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Fire Hazards

Fire prevention is a community responsibility. The Fire Rescue Victoria Act (1958) requires property owners and tenants to maintain their properties so that they do not become a fire hazard. From spring each year, Council officers inspect properties in the City of Whitehorse to ensure that long grass and any materials that may pose a fire hazard are removed.

Apart from the fire hazard, overgrown properties look unsightly and may attract snakes and vermin and detract from the amenity of the municipality.

Maintaining your Property

It is important to eliminate fire hazards before summer gets underway to reduce the risk of fires starting and spreading to neighbouring properties, especially if you are located near parks or reserves. Property owners are encouraged to implement a regular maintenance program on their property to ensure potential fire hazards are identified and removed without the need for Council intervention. Property owners are also required to maintain their properties in accordance with Council's Community Local Law ( PDF 280.06KB).

Common external fire hazards include, but are not limited to: 

  • Dry long grass (longer than 10 cm)
  • Dry branches, leaves and foliage 
  • Leaves in roof gutters
  • Firewood
  • Rubbish piles
  • Building materials 
  • Gas and chemical containers
  • Garden mulch in piles 
  • Storage of paint containers and other such materials

Council recommends maintenance of your property such as regular mowing, neatly storing building materials and piles of wood away from your house and fence line, and removing all dead foliage and undergrowth from outdoor areas.

If you engage a contractor to undertake maintenance works, Council does not accept any liability arising from those works. Council recommends that you ensure that any contractor you engage has their own public liability insurance covering both personal injury and property.

The Preparing for Emergencies page provides more information on how to prepare your property for emergencies such as fires, floods and storms.

Council Role in Reducing Fire Hazards

Every year, Council carries out inspections of properties that may present a fire hazard as part of an annual Fire Prevention Program, which continues until the end of the fire risk season. Under this program, Council officers are happy to discuss suitable maintenance programs with property owners or any fire prevention issues.

However, if a Council officer thinks a property is a fire hazard a fire prevention notice will be sent to the landowner giving them a direction to remove the fire hazard from their land. If the fire hazard is not removed within the time frame on the notice, an infringement may be issued either under the Fire Rescue Victoria Act (1958) or the Whitehorse Community Local Law 2014 ( PDF 280.06KB).

You should also be aware that if a direction notice is not complied with, the land may be compulsorily cleared with all costs being passed onto the property owner, in addition to any fines issued.

Under the Fire Rescue Victoria Act (1958) you can be fined up to 500 penalty points if you allow their property to become a fire hazard. You should also be aware that if a notice is not complied with, the land may be compulsorily cleared with all costs being passed onto the property owner, in addition to any fines issued.

Reporting a Fire Hazard to Council

If you see a potential fire hazard, record the location, date, time and other important details and report it to Council so we can investigate and resolve the situation.

You can report the hazard in four ways: