Bushfire and emergency services

Burning times

Burning is PROHIBITED throughout the Shire of Ravensthorpe on the following Public Holidays:

Labor Day: Monday 4 March 2024
Easter: Friday 29 March - Monday 1 April 2024
Anzac Day: Thursday 25 April 2024

King's Birthday: Monday 23 September 2024

Burning is PROHIBITED on Sundays (Except between 1st March - 19th September every year).

The Shire of Ravensthorpe has gazetted the following dates as Restricted Burnings Times (RBT) and Prohibited Burning Times (PBT):

1st November - 31st January

(Every Year)

Prohibited Burning Period

(No Burning Allowed)

1st February - 3th June

(Every Year)

Restricted Burning Period

(Fire Permits Required)

1st July - 31st October

(Every Year)

Restricted Burning Period

(Fire Permits Required)

NOTE: These dates are subject to variation by agreement from time to time according to seasonal conditions, but any alterations will be advertised through the Shire's website, social media, notice board and SMS service.

A fire permit must be obtained as per Section 18 of the Bush Fires Act 1954 from a Fire Control Officer to legally be allowed to burn during the Restricted Burning Period.

Fire Control Officer contact details can be found here and on the back page of the Fire Control and Firebreak Notice.

Fire control and firebreak notice

The Shire of Ravensthorpe Fire Control and Firebreak Notice is sent out to ratepayers with the annual rates notice.

Firebreaks must be in place on 31 October 2023 and then maintained as per the 2023/2024 Fire control & firebreak notice until 30 April 2024.

Important dates

1 September 2023	Applications for individual Bushfire Management Plan - *Last Day!*
1 October 2023	Applications for Variation to the Fire Control Notice - *Last Day!*
30 October 2023	*Last Day!* for your property to be compliant to this notice
4—8 November 2023	FIREBREAK INSPECTION Dates for when properties will undergo their inspection for compliance to this Notice
31 October 2023 - 30 April 2024	FIREBREAK COMPLIANCE PERIOD Properties must be maintained to the requirements of this Firebreak Notice.

How do I apply for a Variation to the Fire Control and Firebreak Notice?

There are a few options available to you;

Contact the Shire of Ravensthorpe during office hours for a form to be emailed or posted out to you.
Forms can be picked up from either the Ravensthorpe or Hopetoun Shire Office locations.
Variation forms are available to be downloaded here.

Please note forms MUST be completed and returned to the Shire Officer by October 1 each year.

You will be notified either by phone or in writing with the outcome of your Variation request;

If successful, your variation approval period can last up to 5 years, depending upon the results of the officer inspection.

If unsuccessful, you will need to comply with the requirements mention within the Fire Control and Firebreak Notice by the due date.

Frequently asked Questions

A list of frequently asked questions about the Fire Control and Firebreak Notice can be found here.

Fire danger rating for today:

Fitzgerald - Coast

Moderate

Fitzgerald - Inland

Moderate

Harvest & Vehicle Movement Bans

The Shire of Ravensthorpe is responsible for imposing a Harvest & Vehicle Movement Ban during the hottest parts of the day based on the advice of the Fire Control Officers.

A Harvest & Vehicle Movement Ban prohibits the use of engines, vehicles, plant or machinery to avoid the start, or spread of a bush fire.

The Shire is divided into zones to help impose bans within the required parts of the Shire, please click on the map to see which zone your property is located.

Harvest Zone Area Map

This season Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans will be broadcast on ABC radio during the Country Hour just after 12:35pm on weekdays and at 12:35PM on weekends.

Registered sites

If farmers or land owners would like to continue to load or offload grain or fertiliser and use un-gazetted laneways during a Harvest & Vehicle Movement Ban (Regulation 38A and 38B Bush Fires Regulations 1954), they MUST have their site registered and approved by the Shire of Ravensthorpe prior to each harvest..

Farmers or landowners are required to fill out the form below and have the site inspected by the nearest Fire Control Officer prior to submitting the form to the Shire of Ravensthorpe.

Loading/Offloading Site Registration Form

When a Harvest & Vehicle Movement Ban is declared a SMS alert is sent out to registered users and a message is posted to the Shire website and on social media.

To register to the Shire of Ravensthorpe SMS text messaging service for Harvest & Vehicle Movement Ban notifications, please complete this SMS Registration Form.

Interested in becoming a volunteer?

The Shire of Ravensthorpe is lucky to have a strong group of dedicated residents who serve their community by volunteering in times of emergency.

Our local emergency service groups are always in need of more members and they often provide full training.

As an emergency service volunteer you’ll not only find it very rewarding to be helping out your community in a time of need, but you’ll also learn new and valuable skills.

A key part of volunteering for many of the volunteers in the Shire of Ravensthorpe is the social aspect. Deep friendships are forged over many hours of training, helping out and responding to emergencies.

Can you help make a difference?

If you think you can help please click on the emergency service logos below and learn more about what they do in the community and see which group best suits you!