Bushfire Management Sub-Plan

Transcription

1 AECOM Teralba Sustainable Resource Centre D Appendix D Bushfire Management Sub-Plan 13 January 2012

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3 BUSHFIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE TERALBA SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE CENTRE ON LOTS 42, 43, 53 & 54 in DP 16062, THE WEIR ROAD, TERALBA FOR LAKE MACQUARIE CITY COUNCIL JUNE 2011 (REF. B FMP) Australian Bushfire Protection Planners Pty Limited. ACN RMB 3411 Dog Trap Road SOMERSBY 2250 NSW Phone: (02) Fax: (02)

4 BUSHFIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE TERALBA SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE CENTRE ON LOTS 42, 43, 53 & 54 in DP 16062, THE WEIR ROAD, TERALBA FOR LAKE MACQUARIE CITY COUNCIL NAME OF OWNER/S LAKE MACQUARIE CITY COUNCIL ADDRESS MAIN ROAD BOOLAROO OWNERSHIP DETAILS AUTHORIZED PERSON TITLE: CONTACT DETAILS ADDRESS:. TELEPHONE NO.. MOBILE NO. FACSIMILE NO.. ADDRESS. PROJECT DOCUMENT PREPARATION ISSUE AUTHOR DIRECTORS NO. DATE DATE B FINAL JUNE GLS GLS APPROVAL 2

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Australian Bushfire Protection Planners Pty Limited has been commissioned to prepare a Bushfire Management Plan for the Teralba Sustainable Resource Centre on Lots 42, 43, 53 & 54 in DP 16062, The Weir Road, Teralba. Australian Bushfire Protection Planners Pty Limited prepared a Bushfire Protection Assessment Report, dated June 2010, for the construction of the facility. The requirement for the preparation of the Fire Management Plan emanates from the requirement to provide defendable spaces recommended in the report and also to address Council s responsibilities under Section 63 of the NSW Rural Fires Act The aim of this Bushfire Management Plan is to address the management prescriptions for the Defendable Spaces to the buildings, in accordance with those required by the NSW Rural Fire Service, as defined by Appendix 5 of Planning for Bushfire Protection 2006 and the NSW Rural Fire Service guideline Specifications for Asset Protection Zones, and to provide a management protocol for the prevent of bushfires within and escaping from the facility. Graham Swain Managing Director Australian Bushfire Protection Planners Pty. Ltd. 3

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS... 4 SECTION INTRODUCTION Aim of this Bush Fire Management Plan Information Collation The Facility Construction Staging Site Description Existing Land Use Adjoining Land Use Topography Vegetation Communities on the land within the Development Site Vegetation Communities adjoining the land within the Site Known Threatened Species, Populations, Endangered Ecological Communities or Critical Habitat on the land within the Development Site SECTION BUSHFIRE PROTECTION MEASURES Introduction Strategy 1 Provision of Defendable Space to the Office Building and Storage Sheds: Strategy 2 Landscape Management: Strategy 3 Construction Standards to the Office Building and Storage Sheds: Strategy 4 Water Supplies for Fire-fighting Operations: Strategy 5 Emergency & Evacuation Planning: SECTION MANAGEMENT PRECRIPTIONS Introduction Responsibility for funding and regular maintenance of the bushfire protection measures Bushfire Management Works Defendable Space to the perimeter of the site and Asset Protection Zones to the buildings Management Protocols Defendable Space/Asset Protection Zones Maintenance Schedule of the Asset Protection Zones / Defendable Spaces Management strategies to be employed to minimise the chance of a fire starting within the materials stored on site or ignition of these materials from burning embers from fires off the site Management strategies to be employed to minimise the chance of a fire starting from activities within the facility Management strategies employed to maintain vegetation within the south-western and south-eastern corners of the site

7 3.6.1 Weed Management Activities Monitoring Monitoring of Works within the Asset Protection Zone/Defendable Space: Monitoring of Weed Management Works: Reporting Management of Asset Protection Zone: Management of Weeds: Enforcement SECTION 4 Plan of Asset Protection Zones/Defendable Spaces SECTION DEFINITIONS SECTION REFERENCES

8 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION Australian Bushfire Protection Planners Pty Limited has been commissioned to prepare a Bushfire Management Plan for the Teralba Sustainable Resource Centre on Lots 42, 43, 53 & 54 in DP 16062, The Weir Road, Teralba. The FMP is to form part of the Construction Environmental Management Plan [CEMP] and later the Operations Environmental Management Plan [OEMP]. 1.1 Aim of this Bush Fire Management Plan. The aim of this Bushfire Management Plan is to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) Address the management requirements to prevent bushfires occurring within and spreading from the site [in order to address the provisions of Section 63 of the Rural Fires Act 1997]; Provide a mechanism to reduce the risk of bushfire damage to life, property and the environment on the site through the use of appropriate bushfire risk management strategies; Address the management requirements to maintain the Asset Protection Zones [Defendable Spaces] to the buildings and storage areas; Address hazard reduction measures; Provide management programs and performance measures; Provide advice on monitoring, and auditing processes; Provide advice on hazard reduction certificate process. 1.2 Information Collation. To achieve the aims of this Bushfire Management Plan, a review of the information relevant to the development has been undertaken. Information sources reviewed include the following: Bushfire Protection Assessment Report for the Teralba Sustainable Resource Centre on Lots 42, 43, 53 & 54 in DP 16062, The Weir Road, Teralba, prepared by Australian Bushfire Protection Planers Pty Limited dated ; Planning for Bushfire Protection 2006 prepared by the NSW Rural Fire Service; 6

9 Aerial Photograph of the Development Site and adjoining land; Environmental Assessment Code NSW Rural Fire Service. 1.3 The Facility. The proposed development includes the construction of an Office Building; two Storage Sheds; a Weigh Bridge; Concrete Batching Plant; Water Storage Ponds, material stockpiles and Product Bins. Earthworks will include the construction of a bund wall around the entire operational site with a perimeter fire access track located on the bund wall, connecting to the existing fire trail within the unmade Road Reserve to the east and north of the site refer to Figure 1 Plan of proposed Sustainable Resource Centre. 1.4 Construction Staging. The anticipated staging of the Facility s construction, including the main tasks to be undertaken in each stage, is summarised below: Stage 1 (in the order of 3 years) - Filling the site to design levels; - Completing site remediation including installing the capping layer; - Installing water treatment ponds; - Landscaping; - Fencing; - Installation of weighbridge (as soon as sufficient fill has been placed in the Weighbridge area); - Installation of at least one of the storage sheds (so construction vehicles can be securely stored); - Installation of power, water and telecommunications supply to site; - Installation of product bins; - Construction of site access. Stage 2 (to be completed shortly after Stage 1) - Installation of remaining buildings including additional storage shed and office building; - Connection of services to buildings. Stage 3 (greater than 5 years) - Potentially importing pug mill and concrete batch plant to the site. 7

10 Figure 1 Plan of Proposed Sustainable Resource Centre. 8

11 1.5 Site Description. The land within the development site consists of Lots 42, 43, 53 & 54 in DP 16062, The Weir Road, Teralba. The development site consists of vacant land located on the northern of side of The Weir Road. Figure 2 Location of the Development Site. Source Google Maps 1.6 Existing Land Use. The development site is vacant land which was previously used as a Night Soil Depot. 1.7 Adjoining Land Use. Vacant land adjoins all aspects of the development site. The Weir Road adjoins the southern boundary of the site and an unmade road reserve extends along the eastern boundary and unmade Griffen Road extends along the northern boundary. 9

12 Figure 3 Aerial Photograph of Development Site and adjoining lands. Source SIX Viewer 10

13 Figure 4 Cadastral Plan. Source Six Viewer 1.8 Topography. The land within development site is level, having been previously filled with a catch drain around the perimeter of the filled area. The land adjoining all aspects of the development site is level. 11

14 Figure 5 Topographic Map of Development Site and adjoining lands. Source SIX Viewer 1.9 Vegetation Communities on the land within the Development Site. The vegetation on the development site consists of grazed grassland across the filled area with a triangular area of Swamp Mahogany / Paperbark / Woollybutt Swamp Forest located in the south-western and south-eastern corner of the site Vegetation Communities adjoining the land within the Development Site. Ecotone Ecological Consultants Pty Ltd undertook an Ecological Study as part of the preparation of the Local Environmental Study [LES] for the rezoning of the site and adjoining land owned by Lake Macquarie City Council. The study found that the vegetation to the north and east of the development site consists of Ball Honeymyrtle Swamp Forest. The study did not identify the vegetation on the land to the west of the site [Lot 41 & 55 in DP 16062] however this vegetation consists of Ball Honeymyrtle Swamp Forest and Swamp Mahogany/Paperbark/Woollybutt Swamp Forest. 12

15 Figure 6 Plan of Vegetation Communities. Source Ecotone Ecological Consultants Pty Ltd LEGEND: 13

16 1.11 Known Threatened Species, Populations, Endangered Ecological Communities or Critical Habitat on the land within the Development Site. The Swamp Mahogany/Paperbark/Woollybutt Swamp Forest community in the south-western and south-eastern corners of the site qualifies as the Endangered Ecological Community Swamp Sclerophyll Forest on Coastal Floodplains. This vegetation will be retained and protected by the construction of a perimeter fence and the perimeter bunding of the facilities on the site. 14

17 SECTION 2 BUSHFIRE PROTECTION MEASURES 2.1 Introduction. Australian Bushfire Protection Planners Pty Limited prepared a Bushfire Protection Assessment Report in June 2010 for the proposed Waste Resource Facility. This report recommended that the following bushfire protection strategies be implemented: Strategy 1 Provision of Defendable Space to the Office Building and Storage Sheds: A minimum 20 metre wide Defendable Space [building setback] shall be provided between the bushfire hazard and the building. The defendable space shall be maintained as an Inner Protection Area in accordance with the specifications of Appendix A2.5 of Planning for Bushfire Protection Strategy 2 Landscape Management: Management of the defendable spaces/landscaped areas within the development site shall comply with the following: Maintain a clear area of low cut lawn or pavement [clear ground] adjacent to the building; Keep areas under shrubs and trees raked and clear of combustible fuels; Utilise non-flammable materials such as Scoria, pebbles and recycled crushed bricks as ground cover to landscaped gardens in close proximity to building; Trees and shrubs should be maintained in such a manner that tree canopies are separated by 2 metres and understorey vegetation is not continuous [retained as clumps]. Strategy 3 Construction Standards to the Office Building and Storage Sheds: The Office Building and Storage Sheds shall be constructed to comply with BAL 12.5 specifications as defined by A.S Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas except for those elevations which are exposed to the bushfire hazard. These elevations shall be constructed to comply with BAL 29 specifications as defined by A.S Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas. 15

18 The following additional construction standards shall be implemented to the Office Building and Storage Sheds: The Roof gutters shall be fitted with a non-combustible leaf/gutter guard; Access doors [PA and Vehicle] to the Storage Sheds shall be fitted with weather seals that seal the bottom, stiles and head of the door against the opening/frame to prevent the entry of embers into the building. Particular attention shall be paid to the gap at the head of the roller door curtain; Any external vents or grilles shall have stainless steel mesh with a maximum aperture of 2mm square fitted to prevent the entry of embers through the opening; Ventilation louvres shall be screened with stainless steel flymesh with a maximum aperture of 2mm; Roof ventilators shall be fitted with stainless steel flymesh to prevent the entry of embers into the building. External doors to the southern elevation of the Office Building shall be protected against the entry of embers threshold, stile and head seals shall be fitted to doors; Strategy 4 Water Supplies for Fire-fighting Operations: The water storage tanks shall feed a pump which supplies fire hose reels fitted to the exterior of the Office Building and Storage Sheds. The number of hose reels shall be determined so that all points of the exterior of the buildings are covered by a 30 metre hose line length and the water stream from the end of the hose. Strategy 5 Emergency & Evacuation Planning: Lake Macquarie City Council shall undertake a risk assessment which identifies the external and internal threats to the facility. From this risk assessment there shall be prepared an Operations/Emergency Procedures Manual which identifies operational/emergency procedures required in order to address the management of the identified risk. An Evacuation Plan shall also be prepared for the Facility. The Evacuation Plan shall address the protocols for the timely relocation of staff/visitors in the event that an emergency occurs, both within the site or within the local area. 16

19 A copy of the Evacuation Plan shall be provided to the Local Emergency Management Committee/Police, NSW Fire Brigade and NSW Rural Fire Service. The Evacuation Plan shall comply with AS Emergency Control Organisation and Procedures for Buildings, Structures and Workplaces. The requirements of Strategy 1 & 2 are relevant to this Fire Management Plan. 17

20 SECTION 3 MANAGEMENT PRECRIPTIONS 3.1 Introduction. This section of the Fire Management Plan examines the following: i) Responsibility for funding and regular maintenance of the Asset Protection Zone [Defendable Space] to an Inner Protection Area standard; ii) Management requirements to maintain the Asset Protection Zones [Defendable Spaces] to the buildings and storage areas; iii) Provide a schedule of maintenance of the Asset Protection Zones [Defendable Spaces]; iv) Establish the management strategies to be employed to maintain vegetation within the south-eastern and south-western portions of the site; v) Identify goals and strategies for the management of weeds within the Asset Protection Zone [Defendable Space]; vi) vii) Provide advice on monitoring, and auditing processes; Provide advice on hazard reduction certificate process. These matters are examined in the following sections of this Plan. 3.2 Responsibility for funding and regular maintenance of the bushfire protection measures. Section 63(2) of the Rural Fires Act 1997 states that it is the duty of the owner or occupier of land to take the notified steps (if any) and any other practicable steps to prevent the occurrence of fires on, and to minimise the danger of the spread of fires on or from that land. In this section; notified steps means: (a) any steps that a bush fire risk management plan (or the Coordinating Committee) advises a person to take; (b) that are included in a bush fire risk management plan applying to the land. 18

21 The responsibility for and the funding of the maintenance of the site, including the management of the Asset Protection Zones/Defendable Spaces, landscaped gardens, combustible stored materials and the retained vegetation remains the responsibility of Lake Macquarie City Council, undertaken in strict compliance with the prescriptions of this Management Plan or in accordance with any notice issued by the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service, under the provisions of Section 66 of the Rural Fires Act Bushfire Management Works Defendable Space to the perimeter of the site and Asset Protection Zones to the buildings. Stage 1 of the construction programme will be undertaken over a period of approximately three years and results in the construction of site access, filling the site to design levels, installation of water treatment ponds; landscaping; construction of at least one storage shed and weigh bridge and installation of produce bins. During the period in which the site is being filled to design levels there will be a requirement to prevent fires from escaping from the site. Therefore, as the work progresses there shall be provided a temporary fire break to the perimeter of the site works, to the limit as defined by the filled area. This temporary fire break shall be slashed to a width of ten metres, at least three times over the period of late spring and summer or as required in order to maintain minimal vegetation which may ignite. The completed filling will result in the construction of earth embankments to the perimeter of the operational site, with these walls being landscaped and, combined with perimeter fire trail along the western and south-eastern edges, forming the managed Defendable Space to the perimeter of the facility, to the widths as shown on the General Arrangement Plan provided as Figure 7 below. Management of the perimeter Defendable Space and the Asset Protection Zones to the assets [buildings and stored materials] shall comply with the recommendations for an Inner Protection Area as defined by this document. 19

22 Figure 7 General Arrangement Plan showing extent of Defendable Space requirements. 20

23 3.3.1 Management Protocols Defendable Space/Asset Protection Zones. The following measures shall be implemented in the creation and maintenance of the Defendable Space/Asset Protection Zones: Ground Fuels such as fallen leaves, twigs [less than 6mm] and bark shall be removed by hand or with tools such as rakes, hoes and shovels no mechanical equipment shall be used, other than hand held whipper-snipers for maintaining understorey vegetation and Chain Saws for trimming trees. The objective of ground fuel removal is to minimise fine fuel at ground level which could be set alight by a bushfire and therefore provide a fire path to the assets. The management works shall be undertaken so that a layer of material is retained to prevent exposure of the mineral earth [soil] to prevent erosion. The rule of thumb management criteria is that the maximum dry fuel weight of ground fuels should not exceed 3 tonnes/hectare which normally equates to mown grass or a litter bed depth not exceeding 10 15mm, measured from mineral earth. Management of trees, shrubs and understorey vegetation involves the selective fuel reduction [removal], thinning/pruning and the retention of vegetation. Trees should be maintained by pruning/thinning so that there is not a continuous canopy from the bushfire hazard to the assets with canopy separation maintained at no less than 2.0 metres tree-totree and five metres from any structure. Native trees and shrubs should be retained as clumps and should maintain a covering of no more than 20% of the area of the Defendable Space. Native grasses shall be trimmed to a maximum height of 100mm above ground level. Trees should be pruned so that a 2.0 metre clearance above the ground is provided to the lowest branches. Landscaped gardens that form the vegetated curtilage to the buildings on the site shall be maintained so that vegetation does not provide a continuous path to the building [planted in clumps], is maintained clear of the building or where this does not occur, gardens shall contain lowflammability plants and non flammable ground cover such as Scoria, pebbles and recycled crushed bricks. 21

24 Property Maintenance shall remove combustible materials from under fences and gates; utilise non-combustible fencing; trees and shrubs are not species that retain dead material; landscape species selection shall be drawn from those that are considered to be species which are fire retardant and avoid the use of flammable mulch in garden beds that adjoin the buildings Maintenance Schedule of the Asset Protection Zones / Defendable Spaces Table 1 provides a guide to the timing of the works required to maintain the Asset Protection Zones/Defendable Spaces. Table 1: Timing of Works within Asset Protection Zones/Defendable Spaces. Management Area Defendable Space to perimeter of site; Asset Protection Zone [managed to Inner Protection Area standards] to buildings and other assets; Access for management & fire-fighting operations Landscaped Gardens to buildings Defendable Space to perimeter of works site Asset Protection Zone Management Prescription Minimise the accumulation of combustible fuels and accumulated ground litter. Maintain separation of trees & plants Minimize Fine Fuels Provide 2m canopy separation between trees & maintain limbs 2m clear of ground & shrubs; minimise ground fuels and provide separation in understorey vegetation [shrubs] Method Manual removal of combustible fuels; pruning of trees & shrubs Mowing of grasses, where applicable; slashing vegetation; Hand clearing and removal of excess accumulated ground litter Pruning of tree crowns /thinning of trees and understorey shrubs; slash grasses; remove excess ground fuel litter Timing Intervals not to exceed monthly in Spring and Summer Annual inspection in August with works undertaken prior to 1 st October and follow up works not to exceed bimonthly in Spring and Summer Annual inspection in August with works undertaken prior to 1 st October and follow up works not to exceed monthly in Spring and Summer Access for management of APZ & fire fighting Maintain surface suitable for Category 1 RFS Appliance Clear vegetation/weeds; repair surface, attend to erosion Annual Inspection in August with works undertaken prior to 30 th September 22

25 3.4 Management strategies to be employed to minimise the chance of a fire starting within the materials stored on site or ignition of these materials from burning embers from fires off the site. The stock-piled materials stored on-site may have the potential to ignite due to spontaneous combustion. Such materials shall be monitored, particularly during periods of hot, dry weather conditions where strong winds are experienced from the north-west and west [predominantly August February]. Should spontaneous combustion occur during periods where there is a chance of transfer of fire into the surrounding vegetation the piles shall be pulled apart and wet down to extinguish the burning material. Some stock-piled materials [e.g. green waste stockpile] stored on-site are likely to contain materials which will be susceptible to ignition from burning embers given off by fires which occur in the surrounding vegetation. During periods where ember attack on the facility is likely to occur [Catastrophic & Extreme fire risk days where fires in the local area may spread rapidly towards the facility] action is to be implemented to observe and wet down any ignitions in the combustible stock-pile/s. Should this action not be possible, assistance from the Emergency Service should be sought. 3.5 Management strategies to be employed to minimise the chance of a fire starting from activities within the facility. Some operations may have the potential to cause ignition of the materials on site. Monitoring of operations shall be implemented, particularly during periods of high to catastrophic fire danger, in order to minimise the creation of sparks or hot material [e.g. crushing or hot work]. These operations shall cease if there is a risk of ignition of surrounding materials/vegetation. 3.6 Management strategies employed to maintain vegetation within the south-western and south-eastern corners of the site. The aim of this section is to provide a vegetation management strategy for the long-term maintenance of the retained bushland within the south-western and south-eastern corners of the site. This vegetation has been described as Swamp Mahogany/Paperbark/Woollybutt Swamp Forest community and qualifies as the Endangered Ecological Community Swamp Sclerophyll Forest on Coastal Floodplains. 23

26 This vegetation will be retained and protected by the construction of a perimeter fence and the perimeter bunding of the facilities on the site. However, it forms part of the site and the management of the vegetation is therefore the responsibility of Lake Macquarie City Council under Section 63 of the Rural Fires Act The NSW Rural Fire Service s Environmental Assessment Code 2006 advises that for this vegetation no fire, slashing, trittering or tree removal is permitted. The management strategy should therefore relate to the management of weeds and the exclusion of fire from the vegetation community to the extent there where possible, wildfire ignitions shall be extinguished in order to prevent the fire from spreading onto adjoining lands Weed Management Activities Primary Weeding: A reconnaissance shall be conducted for species of weeds in the Swamp Mahogany/Paperbark/Woollybutt Swamp Forest community. Then, based upon the full, known array of weeds present, the following measures shall be taken: A sweep of the community targeting woody and noxious weeds; and Removal of groundcover weeds. Primary weeding may involve techniques such as: Selective hand removal of weeds; and wicker wiping of tall herbaceous weeds in situations where damage to proximate, low growing native plants can be avoided; Cutting/scraping and painting deep rooted woody weeds and climbers with hand tools, chainsaws and brush-cutters, and painting cut stumps with herbicides; The selective spraying of weeds, with selective and non selective herbicides; and Target drilling and injecting certain large tree weeds. Contractors employed to undertake the weed removal shall have regard to the following, to minimise impacts upon existing vegetation and habitats: The main principles of the Bradley Method of bush regeneration, i.e. not over-clearing (remove only targeted species), employment of minimal disturbance techniques to avoid soil and surrounding vegetation disturbance, and replacement of disturbed leaf-litter; 24

27 Removal of fruiting/seeding parts of weeds carefully, to minimise spread of plant propagules; Use of chemicals and sprays only during suitable weather conditions (i.e. not during wet or windy conditions), and only during appropriate seasons; Proximity to watercourses; and Presence of native fauna or nesting/breeding sites. Secondary Weeding: Secondary weeding shall be undertaken in areas that have received past primary weeding treatments. Secondary weeding shall involve the selective removal or treatment of weeds, whilst allowing regenerating or planted native plants to increase in size, abundance and percentage cover. All weeds shall be targeted during the follow-up weeding phase. The follow-up weeding is to be undertaken at least every 2-4 months for the first 12 months until weeds are at negligible levels. Maintenance: Maintenance weed management shall be carried out in the Swamp Mahogany/Paperbark/Woollybutt Swamp Forest community. Maintenance operations and maintenance should be carried out every 6 months, following the first 12 months. Weed control activities shall aim to keep weeds to less than 5% of the total vegetative cover. 3.7 Monitoring The objectives of monitoring are to measure the effectiveness of the management strategies of this Bushfire Management Plan and shall be undertaken by Lake Macquarie Council s delegated officer Monitoring of Works within the Asset Protection Zone/Defendable Space: An inspection of the management of the Asset Protection Zone/Defendable Space shall be undertaken by a suitably qualified and experienced Bushfire Consultant on or before the 31 th August so as to ensure compliance with the prescriptions of the Bushfire Management Plan and permit works to be undertaken by the 30 th September each year Monitoring of Weed Management Works: A qualified bush regeneration contractor or ecologist shall carry out a program of inspections of work required and shall be responsible for ensuring the vegetation management strategies are implemented satisfactorily. 25

28 The monitoring program shall be undertaken prior to the commencement of site preparation works and will continue until completion of the construction period. General observations of the nature and condition of the Swamp Mahogany/Paperbark/Woollybutt Swamp Forest community shall be taken during the inspections and recommendations for corrective measures and/or vegetation management shall be made to Lake Macquarie City Council s delegated officer. 3.8 Reporting Management of Asset Protection Zone: A certification, from a suitably qualified and experienced Bushfire Consultant, shall be provided to Lake Macquarie City Council s delegated officer on 30 September each year, certifying that the Asset Protection Zone/Defendable Space has been maintained in accordance with the provisions of the Bushfire Management Plan Management of Weeds: A brief and concise report should be submitted every year for the duration of the weed maintenance period. Accordingly, a total of 5 annual progress reports shall be prepared by the contractor and forwarded to Lake Macquarie City Council, via the delegated officer. The report will: State the findings of the monitoring activities including notable occurrences of weeds; Discuss any problems encountered implementing the vegetation management strategy; and Recommend any adaptations or additions to the vegetation management strategy. 3.9 Enforcement. Lake Macquarie City Council has an ongoing liability to ensure the management of the facility to prevent the build up of combustible fuel and to maintain the bushfire protection measures as required by this plan, the Development Consent issued by the Department of Planning and as required by the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service [under the provisions of Section 63 of the Rural Fires Act 1997]. 26

29 SECTION 4 Plan of Asset Protection Zones/Defendable Spaces 27

30 SECTION 5 DEFINITIONS The definitions of certain words/phrases used in this document are list below: Aerial Fuels The standing & supporting combustibles not in direct contact with the ground and consisting mainly of foliage, twigs, branches, stems. Bark and creepers; Assets at Risk The natural resources or improvements that may be impacted if a fire occurs; Asset Protection Zones [APZ] These are zones adjacent to built assets [such as homes and other structures]. Fuels are intensively managed in these areas to provide a buffer of very low combustible fuel levels between an asset and the bushfire hazard. In many cases an APZ will be created and maintained using mechanical methods or in some cases, for example where terrain is very steep or rough, fire may be used to reduce combustible fuels; Backburning A fire started intentionally along the inner edge of a fire-line to consume the fuel in the path of a wildfire; Burning Program All prescribed burns scheduled for a designated area over a nominated period of time; Edge Burning A term used to describe perimeter burning of an area in mild conditions prior to large scale prescribed burning; Fine Fuels Grass, leaves, bark and twigs less than 6mm in diameter; Fire Behaviour The manner in which a fire reacts to the variables of fuel, weather and topography. Changes in any of these will result in a change in the fires behaviour; Fire Break Any natural or constructed discontinuity in a fuel bed used to separate, stop and control the spread of a wildfire or to provide a line from which a back burn can be implemented; Fire Intensity The rate of energy released per unit length of fire front, expressed in kwm2; Fire Management All activities associated with the management of bushfire prone land, including the use of fire to address land management responsibilities under Section 63 of the NSW Rural Fires Act; Fire Regime The history of fire in a particular vegetation type or area including the frequency, intensity and season of burning; 28

31 Fire Season The period of the year during which fires are likely to occur, spread and do sufficient damage to warrant organised fire control. The designated Fire Season in NSW is from the 1 st October to the 31 th March; however this can be adjusted in accordance with the level of Fire Danger Index [FDI]; Fuel Any combustible material such as grass, bark, leaf litter and living vegetation which can be ignited and sustains a fire [Measured in tonnes/hectare of dry weight of fuel; Fuel Management Modification of fuels by prescribed burning, manual removal, slashing, grazing or other means to reduce the fuels available to fire events [Also referred to as Hazard Reduction]; Fuel Type An identifiable association of fuel elements of distinctive species, form, size, arrangement that will cause predictable rate of spread or difficulty of control under specified weather conditions; Land Management Zones [LMZ] Land management zones are large land areas that have been mapped for prescribed burning; Prescribed Burning The controlled application of fire under specified environmental and weather conditions to a predetermined area and at the time, intensity and rate of spread required to attain planned resource management objectives; Strategic Fire Advantage Zones [SFAZ] These are bushfire hazard reduced areas where combustible fuels are managed to slow a bushfire and reduce intensity and are often located adjacent to an APZ to enhance the effectiveness of the APZ. SFAZs can be established in strategic locations, such as adjacent to fire trails in high ignition areas or fire-paths to enhance fire control options and to provide opportunities to contain fires before they threaten communities or assets. Generally fuel loads in these areas are reduced using prescribed burning techniques; Wildfire [Unplanned fire] An unplanned fire including grass, forest fires and scrub fires. 29

32 SECTION 6 REFERENCES Bradstock, R.A. et al (1995) Conserving Biodiversity: Threats and Solutions. Surrey, Beatty and sons Pty Ltd. Sydney. Benson, D. & Howell, J. (1990) Taken for Granted: the bushland of Sydney and its suburbs. Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (2003a) NPWS Fire Management Strategy. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hurstville. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2001) Fire Management Manual. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney. 320p. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (Undated) Fire Interval Guidelines for Broad Vegetation Types. A Biodiversity Strategy funded project, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hurstville. Planning NSW (2006) Planning for Bushfire Protection: A guide for Councils, Planners, Fire Authorities, Developers and Home Owners. NSW Rural Fire Service. Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 Walker, J. (1984) Fuel Dynamics in Australian Vegetation In: Fire and the Australian Biota. Gill, A.M., Groves, R. and Noble, I.R. (eds) Australian Academy of Science, Canberra. Whelan, R.J. (1995) The Ecology of Fire. Cambridge University Press. 30