Landowner Responsibilities
Firebreaks / Fire Access Trails
Fire awareness is a big part of living in the Top End and the better prepared you are for a bushfire the easier it will be to protect your assets. Fire prevention, firebreak construction and reduction of fuel loads are the responsibility of the landowner/occupiers. Reduce it or lose it!
As a rural landholder you must;
- establish a firebreak around your property and
- reduce the fuel load on your property
Firebreaks must be bordering all external boundaries; however they can deviate around wet or rocky areas and large trees.
Firebreaks should be a minimum of 4m wide, graded or slashed to a maximum height of 50mm, with all slashed material removed.
Firebreaks should be maintained all year round, penalties apply for non-compliance.
Contact NTFRS or Bushfires NT for more information.
Permits to burn are available to Darwin/Rural Landholders from 8am Monday 25th Novemeber 2013 - 6pm April 2014. More informatin can be found on the NT Fire and Rescue Service Website »
If you do not comply with the NT Fire and Emergency Act or Bushfires Management Act
The landholder is responsible for establishing and maintaining a firebreak. This is unless alternative arrangements have been made between the land occupier and owner, such as a tenancy agreement. More information can be found on the NT Install and maintain firebreaks.
A Fire Ban may be declared during periods of Extreme Fire Danger. During this time No Fires of any kind may be lit in the open air.
Anyone seeking a Permit to Burn must contact their local Volunteer fire Brigade.
Emergencies
The triple zero (000) service is the quickest way to get the right help from emergency services and should be used to contact Police, Fire or Ambulance services in a life threatening or time critical situations.