Outside the Fire Danger Season

The burning of dried and seasoned vegetation within residential townships is regulated by the Environment Protection (Air Quality) Policy 2016 under the Environment Protection Act 1993.

Council permits by way of a general permit the burning of dried and seasoned vegetation by residents located within gazetted township areas of the Council subject to some conditions. Currently the only town with a gazetted township area is Mannum.

Burning is only permitted between the times of 10.00am and 3.00pm from Monday to Saturday and all fires must be completely extinguished by 3.00pm. Piles must only comprise of dried garden prunings and vegetation, dry paper and cardboard, dried untreated and unpainted timber. The following materials are strictly prohibited:

• Plastics or rubber
• Foam, fabric or material
• Lawn clippings or composted material
• General refuse
• Timber containing plastics, glue or adhesives (i.e. melamine, mdf, particleboard)
• Timbers treated with Copper Chromium Arsenate (CCA) or other chemical preservatives
• Green or wet vegetation

At all times when undertaking burning residents are reminded of their responsibility to ensure that their activities do not cause an unreasonable nuisance to others through excessive smoke or odour. Council encourages the use of free green waste days held throughout the year as an alternative method of waste vegetation disposal. Residents are also advised that the South Australian Country Fire Service Vegetation Pile Burning Code of Practice must be adhered to when undertaking these activities.

If a complaint is received and investigated by a Council Officer penalties may apply for any activity found to be contravening the policy so we ask all residents to consider their neighbours.

Within the Fire Danger Season

During the Fire Danger Season, residents are not permitted to burn any materials on domestic premises without a valid permit issued under the Fire & Emergency Services Act 2005.  These permits will only be considered under extreme extenuating circumstances by the Mid Murray Council’s Fire Prevention Officer’s, for this reason property owners are advised to consider alternative appropriate disposal methods other than burning.

In the garden and around the home:

• Cut down grass and clear away any fallen branches, leaves and dead undergrowth within 20 metres of the home.
• Prune lower branches less than 1 metres above the ground to provide a vertical fuel break to help prevent ground fires from spreading into trees.
• Remove any mulch to at least 1 metre from any dwelling wall and move woodpiles away from the dwellings.
• Ensure all gutters are kept clear of leaves and twigs.

Rural Living - On rural properties, prepare and maintain fuel breaks around fence lines, buildings, equipment sheds, haystacks, hay sheds and fuel supplies.

Fuel reduction on vacant allotments greater than 0.5 hectares in size. It is considered that a mowed or slashed firebreak be constructed around the perimeter of the block of land to the minimum width of 4m. The flammable growth on the firebreak is to be maintained to maximum height of 10cms for the duration of the fire danger season. However this is only a guideline.

Residential Areas

Council is involved in a township clearance program which generally starts around October each year, this involves inspection of township and some rural allotments, under the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Act 2005 section 105F.

Council can issue a Section 105F notice if :

'a Fire Prevention Officer of Council believes that the conditions on private land in a fire district are as such as to cause an unreasonable risk of the outbreak of fire on the land, or spread of fire through the land, due to the presence of flammable undergrowth or other flammable or combustible materials or substances'.

It is the Landowners responsibility to comply with the Act. Failure to comply with the general provisions of section 105F(1) or the failure to comply with a notice issued under section 105F(5) will incur an expiation notice of $473, plus the recovery cost of Council carrying out the work required by that notice.

It is recommended that property owners keep the height of grass on their property to a maximum height of 10 centimetres for the entire fire danger season.

The 2022/2023 Fire Ban Season for the Murraylands and Riverland Districts starts 15th November to 15th April.

On days of extreme weather conditions Fire Bans may be declared for the Mid Murray Council district and other areas in the State. To determine whether a fire ban has been imposed, phone the CFS Hotline on 1800 362 361.

All fires are prohibited on a total fire ban day unless a permit has been issued. However permits will only be issued in special circumstances. Note: Electric welders, mechanical cutting tools and gas appliances require a permit before they can be used in the open on a day of a total fire ban.

The penalty for lighting a fire in the open without a permit on a total fire ban day is $10,000.

During the Fire Danger Season almost all fires in the open require permits. Applications for permits can be made at the Mid Murray Council office during business hours.

Fires not requiring permits, other than on a Total Fire Ban day include:

• A campfire for personal warmth or cooking purposes provided the fire is contained in portable cooking appliance or a trench 30cm deep, the fire does not occupy an area exceeding one square metre, a four metre clearance of flammable material around and above the fire is maintained and a responsible person is in attendance at all times with water or an appropriate extinguisher at hand.
• Electric welders, mechanical cutting tools, gas equipment (such as oxy equipment) and gas or electric cooking appliances, provided there is a 10 meter clearance around the appliances and equipment and you have water or an appropriate extinguisher on hand

Instances of illegal fireworks has increased over the past few years and Mid Murray Council would like to remind its ratepayers that the possession and detonation of any fireworks by anyone other than a licensed Pyrotechnician is illegal and may result in criminal proceedings against those persons found detonating fireworks.

It is important to understand that any illegal use of fireworks places an increased risk of bushfire to all within the immediate vicinity, and during the holiday and festive seasons, many CFS brigades may have reduced numbers of fire fighters to respond to these unnecessary bushfires.

In an effort to reduce the increasing risks these activities are placing upon our communities, it is requested that should you become aware of any illegal fireworks activity within your district, that you report the matter immediately to your local police.