More than 2700 property owners told to clean up their act before the fire danger season
As bushfires rage around the country, South Australians remain unprepared and at risk, with authorities issuing urgent clean up orders on overgrown homes and properties.
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More than 2700 property owners from Adelaide’s outer north to south have been warned to clean up their land urgently with the fire danger season starting in just a few days.
Salisbury, Playford, Adelaide Hills, Mitcham and Burnside have issued 2783 clean-up notices so far to residents to remove undergrowth, dry grass and other vegetation ahead of the season starting on Friday.
CFS Sturt group officer Dale Thompson told The Messenger it was a clear sign of landowners being “consistently unprepared”.
“It’s complacency. It’s the same people who are not preparing themselves properly each year,” Mr Thompson said.
“It’s disappointing when we see what is happening in NSW. The message is not getting through.”
He said local residents needed to prepare their properties “really quickly”.
“They should have properly prepared plans in place, they need to get onto it,” Mr Thompson said.
“The fire season is coming quickly.”
Helen Hatch, who lost everything in the Pinery bushfire of 2015, agreed that complacency remained high.
“That’s a staggering amount of people,” Ms Hatch said of the more than 2700 property owners issued clean-up notices.
“You’d think more people would be aware.
“Especially with what is happening now, it looks like half of Australia is burning.”
She said it “doesn’t take much” for residents to clean-up their properties.
“It might not affect you, but it could affect somebody you know,” she said.
Clean-up notices have jumped by a third in the Adelaide Hills Council area, from 386 to 515, compared to this time last year.
The council’s team leader of regulatory services, Matthew Ahern, said it had boosted the number of inspections in response to increased fuel loads and weather conditions.
“As we’ve seen already with bushfires raging in NSW and Queensland, it’s going to be an especially dangerous bushfire season and we are focused on helping our residents stay safe,” Mr Ahern said.
“This means everyone needs to prepare their own home and council is committed to enforcing the process of inspections, clean-up notices and ensuring the required clean-up takes place.”
Playford Council issued the highest number of clean up notices (932), to owners of rural properties and vacant and overgrown residential land.
Onkaparinga (461 clean-up notices to date), Mitcham (140 notices) and Tea Tree Gully are still inspecting properties.
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Tea Tree Gully has issued nearly 1500 reminder notices to rural land and vacant lot owners.
CFS Preparedness Operations director, Brett Loughlin, said the community needed to obey clean-up notices and ensure their properties are well prepared for the fire danger season.
“Even if you live in the suburbs of Adelaide it’s important to recognise that you are still at risk of bushfire,” Mr Loughlin said.
“Suburbs such as Golden Grove, Mitcham, Athelstone, Burnside and the Onkaparinga Valley are all at risk of bushfire.”
The fire danger season for the fire ban districts of Adelaide metropolitan and the Mt Lofty Ranges begins on November 15.
Landowners face fines of $315 or prosecution for failing to comply with clean-up notices.
