Burning off and fireworks

Burning off cleans up excess green waste, branches and leaves and prepare your property for fire season.

You can burn off on properties of all sizes in Mitchell Shire on permitted days. It is important to understand what is permitted during a Total Fire Ban, during the extended Fire Danger Period and what Local Law restrictions are in place for your property type.

You should always make sure your burn off doesn’t affect your neighbours or create a nuisance beyond your property boundary.

The CFA declared Fire Danger Period was lifted in Mitchell Shire on 1 May, which means you can burn-off without a permit, but the following local laws must be followed.

• In residential areas, Urban Growth areas (less than 0.4ha or 1 acre) and semi-rural areas, you can burn off on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 10am and 3pm. You’ll need a permit outside of these days and times.
• In rural areas, you can burn off any day of the week.
• From 1 October each year to the start of the CFA declared Fire Danger Period, you’ll need a permit to burn a windrow, stump, log or vegetation with a diameter greater than 75mm.

All open air burning requires notification to VicFire (1800 668 511) and fires are not to be lit on days of Total Fire Ban, smog alert days or during the CFA declared Fire Danger Period.

To obtain a permit, fill out a permit form or call (03) 5734 6200.

Each year the Fire Danger Period is declared by the CFA for each shire or council at different times in the lead up to the fire season. It depends on the amount of rain, grassland curing rate and other local conditions. The Fire Danger Period will remain in place until the fire danger is reduced.

People living in country Victoria and the outer metropolitan suburbs of Melbourne are affected by these restrictions

You can check the CFA website for the latest update on the current Fire Danger Period status for Mitchell Shire and subsequent restrictions.

Please be aware, you can only burn off during this time if you have a permit from the CFA.
Council will not issue burning off permits during the fire danger period.

Find out more about what you can and can't do during the Fire Danger Period.

Burning in the open-air, for the purposes of fuel reduction, is permitted from the end of the declared CFA Fire Danger Period to 1 October each year.

In most cases you can burn-off without a permit, but there are some local laws that need to be followed.

• In residential areas, Urban Growth areas (less than 0.4ha or 1 acre) and semi-rural areas, you can burn off on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 10am and 3pm.
  You’ll need a permit outside of these days and times.
• In rural areas, you can burn off any day of the week.
• From 1 October each year to the start of the CFA declared Fire Danger Period, you’ll need a permit to burn a windrow, stump, log or vegetation with a diameter greater than 75mm

Fires in Residential Areas

If you live in a residential area, urban growth area that is less than 0.4 hectare (1 acre) or a semi-rural area, you can burn off on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 10am and 3pm. To burn off outside these times, you’ll need a permit.

If you are caught burning off outside these times you might get a fine of $200.

Burning off in Rural Areas

If you live in a rural area you can burn off on any day of the week.

The days you can burn off depends on the zoning of your property.

There are four different property types:

• residential
• semi-rural
• urban growth area (on land less than 0.4 hectares, or approximately 1 acre)
• rural

If you're not sure how your property is classified, go the township maps on pages 30-36 of our Local Law No. 1 Community and Environment below.

To apply for permission to burn off:

• complete the 2018 Burning off permit application form (download below)
• return the document in person at any of our Customer and Library Service Centres; or
• return the document to Mitchell Shire Council

We need to receive your application 10 days prior to your proposed day of burning.

When burning off is prohibited, lighting a fire will result in a fine.

If you are concerned about the legalities of fireworks being let off, please contact us on 03 5734 6200. One of our Local Laws Officers will manage the concern.

More Information

• green or wet materials
• non-timber building materials
• rubber or plastic, including plastic mulch, plant pots and packaging materials
• furnishings and carpet
• manufactured chemicals
• petrol or oil products
• paint
• food waste
• manure and straw
• carcasses or dead animals or birds, unless prescribed by the Department of Agriculture as the only means of disposal
• other offensive, noxious or toxic matter