Hawkesbury Council Burning Regulations

Control of Burning Regulation 2000
Notice of Approval
Rural Areas and Villages

March 2004

The Hawkesbury City Council hereby grants general approval for the burning of dead and dry vegetation in the open or on a single parcel of land which are 4000 square metres (one acre) or greater.

It is prohibited to burn in the following areas which are located inside the NSW Fire Brigade boundaries of McGraths Hill, Windsor Downs, Bligh Park, South Windsor, Windsor, Clarendon, Richmond, North Richmond. These properties located within the NSW Fire Brigade boundaries require approval from the NSW Fire Brigade all year round.

This approval does not include:-
1. The burning of vegetation resulting from land clearance. Vegetation arising from land clearance can only be burnt if development consent is obtained from Council;

2. The burning of vegetation which has been cleared for commercial development or building construction as development consent must be obtained from Council;

3. The burning of packaging associated with agricultural operations.

4. Ecological/bush regeneration burns which are carried out to destroy infestations of noxious weeds, clear land for native species regeneration. Individuals and organisations that wish to carry out these burns should apply to the EPA, Regional Manager Sydney-Local Government, PO Box 668 PARRAMATTA NSW 2124.

This approval remains in force from 01 April 2004 to 30 September 2004, or until the commencement of the Bushfire Season is declared earlier at which time Council may revoke the approval. The approval is granted subject to the provisions of the Protection of the Environment Operation (Control of Burning) Regulation 2000 and to the following conditions:

1. Only dry and dead vegetation originating on a property which is included in this approval shall be burnt on that property in accordance with the NSW Rural Fire Service "Guidelines for Pile Burning" June 2003;
This document and others can be found at the NSW Rural Fire Service Website: www.rfs.nsw.gov.au

2. Plastics, rubber, chemical and pesticide containers and also the following specifically prohibited articles shall not be burnt in conjunction with this approval;
* Tyres, plastic coated wire, paint/solvent containers and residues;
* Timber treated with Copper Chromium Arsenate (CCA) or Pentachlorophenol (PCP) or painted timber.

3. Burning with this approval must at all times be carried out by such practical means as are necessary to prevent or minimise air pollution. The potential for smoke impacting on any person due to wind direction and weather conditions must be taken into account.

4. In the event of a Total Fire Ban being declared, this approval is suspended. Any existing fire is to be extinguished and cannot be re-commenced until the Total Fire Ban is lifted.

5. In the event of a No Burn Day being declared by the EPA this approval is suspended for the duration of the declaration. When a "NO BURN" notice is issued, it applies to the lighting of new fires in the declared areas. Existing fires should be allowed to continue as extinguishing the fire will result in more smoke. "No Burn Notices" are notified in the Public Notices section of the Sydney Morning Herald not later than on the day on which the order is to take effect. Recorded information about "No Burn Notices" is usually available from 4:00pm the day before the notice comes into effect and can be accessed by calling Ph: 1300 130 520 or is available on the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) Website. http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/airqual/apupd.asp

6. Adjoining neighbours and people likely to be affected by smoke are to be notified at least 48 hours before the fire is lit. This will allow for smoke-sensitive people such as asthmatics, to plan to be away from the area when the burn is conducted.

7. Written or oral notice is to be given to the Hawkesbury Rural Fire Service* at least 24 hours prior to burn. Such notice must specify the location, purpose, period and time of the fire proposed to be lit. Contact details include:
Phone Bus. Hrs. 4575 1601 Fax. 4575 1475 Email hawkesbury@rfs.nsw.gov.au
*NOTE: Notice to Fire Control is not required if The Captain or a Senior Member of the local Rural Fire Brigade in the area has been notified.

8. A responsible supervising adult over the age of eighteen shall be on site at all times with enough water to extinguish the fire, if required, for that time the fire is active.

9. Burning shall only be conducted between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm on any day.

10. Any residue waste from the burning must be disposed of in an environmentally satisfactory manner and in accordance with the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 and the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 1996. On completion of the burn, the burnt area must be maintained in a condition that: minimises or prevents the emission of dust from the area; and prevents sediment or ash from fires being washed from the area into waters.

11. Failure to comply with this approval may result in an On The Spot Fine of $500.00 for an individual, or $1000.00 for a corporation. In the event of prosecution, the maximum penalty is $5,500.00 for an individual, and $11,000.00 for a corporation.