Emergencies can happen at any time, often with little or no warning. They can pose a threat to people, property, livestock and the environment.
Strathbogie Shire, like most regional and rural municipalities, can experience emergencies such as bushfire, flood and storms.
Being prepared for an emergency is one of the best ways to keep yourself, your family, property and animals safe. Council has prepared the following tips to assist with making sure you’re prepared.

Prepare your home:

  • Clear vegetation and leaf litter from roofs, gutters and immediate surrounds.
  • Find out how to turn off your home’s electricity, gas and water supply.
  • Review your insurance policies to make sure they’re current and adequate.

Make plans:

  • Experience shows that those who plan and prepare for emergencies can reduce the impact of the emergency, and can recover quickly afterwards. For more information about creating your own emergency plan visit the SES website
  • Involve your family and know your neighbours
  • Decide how family members will stay in touch during and after an emergency.
  • Make arrangements for pets to ensure they’ll be safe and have food and water. For more information about preparing your pet for an emergency, visit the RSPCA website.
  • Keeping in touch with your neighbours before, during and after an emergency can help everyone cope. Look out for your neighbours, especially those who may need extra help in an emergency.
  • Stay informed and get help if you need it
  • VicEmergency is the primary site for all emergency warnings and provides one source of information and advice to help people prepare for, respond to, and recover.
  • The app and website shows emergency events in real time on a Google Maps display and access planning and recovery information on fire and flood.
  • Always access more than one source of emergency warnings. For fire warnings this summer, as well as visiting VicEmergency you can check the new FireReady app, check CFA’s Facebook page and Twitter, listen to local radio or ring the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667.
Vic Emergency warnings will be issued when an emergency is likely to impact you. They provide you with information on what is happening and the best advice on what you should do.
Fire Prevention Information - Prepare your home and property now

It’s that time of year to start preparing for the fire season.

The best way to protect your home and property for this fire season is to remove fuel and vegetation now. If you live in a bushfire prone area you should have a bushfire survival plan. CFA provide advice on developing a suitable Bushfire Survival Plan.

Fire Prevention and risk management is a statutory responsibility of all municipal councils in Victoria where the municipal district or part of the municipal district is in the country area of Victoria.

Section 43 of the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 (CFA Act) states ‘it is the duty of every municipal council and public authority to take all practical steps (including burning) to prevent the occurrence of fires on and minimise the danger of the spread of fires on and from – any land vested in it or under its control or management; and any road under its care and management’.

Each municipal council must appoint a Municipal Fire Prevention Officer (MFPO) and may appoint assistant MFPOs. Fire Prevention Officers have the power to assess fire threats to life or property in their municipal district, and if necessary, issue fire prevention notices on owners or occupiers of land requiring them to take specified steps to remove or minimise that threat.

Where a person fails to carry out the work required by a fire prevention notice, councils may initiate proceedings for an offence or serve a fire prevention infringement notice. In addition, under the Local Government Act 1989, councils or persons approved by council may enter private lands and undertake the works required by the notice. Councils can then recover costs from the landowner or occupier for that work.

This preventive and preparatory work should be completed before the fire danger period is declared in that municipality.

Each year the Country Fire Authority (CFA) declares a Fire Danger Period.

This is a period of time (often up to six or seven months) during the warmest part of the year when the CFA restricts the use of fire in the community.

The declaration of the Fire Danger Period is determined by the CFA based on existing and predicted conditions that lead to increased fire risk to Strathbogie Shire.

To find out more visit Fire Ratings and Restrictions page or the CFA website.

If you need advice on managing your fire risk at your home or property

Steps to make your property fire safe:

Reporting a fire hazard

  • If you are worried about a certain property as a potential fire risk (such as long grass), please call council on 57950000 to report.

Helpful links and information:

Emergency Management