Bushfires are a very real and dangerous threat in our area.
It is important for us to be prepared. Go to the Rural Fire Service website www.rfs.nsw.gov.au and talk to your local RFS volunteers.
Be aware of local conditions such as access, availability of power, phone and water during a fire.
Be aware that some plants are less flammable than others and total clearing of land may not be necessary to reduce the fire threat.
There are local companies that can help you with all of this.
Building Code and Bushfire Hazard Solutions
http://www.bushfirehazardsolutions.com.au
or go to The Fire Protection Association Australia for list of accredited members.
http://www.fpaa.com.au
Bushfire guides
One of the best bushfire guides is from the CFA (Country Fire Authority) of Victoria, the equivalent of the NSW RFS and can be found and downloaded as a pdf via this link: http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/landscaping/
Among other items, it provides a link to plant selection for bushfire prone areas. There are some climatic and plant variations with the different location, but it is still mainly valid.
It should be noted that the CFA link provides Asset Protection advice and that the rules applying for NSW are different. These can be found in the RFS publication “Standards for asset protection zones”:
Brochure
Download this information as a brochure here and see our article on Bushfire Smart Native Gardens
