The City undertakes a range of fire prevention measures throughout the year in preparation for the summer bushfire season. Extensive bushfire risk mitigation works have been undertaken across Cockburn’s 23 suburbs in readiness for the current summer period.
The City is currently undertaking the following in order to mitigate fire risk over the hot summer months:
- Continuing to inspect private properties for firebreak compliance during the firebreak season
- Working with state agencies to ensure the land they manage within Cockburn is mitigated against bushfire risk
- Responding to illegal burns
- Working with Police to identify possible arsonists
- Assisting the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) in fire response
- Deploying staff, volunteers and trucks to regional fires within WA
- Assisting with local and regional fires.
Firebreak maintenance on City land, and inspections on private property
In conservation reserves managed by the City, firebreaks are maintained and generally exceed the standards as required by the
Bushfires Act 1954 and Council by-laws. The City’s residential and commercial verges are classified as priority 1, priority 2 or rural, and this is determined by traffic volume on the roads. Priority 1 areas are mowed four times a year, and rural and priority 2 areas are mowed twice a year. Works are scheduled so verges are mowed after the winter rains and before firebreak season which is 1 November to 15 April.
The majority of the City’s reserves, particularly in the resource and rural areas, have limestone fire breaks. DFES has complimented the City on this initiative. Similarly, areas of Roe 8 have had limestone firebreaks installed using Main Roads WA funding.
Firebreak inspections of private property commenced in November and will finish in April 2024. There have been high levels of compliance within the rural areas, which shows strong community understanding of the impending dangers from bushfires through summer.
High priority sites
High priority sites are identified annually and controlled burns undertaken if resources and weather conditions permit. Controlled burns are undertaken only if sufficient funds are available to undertake two years worth of follow up weed control.
Areas deemed high risk are inspected in September each year. Additional fire mitigation measures are undertaken in high priority areas to reduce risk.
Weed Control
The City undertakes extensive weed control in reserves. Veldt grass is one of the major contributors to fuel loadings, with weeds being a major contributor to bushfire fuels. Weeds can increase the fire intensity level, reducing access for fire fighting and causing a more extensive area of bushland to be burnt. This causes damage to native vegetation structure because of the high intensity of the fire. Bushland Maintenance staff also undertake extensive weed control within conservation areas.
The Landowner Biodiversity Conservation Grants are open to rural residents and can be used to fund weed control on private property. The grants open in August and close at the end of October.
In 2022-2023, the City undertook extensive bushfire mitigation works, including:
- Pruning, removing, and mulching trees and vegetation encroaching firebreaks at Denis De Young, Mather and Kraemer reserves in Banjup, around Banjup Community Centre, Baler Reserve in Hammond Park, Lake Coogee, Market Garden Swamp, Little Rush Lake, Yangebup Lake and Banksia Eucalypt Woodland
- Cleared shrubs from overhanging firebreaks to ensure they were compliant
- Undertook hazard reduction burns on state, City and private property
- Audited all existing gates to ensure they opened and provided keys to fire fighters
- Undertook other work in conservation reserves as detailed below under 'Conservation Reserves'
- Inspected the City’s conservation reserves to ensure fire truck access standards were met
- The City worked closely with several agencies including the Water Corporation, Development WA, Henderson Alliance, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to ensure mitigation work had been conducted in high priority areas.
In the 2022-23 financial year, the City issued 130 fines relating to failure to comply with our Fire Control Order. The majority of these fines were issued to owners of blocks within residential areas.
The City is currently reviewing its Bushfire Risk Management Plan which provides a framework to identify, assess, mitigate and evaluate bushfire risks. The draft plan was open for community consultation in July and August 2023.
A Fire Response Plan exists for most of the conservation reserves within the City and have recently been reviewed and updated. Plans are reviewed every two years and issued to DFES and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
The City’s Natural Area Management Strategy identifies a number of actions to minimise fire risk in natural areas. This helps to ensure that fire mitigation practises are consistent throughout all our reserves.
The City is currently participating in a 20 year study with Kings Park to determine the benefit of weed control on previously burnt sites.
For more information contact the City's Fire and Emergency Management team on 08 9411 3444 or email [email protected]