Bushfire preparedness

Preparing for bushfire season

For information about how to prepare for the bushfire season, refer to the Native Vegetation Council and Country Fire Service (CFS) Guide. Information on native vegetation management is also available on the CFS website.

For further information, see the Fact Sheet - Preparing for a Bushfire.

After a bushfire

Please note that for bushfire affected areas, the legislative requirements remain the same for managing the native vegetation as before the fire. You may need to submit a clearance application if you are interested in clearing living or dead native vegetation. More information on the application process can be found here. The activities that you can undertake on your property after a bushfire are highlighted below. For information on where clearance is permitted after a bushfire, see the Native trees in burnt areas FAQ.

In the weeks and months that immediately follow a bushfire, some people may be tempted to clear native trees that have been burnt. The Native Vegetation Council and CFS urges members of the public to not unnecessarily clear burnt native trees. In most cases, native vegetation burnt in the bushfires will regenerate naturally. For example, Eucalypts are well adapted to bushfires. They may look dead but be actively recovering beneath the bark. If trees are not a safety risk, they need not be cleared. If it became apparent that some trees haven’t survived following the fire, these trees are still important for habitat purposes. Read the dead tree fact sheet for more information.

The CFS has information for managing native vegetation and reducing the impacts of fire here.

You can also read information on fire hazard reduction during bushfire recovery.

Can I replace a fence?

Yes, you can undertake necessary clearance along a fenceline to establish or maintain a fuel break where the total width does not exceed 5 m (eg 2.5 m either side of fence) or to a maximum of 1 m onto a road reserve, with permission from the local council. For more information see our information on fences.

If you have a Native Vegetation Heritage Agreement on a property that has been burnt by a bushfire since December 2019, and all or part of a fence protecting an area requires replacement, you may be eligible for assistance. Please contact the Native Vegetation Branch for further details.

Can I realign a fence?

Yes, you can realign a fence provided you are doing it in a way that reduces the amount of new clearance. If you are establishing a new fence, you need to notify us.

Can I replace an access track?

Yes, you can clear an existing access track on your property, provided it is used for walking access and is no more than 0.5 m in width. For more information see our information on walking tracks.

Can I replace a vehicle track?

Yes, you can clear to maintain a vehicle track of no more than 5 m wide that provides access on your property. If you are establishing a new vehicle track, you need to notify us.

Can I remove a burnt tree posing a safety risk or inhibiting access?

Yes, you can remove limbs of a burnt tree or the whole burnt tree (where necessary) if it is within 10 m of a house or building and is inhibiting access or posing a safety risk.

Can I remove a burnt tree from a road reserve?

You must have approval to do so by your local council which will refer to the Native Vegetation Council's Guidelines for Roadside Native Vegetation Management.

Can I remove a burnt tree in my paddock?

Many of these trees will reshoot and recover post fire. Where there is no immediate safety risk to people and property, burnt paddock trees should be retained. If there is a safety risk, a report from a plant health expert must be provided to the Native Vegetation Council for approval.

Burnt trees remain important habitat which is protected under the Native Vegetation Act 1991. See our Dead trees included as native vegetation Fact Sheet for more information.

Can clearance for fuel breaks or fire mitigation occur during an active fire?

CFS Officers have certain powers during an active fire to undertake necessary actions to protect people and property. This can include undertaking or directing the clearance of native vegetation for activities such as fire breaks on state, local government or private land.

Landowners should only act upon the direction of a CFS Officer. For further information contact the CFS.

Emergency bushfire management and prevention/mitigation
The CFS is the authority that approves native vegetation clearance for all emergency bushfire management and prevention/mitigation works. If your application to clear native vegetation for bushfire prevention does not meet the legislative requirements, the CFS will refer the matter to the NVC for approval.