App 6 - Bushfire Report

                                                 [14]

        Mango Tree Cottage will be maintained (see recommendations below), a slow-
        moving ground fire will have no opportunity to involve that structure.
   6.   Additionally, this fire is likely to self-extinguish once it meets the moist gully immediately
        below the Mango Tree Cottage.
   7.   Similarly, a grass fire burning toward the land from the west will also move rapidly up
        the spur before encountering the top of the spur before reducing in its rate of spread
        and therefore intensity. It will encounter the internal tracks, and this will be sufficient to
        stop any slow-moving ground fire.
   8.   With respect to a fire burning toward the land from the south, we note the land slopes
        up toward the south and is currently also grazed properties. This fire, therefore, would
        be a relatively slow-moving grass fire which would meet Pinbarren Creek and due to
        its rate of spread and intensity is highly likely to self-extinguish before it crosses the creek
        and Upper Pinbarren Creek Road.
   9.   With regard to ember attack, embers will potentially be generated by the grass fire,
        however, these embers will be such that their potential to ignite the regenerating
        rainforest and cabinet wood plantation is very low. Therefore, we believe a ember
        attack on the property should be seen as a low-risk event.

Bushfire Management Plan
While in a planning context the site and surrounding area presents a low bushfire hazard and
as such the proposed MCU application does not require a response to the Bushfire Overlay
Code.
However, as the property is within a rural landscape and vegetation fires, albeit grass fires, will
occur from time to time, the implementation of a property based Fire Management Plan is
essential to ensure a number of actions and strategies are established to protect life, property
and the land ecological values should a fire threaten the land.
We note the current landholder has a plan which they have been using which identifies the
location of dams and other water storage tanks as well as internal tracks. This will be useful as
a bushfire management and mitigation location plan. See Figure 7
Track and firebreaks
   i.   All internal vehicle tracks and firebreaks are to be assessed in August of each year to
        ensure they are trafficable by Rural fire appliances.
   ii. Any grass growth over any track or firebreak is to be removed as are any fallen
        branches or fine fuels. Fine fuels are vegetative material less than 6 mm in diameter.
   iii. All gates, where security is not an issue, are to be left un-locked during the months of
        September to May.
   iv. Access onto the unformed Turnbull Road is to be formalised by gate access in the
        north-western corner of the property.
Water availability
   i.   All water tanks are to be filled at the commencement of a fire season and sufficient
        storage i.e. 15,000 litres is to be quarantined for fire fighting at the commencement of
        August through the May of each year.
   ii. The water pump on the bottom dams is to be tested to ensure it is operational and
        able to deliver suitable volumes of water for replenishing rural fire fighting appliances.
   iii. Individual water storages throughout the property are to be monitored during the fire
        season to understand the water availability of other water within the property during
        the fire season.
   iv. If not already fitted, the output hose from the pump in the bottom dams is to have a
        50mm Camlock valve fitted to allow for ease of access to Rural fire appliances if and
        when required.
   v. Likewise, a water storage tank on the western boundary is also to be fitted with a 50mm
        Camlock valve for emergency service usage.