The City of Rockingham uses $270,000 grant to help bushfire prone areas

The City of Rockingham has used a $270,000 grant to provide resources to help reduce the risk of bushfire prone areas.

The efforts are guided by the City’s Bushfire Risk Management Plan 2018 to 2022 and delivered to improve safety for the community by reducing the potential risk of bushfires to life and property.

The City’s program has seen 28 hectares of firebreak maintenance, nearly 130ha of slashing on City property and road verges, as well as herbicide treatment of more than 20ha of City land to help reduce bushfire risk.

To support these works, the City this year carried out bushfire risk mitigation activities across 18 different sites, utilising $270,000 in grant funding acquired through the Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ Mitigation Activity Fund.

This included the installation and upgrading of firebreaks, emergency access tracks and access gates; mechanical works to reduce fuel loads and vegetation density or increase separation distances between large vegetation areas and homes; chemical works for weed management; and the installation of fencing to protect areas from unauthorised activities that may cause a fire.

City of Rockingham mayor Deb Hamblin said the City seeks to proactively address the threats fire-prone areas have to the community.

“Vulnerabilities and areas of high-risk that could contribute to the spread of bushfire are a target in the City’s bushfire risk mitigation activities, with locations where bushland is particularly close to homes and infrastructure a core focus,” Mayor Hamblin said.

“Due to climate change, there now are more days per year with ‘very high’ or ‘extreme’ fire danger index ratings, which makes the need for these mitigation activities all the more greater. The City thanks the State Government for providing funding support to help tackle these important issues.”

Community members are also urged to ensure their property is compliant with the City’s Fire Control Notice 2021-2022 to reduce the risk of bushfire for themselves and their local community.

To view the City’s Bushfire Risk Management Plan, visit rockingham.wa.gov.au/forms-and-publications/your-services/fire-and-bush/bushfire-risk-management-plan-2018-2022.