Fire management on Council reserves

Managing fire is important in protecting lives and assets of our community while preserving and enhancing our native bushland. Many of our plant communities rely on fire to maintain habitats and healthy ecosystems.

Managing fire risk in bushland reserves

Scenic Rim Regional Council manages more than 200 bushland reserves, parks and lands in the region.

Reserves vary in fire risk due to factors such as vegetation type, fuel load, landscape location, weed management, potential ignition sources and threat to human lives and property.

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

Fire trails and fire breaks enable emergency fire fighting vehicles to access reserves for fire suppression, fuel reduction and back burning as well as providing access for reserve fire maintenance and resilience activities. In addition, targeted asset protection zones (interface areas between private property and the bush within a reserve) are managed to reduce the fire risk to nearby residents.

Council Reserve Bushfire Resilience Program

Each year Council develops and delivers a bushfire resilience program. Council uses a range of sources - including spatial decision support tools, mapping and on-ground assessment - in understanding and developing priorities. These tools provide Council with the information to develop works as part of  a Bushfire Mitigation Works Schedule.

Reducing the fuel load in bushland reserves

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

Council works with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) and local Rural Fire Brigades to reduce fuel loads within targeted reserves through an annual burn program.

Prescribed burns are designed to reduce community risk while maintaining ecological outcomes. Other tools for fuel reduction in bushland reserves include weed control, slashing, mulching and grazing.

2021 Annual prescribed burn program

Managing  fire on your land

Landholders have a responsibility to manage property to reduce fire risks. Some of the simple things you can do to protect your property include cleaning gutters and removing flammable items from around the house. Information on property fire management planning can be found by visiting the following websites:

Scenic Rim Regional Council Disaster management

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES)

Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium

Further information in bushfire safety

Bushfire alerts

Queensland Reconstruction Authority