Living in or near bushland comes with a responsibility to reduce fire risk.
Here is what you can do to protect your home and family.
Asset Protection Zone (APZ)
An Asset Protection Zone is the area around your home that is managed to reduce bushfire fuel. In a bushfire-prone area, you must maintain an APZ on your property.
Key steps:
- Keep grass short and remove dead vegetation
- Trim trees so lower branches are at least 2 metres above the ground
- Remove dead branches from trees near your home
- Create space between shrubs so fire cannot travel easily
Your home
- Clear gutters and roofs of leaf litter
- Install fine mesh screens over vents and under eaves
- Seal gaps in walls, under doors and around windows
- Store wood and flammable materials away from the house
Make a bushfire survival plan
A survival plan tells you what you will do before, during and after a bushfire. Plans should include:
- Your trigger to leave (do not wait for the fire to arrive)
- Where you will go and how you will get there
- How you will look after pets and animals
Visit the Tasmania Fire Service website for a planning template: fire.tas.gov.au
Contact
Phone: 03 6216 6800
Email: gccmail@gcc.tas.gov.au
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