The CFA declared Monday January 23, as the start of the 2012 Fire Danger Period.  This means that when it comes to burning off at home there are some changes to what you can do. 

A permit will now be necessary to burn off no matter what size your property is and permits will only be issued for fire prevention purposes.

You can apply for a fire permit from our Municipal Fire Prevention Officer on 9433 3167. 

With the hot weather well and truly here it's important to keep an eye on the fire danger rating which can be found on the CFA website. Nillumbik Shire is in the Central region.

Check out Council's Getting Ready bulletin, sent to all residents in November 2011, which has tips and advice about preparing your property for summer. 

It’s important to think about the bushfire risk that we all face and the CFA has an online ‘FireReady’ Quiz to help you test your knowledge about fire and fire preparation.  Answer 10 simple questions and you’ll be on the road to being Fire Ready.

They also have a new CFA Smartphone App which includes; real time alerts, fire distance from user, status of fires and planned burns info.

There is also the CFA Household Bushfire Assessment tool which talks you through a process of identifying the topography of your property, your vegetation levels and other issues that will help you determine whether or not your home could be at risk.

On days when warnings of Extreme and Code Red are issued by the CFA it is recommended that if you live in a bushfire risk area that you leave and leave early. You should have already devised your Bushfire Survival Plan which can be downloaded from the CFA website.

There are six Neighbourhood Safer Places – Places of Last Resort in Nillumbik:

• Diamond Hills Reserve Oval, Plenty River Drive, Greensborough (Melways Ref 11 B)
• The Outdoor Performance Centre, Civic Drive, Greensborough (Melways Ref 11 A10)
• Diamond Creek Community Centre, Main Hurstbridge Road, Diamond Creek (Melways Ref 12 A6)
• Yarrambat Golf Course Clubrooms, Yan Yean Road, Yarrambat (Melways Ref 184 F5)
• Collendina Reserve Bounded by Killarney Ridge, Eastgate Drive and Collendina Crescent Greensborough 3088
• Car park area between Arthur Street and Dudley Street, Eltham (Melways Ref 21 K5)

Only use a Neighbourhood Safer Place - Place of Last Resort when your primary bushfire plan has failed.  Your safety or survival at one of these locations is not guaranteed.  It may be that your home or one of your neighbours' offer better protection than a Neighbourhood Safer Place - Place of Last Resort.

Travelling to a Neighbourhood Safer Place - Place of Last Resort when there is a bushfire can be extremely dangerous - there is no guarantee of safety and it will not necessarily prevent death or injury from fire or radiant heat.  Don't plan to use a Neighbourhood Safer Place - Place of Last Resort if it s more than a few minutes away.

These locations only have limited capacity.  There are no guarantees of assistance and no facilities are provided for people with special needs, including those requiring medical attention.

There will be no staff in attendance to provide assistance at a Neighbourhood Safer Place - Place of Last Resort nor will there be any amenities such as food or drink.

There is no provision for animals at a Neighbourhood Safer Place - Place of Last Resort.