City of Swan Fire Hazard Reduction Notice Major Review

Following the release of a guidance note from the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) the City of Swan reviewed the Fire Hazard Reduction Notice (notice). The notice is now ready to be released to the public for feedback before Council approval and gazettal ahead of the 2024/25 Fire Season.

We invite the community and stakeholders to read the information on this project page and watch the webinar presentation.

The survey for this project closed 2 August 2024.

  • Read our fact sheet!

    We have summarised the draft notice changes and the process to approval and gazettel. Read in tandem with the draft notice and previous notice before completing the survey.

    Read fact sheet 

  • View the webinar!

    View our pre-recorded video where one of our friendly Community Safety Officers walks you through the notice changes and how to determine your lot size.

    View presentation 

  • Check your lot size!

    Check out our City of Swan Intramaps page to find out your lot size and determine the size of non-vegetated areas (see our presentation for a demonstration!)

    City of Swan Intramaps 

Firefighters gathered around talking

Draft Notice Community Survey - Closed 2 August 2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback!

Draft notice definitions

Is a firebreak that is in an alternative position or alignment to the requirement specified in paragraph 2 and 3 of the draft notice.

Read draft notice here

‘Bushfire Management Plan’ or ‘Fire Management Plan’ is a plan that may be placed on the certificate of title(s) of land that has been developed as a condition of development or subdivision.

‘Emergency Access Way’ is a two-wheel drive trafficable, 6-metre-wide access route to provide local residents, general public and emergency services alternative links to road networks at the end of cul-de-sacs or areas where access is limited during an emergency incident.

‘Firebreak’ is an area of land cleared of flammable material to minimise the spread of a bushfire and to provide access for firefighting vehicles.

‘Fire Service Access Route (Strategic Firebreaks)’ is a firebreak that is 6 metres wide established to provide strategic access and links to road networks whilst providing a wider control/ containment line for emergency services use only.

‘Flammable Material’ is anything that is easily able to catch on fire including, but not limited to, grasses, leaves, branches, scrub and trees.

‘Natural Vegetation’ means natural areas of forest, woodland, shrubland, scrub, mallee, or mulga.

'Passive Fuel Reduction’ means lowering the amount of available fuel that will burn under prevailing conditions by means that will not permanently reduce or modify the structure or life cycle of plant, shrub, scrub or tree communities within an treated area.

‘Relevant building’ is classified under the Building Code as one of the following:

    1. Single dwelling such as a detached house, duplex, villa or townhouse (Class 1a);
    2. Small boarding house, guest house or hostel (class 1b);
    3. dwellings such as apartments and flats in a building containing two or more units (Class 2);
    4. accommodation for unrelated people such as hotel, motel, residential part of a school, accommodation for the aged, children or people with disabilities (Class 3);
    5. building of a public nature such as a health care building (9a), an assembly building such as a school (9b) or an aged care building (9c);
    6. private bushfire shelters associated with a single dwelling (Class 10c); or
    7. non-habitable building including sheds, carports, and private garages (Class 10a) when within six metres of a class 1a, 1b, 2, 3 or 9 building.