Thousands of locals hit with fire prevention notices

Fire safety complacency has taken hold over summer, with local councils revealing how many prevention notices they have issued.

Fire safety complacency has taken hold over summer with thousands of residents across Greater Geelong and Surf Coast Shire issued with fire prevention notices as the region remains in the fire danger period.

City of Greater Geelong acting director of city services Alistair Miller said to date the council had issued about 2400 notices.

As part of the region’s management of fire risk, councils may issue notices to land owners to address hazards.

Hazards may include dead or long dry grass, fuel such as dead branches or piles of cuttings, wood piles placed close to houses or fence lines, and other combustible material.

Mr Miller said every street in the municipality is inspected, with the penalty for noncompliance “either $1817, or a summons to appear in the magistrates court”.

“Without these notices, there is no ability [of council] to ensure land owners keep their properties in a fire safe condition,” he said.

“The [council’s fire prevention] officers’ focus is on protecting life and property from the effects of fire, and to prevent fires from starting or spreading on and from any land within the municipality.”

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) declared Greater Geelong, the Borough of Queenscliffe, and the Surf Coast Shire to be in the fire danger period from December 20 last year.

While the thousands of Geelong residents are performing maintenance on their properties to avoid fines, the council has come under scrutiny itself for lack of maintenance of grass on its land.

Earlier this week, a Hamlyn Heights resident raised concerns about the grass height along the Ted Wilson Trail, labelling the council “hypocrites”.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring municipality, the Surf Coast Shire, 366 land owners have been issued with notices this season.

According to general manager of community life Chris Pike, the shire has “some of the most bushfire prone areas in the world”.

Mr Pike said residents responded well to the notices.

“The compliance rate is very high in the shire and more than 99 per cent of property owners complete the maintenance works required so that no fine [of about $1800] is issued,” he said.

The Borough of Queenscliffe had the lowest number of notices issued for the region, with only 8 given out, however the penalty for not complying is higher than that of Geelong and the Surf Coast at $1910.

A spokesperson said the council takes fire prevention “extremely seriously” and performs regular fire safety inspections in the Borough.

The spokesperson said the “vast majority” of recipients responded quickly.

Originally published as Thousands of locals hit with fire prevention notices