Bush Fire Brigade Contacts

Restricted and Prohibited Burning Times

Following are the Restricted and Prohibited Burning Times for the Shire of Williams:

Restricted: September 23rd to March 29th

Prohibited: November 1st to February 14th

The above times are subject to variation each bushfire season.

Bush Fires Act 1954
Local Laws relating to firebreaks

Firebreaks Local Law 2007 (as amended June 2008)

Under the powers conferred by the Bush Fires Act 1954 and all other powers enabling it, the Council of the Shire of Williams resolved on 20th June 2007 and 21st May 2008 to make the following local law and amendment:

1. Citation
This local law may be cited as the Shire of Williams Firebreaks Local Law 2007 and Firebreaks Amendment Local Law 2008.

2. Commencement
This local law will come into operation on the fourteenth day after the day on which it is published in the Government Gazette.

3. Repeal
The Shire of Williams Local Laws relating to Firebreaks published in the Government Gazette on 24 October 1997 and the Shire of Williams Firebreaks Amendment Local Laws 2001 published in the Government Gazette on 8 February 2002 are repealed.

4. Interpretation
In this local law unless the context otherwise requires 
“building protection zone” means a low fuel area immediately surrounding a habitable building and is designed to minimise the likelihood of flame contact with other buildings, and must fulfil the following conditions:
  (i) bush fire fuels must be maintained below 10 centimetres in height;
 (ii) trees and branches that may fall onto a house must be removed; and
(iii) lower branches of the remaining trees must be trimmed;
“district” means the whole local government area of the Shire of Williams;
“firebreak” means ground from which flammable material is to be removed and on which no flammable material is permitted during the firebreak period;
“firebreak period” means the period from 5th day of November to the 12th day of April in the following year within the district;
“flammable material” means dead grass and timber, boxes, cartons, paper and any combustible material or rubbish, but does not include green standing trees, growing bushes and plants in gardens or lawns;
“townsite land” means all the land within the boundaries of townsites in the district; and
“rural land” means all the land not defined as townsites within the district.

5. Provision of firebreaks
All owners or occupiers of land within the district shall have firebreaks during the firebreak period of the dimensions prescribed in this local law.

6. Rural land
(1) During the conduct of any harvesting/straw baling operations, stone raking and slashing activities, an operational independent fire fighting unit containing not less than 750 litres of water with a motorised pump and at least 15 metres of 19 millimetres diameter hose is to be provided in the same paddock or within 50 metres of that paddock.
(2) All flammable material is to be removed from around buildings and stacks in hay and straw processing plants to a width of 20 metres.

7. Townsite land
(1) Where the area of land is 2,024 square metres (or half an acre) or less, all flammable material is to be removed except living standing trees.
(2) Where the area of land exceeds 2,024 square metres (or half an acre), all flammable material likely to be conductive to an outbreak, spread or extension of fire is to be removed, and the grass is to be maintained to a height no greater than 10 centimetres.
(3) All flammable material is to be removed from around buildings, fuel dumps and liquid fuel containers to a width of 20 metres.
(4) All habitable buildings are to include a building protection zone of 20 metres in width.

8. Non compliance
Failure to comply with this local law shall be an offence and shall subject the offender to the penalties prescribed in the Bush Fires Act 1954.