equipment and training staff to undertake prescribed burns, predominantly between autumn and spring.

When taking into account the needs of the community we look at which bushland areas are close to houses. Will smoke impact the local community? How can we reduce impacts?

It would be financially impossible and environmentally catastrophic to burn every patch of bushland in Hobart every year in the hope that razing nature to the ground would rule out any bushfire risk. Instead, we work within a number of parameters – environmental considerations, resource limitations and community needs.

We also factor in activities planned for the area. The grasslands in the Queens Domain are an obvious case. The Domain often plays host to sporting events and people use it every day for walking and jogging, it is close to houses and businesses, bounded by major roads and there are even commercial grape vines nearby!

A number of factors are also considered in determining when and where prescribed burns can safely take place, including: • vegetation communities • threatened plant and animal species • Aboriginal heritage sites • European heritage sites • smoke management • traffic management • presence of utilities such as power and telephone infrastructure • vegetation thresholds and the time since an area was last burnt.

Evaluating other factors is also critical to a safe and successful prescribed burn. This includes understanding what the wind will do on the day, how well the smoke will rise and disperse high into the atmosphere, and of course knowing that the vegetation is dry enough to take on a cool burn, but not so dry that it becomes a fire hazard in its own right.

The Australian bush is fire adapted, but that doesn’t mean all native plants and animals can survive PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

All of these conditions, and more, are taken into account for each individual burn, and form what is termed the prescription, hence prescribed burn. Every time we carry out a prescribed burn in Hobart’s bushland reserves it has behind it a detailed burn plan setting out weather conditions, any limitations on burn intensity and constraints 15

BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN

such as threatened plant or animal species, or Aboriginal and European heritage values that should be protected. Preparing for each burn can be quite complex and includes removing fuel from fire trails, raking around flammable trees and larger habitat trees as well as protecting any threatened assets or sites. The City takes the matter of smoke very seriously. Smoke from prescribed burns can disrupt business and traffic, taint crops such as grapes and, even more seriously, impact people’s health. To counteract these threats we do all we can to give people plenty of notice about prescribed burns planned for their area. People living nearby are alerted to the upcoming burn prior to the day, as are those who have let us know they may suffer breathing difficulties because of increased smoke in the atmosphere, such as people with asthma. We also voluntarily comply with the smoke management program managed by the EPA. This program assesses the amount of smoke in the atmosphere and if conditions will result in poor smoke dispersal, planned burns can be halted.

Mechanical thinning Past management practices mean some areas of Hobart’s bushland reserves have altered over time. One of the best examples is on the Queens Domain. Much of the Domain was once grassland 16

The City of Hobart is continually exploring ways in which it can reduce the impact of fires on the people who live in Hobart while maintaining healthy bushlands for the native plants and animals that make this region so special, and which are so important as recreational spaces for the community. The City’s Biodiversity Action Plan identifies the impacts of fire on Hobart’s native plants, vegetation communities, animals and their habitats. This information is used to help plan prescribed burns and ensure bushfire mitigation activities have a minimal impact on threatened and vulnerable species.

interspersed with eucalypts and wattles, however, many of these areas have become dominated by sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata). While this is a native plant, conditions and past management practices have allowed it to dominate and suppress the native grasslands and outcompete other tree species such as eucalypts for water. This can lead to many eucalypts becoming severely stressed or even dying. Allocasuarina verticillata is a species that burns easily and burns hot. Grasslands require regular burning but do not respond well to extremely hot burns. Suppression of native grasses by she-oak also significantly reduces the amount of grass seed in the soil, which in turn has consequences for natural regeneration following any fire. By thinning out the amount of she-oak on the Queens Domain we can help return the landscape to a more natural setting and help bring back more of the critically endangered lowland temperate grasslands, which have been mostly cleared from PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

FIRE TRAILS

FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITY

The City of Hobart maintains a network of fire trails throughout its bushland reserves. These fire trails break up areas of bushland into sections that provide clearly defined access for firefighting and help manage the prescribed burns programs.

The City of Hobart maintains a well-trained and equipped fire crew qualified to Australian standards and experienced in fire operations. They carry out prescribed burns and ensure that once the burn is complete the area is safe and any lingering flames are completely extinguished. They also monitor each burn area before and after fires to reduce negative impacts such as the encroachment of weeds.

The design, construction and maintenance of the fire trail network is constantly evolving and the effectiveness of each fire trail and its potential to be safely used by firefighters is continually reviewed.

surrounding urban areas. In fact, across Australia, less than 1 per cent of these grasslands remain.

Smoke management Smoke from prescribed burns can cause breathing difficulties, especially in people with underlying conditions such as asthma. Smoke can also be a safety issue, especially when thick smoke blows across main arterial roads leading into and around Hobart. It can also be absorbed by grapes, making them unsuitable for wine production. A range of smoke management guidelines have been designed to help reduce the effects of smoke on people’s health. Guidelines for smoke management have been developed for the conduct of prescribed burns in Tasmania by the Forest Practices Authority.

by the Tasmanian Department of Health (www.dhhs. tas.gov.au/publichealth/alerts/air). Any member of the public requiring information about air quality can also download AirRater, a free smartphone app (airrater.org). Members of the Hobart community can also register for Council notifications of any prescribed burns planned for their area, allowing them to take precautionary measures. The City also voluntarily complies with the smoke management program managed by the EPA. This program assesses the amount of smoke in the atmosphere and if conditions will result in poor smoke dispersal, planned burns can be halted. For further information visit the Tasmania Environment Protection Agency Smoke Management website: epa.tas.gov.au/epa/air/ management-of-planned-burning

Specific guidance to manage or limit the effects of smoke on people’s health has also been developed PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND HOME? Hobart is one of the most bushfire-prone cities in Australia. To lower the risk, the City of Hobart reduces flammable materials in our forests through prescribed burns, protects Hobart with fuel breaks, maintains its fire trail network and has a well-trained team of firefighters. The City does everything it can to reduce the bushfire threat to people, houses, business and the natural environment, but needs everyone in the Hobart community to also take steps to keep life and property safe from the threat of fire.

PREPARE FOR BUSHFIRE If you live in or near bushland, it’s important to have a plan to protect yourself and your family from bushfire. When a bushfire approaches, preservation of life must become the priority. It might not always be possible to save your home and all of your belongings. With a plan in place, you can ensure that you and your family survive the fire. This plan should, above all else, give a high priority to leaving early if a bushfire is close by or likely to affect you.

PREPARE YOUR HOUSE AND PROPERTY When preparing your property for bushfire consider all of the materials outside and around your home that could burn. On a hot summer’s day when moisture levels are low many different types of materials will burn. Any embers floating through the air can ignite a fire where they land. The amount and dryness of any potential fuel, such as wood stacks or old tyres, can further increase the chances of a fire igniting. Many Hobart houses are clad in timber and the walls, doors and window frames of houses are very often built with timber. Verandahs, decks and pergolas are also often made of timber. Any flammable material on or near these items can act as kindling, and should be removed. Flaky paint on walls and window sills can also hold embers and old, dry paint can help ignite a fire. 18

Mulch containing chipped bark, shredded plants and trees can also be a fire danger and should not be used close to buildings or any other flammable structures, such as wood piles. Many plants with fine leaves or natural oils in their leaves can be easily ignited by a fire starting in mulch and will burn fiercely. Managing vegetation and other flammable material around your house is very important. If you intend to defend your home from a bushfire, at the very least you should consider creating a ‘defendable space’ around your house. For most urban houses this will be most or possibly all of your outside yard. For rural dwellings it should be a distance of at least 30 metres or even greater where possible. As a minimum you should consider the following: • Grass should be short cropped and maintained, especially during declared fire danger periods. • All leaves and vegetation debris should be removed and checked regularly. • Flammable objects should not be within 10 metres of vulnerable parts of a building. • Plants taller than 10 centimetres should not be grown within 3 metres of a window or glass feature of the building, including in pots. • Shrubs should not be placed under the canopy of trees. • Individual and clumps of shrubs should not exceed 5m2 and must be separated by at least 5 metres. • Trees must not overhang or touch any parts of any building. • There must be a clearance of at least 2 metres between the lowest tree branches and ground level. • Block holes (eg under the house) where embers might land and ignite. • Clean out gutters and look for and remove bird nests in eaves. • Install gutter guards. • Mats made from recycled cloth or coir (coconut fibre) should be removed from decks and PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

The Fire Danger Rating warns of the potential impact of a bushfire on any given day, based on forecast weather conditions. Each summer the Fire Danger Rating is widely publicised.

M E

EX TR E

SEVE

IGH YH VER

UNDERSTANDING THE FIRE DANGER RATING SYSTEM

LOW -MOD ERAT E

OPHI

STR CATA

FIRE DANGER RATING (FDR)

RECOMMENDED ACTION

Categories Severe, Extreme and Catastrophic indicate a fire will be unpredictable, uncontrollable and fast-moving.

CATASTROPHIC FDR 100+

Leaving early is the safest option for your survival – regardless of any plan to stay and defend.

If a fire breaks out in these conditions, the safest option is to relocate to a safe place away from any fires.

EXTREME FDR 75-99

Leaving early is the safest option for your survival. Only well-prepared, well constructed and actively defended houses are likely to offer safety during a fire.

Ratings above 50 occur in Tasmania around three times a year. Ratings above 75 have occurred only half a dozen times in Tasmania during the past 90 years. However, with the impact of climate change, the potential for such days is increasing.

SEVERE FDR 50-74

Leaving early is the safest option for your survival. Only stay if your home is well prepared and you can actively defend it.

VERY HIGH FDR 25-49

Only stay if your home is well prepared and you can actively defend it.

HIGH FDR 12-24

Know where to get more information and monitor the situation for any changes.

It is worth noting that the Fire Danger Rating on Black Saturday in Victoria on 7 February 2009 approached 200.

LOW-MODERATE Know where to get more information and monitor the situation for any changes. FDR 0-11

Source: fire.tas.gov.au

verandahs as well as from directly in front of wooden doors during periods when the fire danger rating is Severe or above. Even if you plan to leave your property well before a bushfire approaches – which is the safest thing to do – it is still important to reduce the impacts of fire on your house and belongings. If you have created a defendable space on your property firefighters may use it to defend and save your house from a bushfire. The Tasmania Fire Service’s online portal Prepare Act Survive is an excellent source of further information.

FIRE DANGER RATING Take the time to check the fire danger rating forecast at fire.tas.gov.au. It will help you understand the potential impact of a bushfire on any given day and to see whether to leave early, well before a bushfire arrives, or to stay and defend your well-prepared property on days when the fire danger rating is less than Severe. During the fire season, it is important that at least one person in each household monitors the fire danger rating for your area each day. Please take the time to read thoroughly the Tasmania Fire Service’s Fire Danger Rating Forecast web page.

There is also a brief house and property preparation checklist at the end of this document.

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

Summer bushfire smoke shrouds the City of Hobart’s bushland depot. Photo: John Fisher

WHEN BUSHFIRE STRIKES When bushfire strikes a community it can affect people in many ways. Having to remain at a heightened level of bushfire readiness for days or weeks on end can take a heavy toll on a person’s mental health. Nearby bushfires and smoke from major fires can be incredibly unsettling. Smoke can travel a long way and be disorienting. Smoke affects some people more than others and for people with medical conditions can be life threatening. Bushfires can interrupt electricity, phone, internet and water connections. These interruptions might be minor, but they can also remain for prolonged periods of time. Roads can get blocked by falling trees or even closed due to safety concerns. It might be difficult to get to shops to replenish household supplies. It is important to be prepared well before every bushfire season. Preparing your household, your home and your property for bushfire can help reduce the impact of fire on you and your household, your pets and livestock, your house and your property.

WHEN WILL YOU LEAVE? If you live in a bushfire prone area, there are very few houses designed, let alone built, to adequately survive a Severe or Catastrophic fire. Your best preparation is to be prepared to leave early. Make sure you have a household bushfire response plan and that it includes triggers that will activate 20

your response, especially when public warnings are being issued about increased fire danger periods or even nearby bushfires. If a fire is threatening your neighbourhood, keep track of updates through ABC local radio, official websites and social media channels. Reliable sources of information include the TasAlert website, the Tasmania Fire Service, Tasmania Police and the City of Hobart. Make sure your household’s bushfire response plan is very clear about when you should leave your home and which roads you will need to take. Leave before your evacuation route is compromised. Leaving early is always the safest option. The Tasmania Fire Service advises against defending your home once the Forest Fire Danger Index exceeds 50 – the equivalent to a fire danger rating of Severe, Extreme and Catastrophic. Very few houses are defendable on your own. If you live near bushland and a bushfire starts in or near Hobart on days when the fire danger rating is Severe, Extreme or Catastrophic, you should leave for a safe place well before the fire threatens your home. Residents in particularly high risk areas, such as the edges and foothills of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, are advised to leave their homes during times of Severe, Extreme or Catastrophic fire danger – even if there is no bushfire at the time. If you leave your home, do not return until emergency services have confirmed it is safe to do so. PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

There are a number of things you can and do need to do to prepare yourself for any bushfire season: 1. Have a household bushfire plan. 2. Prepare your house. 3. Prepare your property. 4. Prepare to leave.

PREPARE A HOUSEHOLD BUSHFIRE RESPONSE PLAN Having a good bushfire response plan for you and your family or household can be the difference between life and death in the event of any major emergency – storms, floods, bushfires. Being prepared before the bushfire season means you know what to do well in advance of any bushfire threat. Everybody’s plan will be different, so while it can be useful to look at information on websites or other people’s plans, it is very important that your plan meets your needs and circumstances. It is also critical that everybody, especially the adults in your family or household, are very familiar with the plan. Also make sure you review your plan before each bushfire season in case something needs changing. A range of information and important checklists are available on the Tasmania Fire Service website to help plan and prepare for bushfires. Please take the time to read thoroughly the Tasmania Fire Service’s Prepare Act Survive online portal.

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

WHERE WILL YOU GO? A very important part of your plan is to know where you will go if you have to leave your home before or during a bushfire. Can you stay safely with family or friends away from bushfire-prone areas? What about your pets? In any bushfire event, the safest option is to leave early for a pre-determined location, as specified in your household bushfire response plan. It’s best to have a standing arrangement with family or friends, with whom you can be in contact throughout the bushfire season. Plan your exit route carefully and make sure you have other options available in case roads on your preferred route are closed. In the event of a major emergency, such as a bushfire, the City of Hobart may open evacuation centres to provide accommodation for people who have nowhere else to go. An evacuation centre should not be treated as your preferred option and should not be relied on in your bushfire response plan. The location of evacuation centres will not be known until the emergency event has begun and will be communicated through the City of Hobart website, on social media and the local ABC radio station. The location of any evacuation centre will be determined by factors such as the scale of the emergency and the availability of access routes. Evacuation centres are created primarily to protect life and will have only basic accommodation. They may be uncomfortable and crowded but will 21

provide safe shelter in a life-threatening event. A Tasmania Fire Service identified “Nearby Safer Place” should also be treated as a place of last resort if a bushfire approaches too quickly to implement your preferred plan or to reach an evacuation centre. A Nearby Safer Place could be a sportsground or other open space and should be used only when the threat is imminent and you are forced to find shelter. Your preferred option should be to stay with family or friends away from the bushfire area.

PETS Planning what to do with our pets during a bushfire, especially larger pets such as horses, is also important. People have put themselves in danger during bushfires because they had not planned and acted with sufficient time to make sure their pets and other animals were in a safe place ahead of any danger. It is vitally important you know where your animals need to go in the event of a bushfire and how they will get there. Give yourself enough time to make 22

your pets safe and to ensure that protecting your pets does not compromise your own safety and that of your family.

COMMUNITY BUSHFIRE PROTECTION PLANS Community bushfire protection plans provide members of the community with specific information on their options when bushfire threatens, and help with the development of household bushfire response plans. For the Hobart area, the following plans are available on the Tasmania Fire Service website: • Glenorchy – Lenah Valley Community Bushfire Protection Plan. • Fern Tree Community Bushfire Protection Plan. • Mount Nelson – Tolmans Hill Community Bushfire Protection Plan. • South Hobart Community Bushfire Protection Plan. • Lower Sandy Bay (including Taroona) Community Bushfire Protection Plan. PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

These plans cover: • Safety options for surviving a bushfire, including the location of nearby safer places. • Guidance on how to receive emergency warnings and bushfire updates. • Access in and out of the community area. • Advice on what to do to prepare for and survive a bushfire. • How and where to source additional bushfire safety information. For more detailed information look up Bushfire Protection Plans on the Tasmania Fire Service website.

COMMUNITY PHONE TREES AND BUSHFIRE READY NEIGHBOURHOODS Consider joining or even setting up a local ‘phone tree’ and making your street part of the Bushfire Ready Neighbourhood program. Phone trees are a great way to stay in contact with neighbours before, during and after any bushfire threat, and to ensure that the more vulnerable people in your local community are safe. Being part of the Bushfire Ready Neighbourhood program will help you create bushfire plans for your property and even your street. It will also teach you how to make timely, informed decisions on what you, your family and your community will do in response to a fire threat and prompt you to monitor the Tasmania Fire Service website and local ABC radio station for alerts on nearby bushfire locations, speed, weather and direction. The Tasmania Fire Service can help you create a local phone tree or you can go ahead and create one yourself.

tree has been created it can be shared with every member in your Bushfire Ready Neighbourhood. For more information look up Bushfire Ready Neighbourhoods on the Tasmania Fire Service website.

BE PREPARED The more you know about the risks of bushfire the better prepared you will be if bushfire ever threatens you, your family or your home. It will also help you cope during a fire emergency: • Learn more about fire behaviour. • Memorise and understand fire danger ratings and what they mean. • Become more informed about what to expect under dangerous bushfire conditions. • Find out from others how bushfires have behaved in your area in the past. • Think about what you might feel, what you are willing to deal with and what you would expose your family to in times of bushfire. How have you reacted to other frightening events in the past? Many people who have stayed to defend their home during a bushfire, especially husbands and fathers who thought they were prepared, have regretted that decision once confronted with the reality of a bushfire bearing down on their house. Too often the response is: “What have I done? We shouldn’t be here!” • Complete all of your fire preparedness actions early. • Make and practise your household bushfire response plan to help you respond automatically during a bushfire threat. Above all, leaving early is always a better option.

Phone trees need a coordinator to collect at least two contact numbers for each person part of your Bushfire Ready Neighbourhood, including a contact number with an answering machine, voicemail or text message. Once the local phone PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

Protecting home and hearth a family affair R

obyn Thomas knows she has to be off the mountain with her family well before a serious bushfire threatens her home. It’s a message that has been drilled into her through neighbourhood bushfire meetings, and, just in case she forgets, Robyn keeps little reminders around the garden of what happened last time a fire came knocking in Fern Tree. One is a set of marbles, fused together when the now infamous 1967 bushfire came roaring in from the northwest. The house that used to stand on this site was razed to the ground. Another reminder is a Singer sewing machine. Jet black, its parts were soldered together in the fire and are now frozen in time, unmoving and unworkable. ‘I can get quite anxious when I know hot weather is coming,’ says Robyn. ‘But then I look out the window towards the mountain and the Organ Pipes and realise just how lucky I am to live in such an incredibly beautiful place.’ It’s a feeling likely to have touched anyone living in Hobart’s outer suburbs, places that back on to forested land like Tolmans Hill, Mt Stuart, Lenah Valley and the back of Sandy Bay.

The Singer sewing machine, charred and blackened in the 1967 fires.

‘Over the years we have done as much as we can to create a buffer zone between our house and the edge of nearby forest, and we have a bushfire plan that we practice,’ says Robyn. ‘Last year we took down a large gum tree that had branches hanging within a few metres of the house. It was a beautiful big tree, and it was hard to watch it go, but it was just too much of a fire hazard that close to the house.’

As a city surrounded by forest the threat of bushfire is one everyone in Hobart lives with, whether they know it or not.

Every year the entire family rakes up dry leaves and dead timber from around the house and takes them to the tip. They have also put in a huge vegetable patch that acts as a natural firebreak between the house and the forest edge. Regular watering results in a plentiful supply of vegetables, and keeps the soil moist.

Robyn moved to Fern Tree from West Hobart about ten years ago with her husband Julian, and two boys, Tom and Bill.

They removed large grevilleas, climbers and honeysuckles, which, though lovely, hid a tinderbox of old, dead leaves and branches.

The garden is now home to less flammable plants like native flax lilies and irises. Plants growing close to the house are kept neatly pruned, including the banksias, and a cottage garden provides a delightful contrast to the tall forest that surrounds the property. Robyn and her husband, who is a volunteer in the local fire brigade, have checked the house for gaps where fire embers could get in and sealed them off. They also have two enormous water tanks and a fire pump. ‘Plan A is to not be at home if there is a severe or higher bushfire danger rating,’ says Robyn. ‘In case we are caught unawares and it becomes too dangerous to leave, our plan B is to make the house as defendable as possible.’ Robyn warns that one area of preparing for a bushfire often overlooked is just how much house insurance people will need

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

Robyn at home with her sons Tom, left, and Bill. Photos: John Sampson

with limited notice it is important to know who is at home and who might be away on holidays. ‘Our entire street has been part of bushfire ready neighbourhoods for a long time now,’ says Robyn. ‘We all get together to talk about what to do if a bushfire comes, how we will all react and what plans we have in place. Working together as a community helps us feel safer and more prepared for bushfire conditions.’

and prepare for bushfire. Advice from the local volunteer fire brigade has been of enormous help, guiding Robyn and her neighbours in how to prepare for bushfire.

Bushfire Ready Neighbourhoods is now a statewide program that helps Tasmanian communities plan and prepare for bushfire. It recognises that communities, individuals and the Tasmania Fire Service all have a role to play in keeping people safe from bushfire.

The street activates a ‘telephone tree’ for high fire danger days that helps everyone keep tabs on each other. If a bushfire strikes

For help preparing your own neighbourhood plan visit bushfirereadyneighbourhoods. tas.gov.au.

The marbles Robyn found in her garden, fused together in the 1967 Hobart fires.

to cover the costs of repairing or even rebuilding their home after a bushfire, especially given much tougher new bushfire housing standards. All families in Robyn’s street participate in the Tasmania Fire Service’s Bushfire-Ready Neighbourhoods program, which helps local communities plan

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

KEY CONTACTS & INFORMATION PHONE

APP

MEDIA

In an emergency call Triple Zero (000)

‘Fires Near Me’ – free phone app

Local radio, local ABC/emergency broadcaster frequency, TV, newspapers

By TTY: 106 (hearing / speech impaired)

‘Emergency +’ free phone app

By SMS relay – text 0423 677 767

fire.tas.gov.au

By ordinary phone – dial 1800 555 727 and ask for Triple Zero (000)

facebook.com/TasmaniaFireService

National Relay Service: nrschat.nrscall.gov.au

twitter.com/tasfireservice

By captioned relay: nrschat.nrscall.gov.au Interpreter: 131 450 (immediate phone interpreting 24 hours) For other fire information, call the Tasmania Fire Service Information Line 1800 000 699

IMPORTANT! During a bushfire, you could lose power and telecommunications. Do not rely on just one source of information.

PREPARE YOUR HOUSE & PROPERTY CHECKLIST 1. Mowing lawns – grass should be kept short (no more than 10cm high). Fire can ignite and travel quickly through long grass. If there are a lot of grass clippings, collect or rake them up and keep them away from any building or structure. With a strong wind, fire can travel across the top of your lawn by burning dry clippings. 2. Rake up leaves and small twigs. 3. Remove the lower branches of trees. 4. Prune shrubs and keep them away from windows: • Prune lower branches of shrubs to separate them from surface fuels underneath. • Prune shrubs well away from the branches of mature trees. 5.

Don’t put flammable mulch on gardens.

Remove large shrubs from next to or under windows, away from wooden walls or under timber eaves or fascias.

Don’t put flammable mulch on gardens.

Move wood piles away from the house. Stray fire embers can easily ignite woodpiles.

Move doormats and furniture away from the house, decks and verandahs.

10. Keep gutters clean and your roof free of leaf litter. 11. Make sure there are no bird nests in gutters or eaves. 12. M ove flammable liquids away from the house or any important flammable structure. Where possible, store in flame-proof containers.

Consider printing this page and attaching it to your fridge or noticeboard or even put a copy in the glovebox of your car. 26

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

HOUSEHOLD BUSHFIRE SAFETY PLANNING CHECKLIST 1. Make sure you know what the fire danger ratings mean. 2. Which fire danger rating is your trigger to leave? Or maybe triggers other actions. 3. Will you leave early on the morning of a bushfire or the night before? Leaving early is the safest option to protect yourself and your family. Leaving early means leaving the area before there are any signs of a fire – not when you can see flames or can’t see because of smoke. Leaving early means not being trapped or making the wrong choices. It means avoiding panic. It means not risking serious injury or death. 4. Planning to stay and defend your home is a big decision. You could be at serious risk of uncontrollable bushfire on days of Severe, Extreme or Catastrophic conditions. Most homes, especially older homes, are not designed to survive Extreme or Catastrophic conditions. 5. Where will you go? Do you have alternatives? Are these realistic options? If you do not have friends or relatives in low-risk areas who you can visit, consider community facilities such as libraries, shopping centres, swimming pools or cinemas. 6. Which route will you travel towards safety and how will you travel. What are your alternative routes in the event that a fire is already in the area or has closed off your preferred route? 7. What will you take with you? Have a list. Know where these things are. Gather them together before the season if you can. 8. What do you need to organise for your pets or livestock? 9. Are there any obvious or regular house and property preparations you need to undertake such as cleaning the gutters? When should you carry out these actions? 10. Who do you need to inform of your movements? Does someone else (e.g. family living elsewhere) know your plan? 11. Is there anyone outside of your household you need to help or check up on? Parents? Friends? Neighbours? 12. How will you stay informed about warnings and updates? 13. What will you do if there is a bushfire in your area and you cannot leave? 14. Remember to decide who will do what as part of your plan. 15. Know who you will inform about what you are doing so they can keep a check on your safety. Talk to your family and friends about how you’ll know when to leave and where to go to stay safe. 16. If you rely on others for care and support, your only safe option on serious bushfire risk days is to leave early – never wait to receive a warning. 17. Prepare a basic kit for each person in the household. This might be a simple bag with a range of items you can pack for when you are ready to leave. Items you might consider are: • A change of clothes (including a spare jumper), toiletries and sanitary needs (including nappies for babies). • Important items such as your passport, Will, insurance papers and photos. Remember that items such as photos could be scanned and taken on a USB stick or external hard drive rather than lots of photo albums. • Adequate bottles of water – it is a good idea to have a larger container of water in your car. • Medicines and first aid kit – remember to ensure medicines are not out of date. • A mobile phone charger with a detachable cord and a car lighter socket adapter. • A torch and a battery operated radio with spare batteries. • A woollen blanket or two. • Contact details both in your mobile phone(s) and on a piece of paper - doctor, council contacts, power company, internet service provider, insurance company, relatives and important friends. • Spare pet food and a travel cage or other means of transporting your pet(s) if you have any. 18.

W rite down your plan. It might be really hard to remember everything when you are surrounded by smoke, heat and flames.

19. Share your plan with others – neighbours, relatives and friends.

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

BUSHFIRE HAZARDS EMBER ATTACK

RADIANT HEAT

LOCALISED FLAMES

•

Results from bushfire in close proximity to a building (up to 150 metres).

•

The heat you can feel from a fire.

•

Can ignite surfaces without flame contact or ember attack. Dries out vegetation ahead of a bushfire so that it burns more readily.

• • •

•

May occur from a fire hazard in very close proximity to a building (nearby trees, neighbouring houses). May occur from fire behaviour in surrounding landscape. Most common way houses catch fire during a bushfire. Occurs when small, burning twigs, leaves and bark are carried by the wind, landing in and around a building. Can happen before, during and after a bushfire.

•

FLAME CONTACT FROM FIRE FRONT • •

• •

Results from a bushfire in close proximity to a building (less than 150 metres). Direct flame contact from a fire front where vegetation is in a mostly natural state (such as a forest reserve). Occurs when a building is in close proximity to vegetation. May arise in lower risk areas (such as from a local park) or in higher risk areas (larger vegetated areas such as forests and coastal reserves).

•

• •

•

Occurs from a bushfire in close proximity to a building (up to 50 metres). Direct flame contact from individual elements such as vegetation, fences or structures. Burning elements may arrive from neighbouring land. Can occur in areas where the vegetation is modified or managed as a garden. Not direct flame contact from a moving fire front.

EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOUR •

•

• • • • •

Occurs from fire behaviour in surrounding landscape, including where it interacts with bushfire in close proximity to a building. Arises in high risk landscapes, with long fire runs, steep topography and vegetation in a mostly natural state. Influenced by fuel loads and drought conditions. Associated with high temperatures, wind, cyclonic conditions, lightning. Extreme ember attack will occur. Associated with weather such as on Black Saturday in Victoria. Any fire that starts and takes hold will be so intense that life safety may be seriously compromised.

Source: DELWP (2017). Planning Permit Applications, Bushfire Management Overlay. Technical Guide. Department of Environment Land Water & Planning, Victoria.

PREPARING FOR BUSHFIRE: ACTION PLAN FOR HOBART

Hobart Town Hall, Macquarie Street, Hobart,Tasmania 7000 T 03 6238 2711 E coh@hobartcity.com.au W hobartcity.com.au

Preparing for Bushfire: Action Plan for Hobart

Articles inside

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND HOME?

WHY WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT BUSHFIRE

WHAT DRIVES BUSHFIRES

HANDY CHECKLISTS

FIRE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM