How we manage bushfire risk
Bushfire mitigation activities on Council controlled land  
Fire management lines, fire breaks and fuel management zones 
Planned burns
Bushfire Safety

Fire is a natural and essential requirement for the long-term health and viability of the Australian bushland and wildlife.  Managing fire is vital for protecting our community, property, ecosystems and habitats. 

How we manage bushfire risk 

Council’s role in bushfire management includes: 

• Undertaking bushfire mitigation activities on Council controlled land 
• Coordinating disaster management to help communities prepare, respond and recover from natural disasters   
• Governing development approvals to ensure new developments meet building codes that consider fire resistant designs and materials to reduce fire risk, and locating developments outside of high bushfire hazard areas   
• Taking enforcement action to address overgrown allotments in urban areas where someone has created a potential fire hazard (for example, a resident has allowed the grass to grow too long) 
• Referring incidents of vegetation on private land believed to be a fire hazard to the Queensland Fire Department or Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ).
• Taking measures to prevent the ignition of fires when undertaking Council operations, particularly during periods of total fire bans 
• Maintenance of fire hydrants and water access points for use by fire services. 

Bushfire mitigation activities on Council controlled land  

Gladstone Regional Council has management responsibilities for over 1000 parcels of land and numerous road reserves. The bushfire mitigation activities for Council controlled land are prioritised according to the bushfire hazards of the individual parcel.    

Council undertakes the following mitigation activities to reduce fuel loads and manage the bushfire risk associated with our land: 

• Mechanical treatment (e.g. slashing, mowing, brush cutting) of vegetation along roadsides 
• Creating and maintaining fire trails, fire breaks and fuel management zones 
• Vegetation management through fuel load reduction, weed management, slashing, mulching and brushcutting  
• Planned burns. 

Gladstone Regional Council utilises the Bushfire Mitigation Framework (BMF) to identify the highest priority reserves for bushfire mitigation works. The BMF includes climate change risks and the longer and more intense bushfire seasons we are likely to experience as a result. 

In addition to ongoing bushfire mitigation activities, each year Council uses a range of sources - including spatial decision support tools, mapping and on-ground assessment - in understanding and developing priority parcels for fuel reduction burns.  

Fire management lines, fire breaks and fuel management zones 

Council has an active role in managing fire risk on Council controlled land. Management activities may include the strategic placement of fire trails, fire breaks and asset protection zones to help protect people and properties who live close to these reserves. 

Fire trails and fire breaks allow emergency services access to respond to emergencies and for fire mitigation activities.  

Fire trails are implemented to allow emergency services access to protect lives and property and are different to ‘fire breaks’ that provide a barrier between fire and properties. The design of the fire trail depends on topography and requirements for a safe separation between fire crews and vegetation. In some areas, it is not possible to provide a clear break, such as steep slopes, and in these cases alternative controls would be considered. 

Fuel reduction zones are defined as areas in which fuel levels have been reduced to control wildfire intensity. Fuel reduction zones are generally used when a reserve cannot have safely planned burn activities or when a functional fire trail is not able to be established, for example on steeply sloping land. 

Planned burns  

Fire is an important tool in reducing fuel loads within reserves. Well-planned burns will reduce fuel load, enhance the ecosystem and minimise fire impact on the community. 

Council works with the Queensland Fire Department and local Rural Fire Brigades to reduce fuel loads within Council controlled reserves, through an annual burn program. Where planned burn activities are occurring, Council notifies residents via mail, our website and social media. 

See also: Public Notices - Planned Burns

Bushfire Safety  

Bushfires are a natural part of the Australian landscape and can impact anywhere in Queensland.  Climate change has led to longer and more intense periods of extreme weather and more elevated fire weather days.  There is a greater chance of bushfires impacting communities that have not been burnt previously.    

Bushfires can move fast and pose a serious threat to life.  You don’t have to live in the bush to be threatened by bushfires as embers and smoke can be carried long distances by the wind.  Ember attack is the most common way for buildings to ignite in a bushfire.  Smoke can exacerbate asthma and other respiratory conditions, as well as irritate the eyes, nose and throat.    

Everyone should be prepared for bushfire and it is important you have a plan in place to know what you can do to protect yourself, your family and your property.  Develop a bushfire survival plan and implement a routine building and landscape maintenance program to reduce the build-up of leaf debris and fuels around the home.  Do not assume a fire crew will be available to assist at every home.  Refer to the Queensland Fire Department website for more information on how to prepare your bushfire survival plan.