Bushfire Report

When choosing plants for removal, the following basic rules should be followed:

   1. Remove noxious and environmental weeds first. Your local council can
      provide you with a list of environmental weeds or ‘undesirable species’.
      Alternatively, a list of noxious weeds can be obtained at www.agric.nsw.gov.au/
      noxweed/;
   2. Remove more flammable species such as those with rough, flaky or stringy
      bark; and
   3 Remove or thin understorey plants, trees and shrubs less than three metres in
      height

The removal of significant native species should be avoided.

Prune in acordance with the following standards:
  • Use sharp tools. These will enable clean cuts and will minimise damage to the tree.
  • Decide which branches are to be removed before commencing work. Ensure
    that you maintain a balanced, natural distribution of foliage and branches.
                                                     Correct - branch cut just
  • Remove only what is necessary.                   beyond bark ridges,
  • Cut branches just beyond bark ridges, leaving a    smalla small
                                                     leaving   scar.scar
  • Remove smaller branches and deadwood first.




                                                            Incorrect - branch cut right
                 Correct - branch cut just                  back flush with the trunk,
                 beyond bark ridges,                        leaving a much larger
                 leaving a small scar                       scar, which will take longer
                                                            to callus over
There are three primary methods of pruning trees in APZs:

   1. Crown lifting (skirting)
   Remove the lowest branches (up to two metres from the ground). Crown lifting
   may inhibit the transfer of fire between the ground fuel and the tree canopy.
                    Incorrect - branch cut right
   2. Thinning     back flush with the trunk,
   Remove smaller leaving  a muchbranches
                    secondary       larger      whilst retaining the main structural
                   scar, which will take longer                                             7
   branches of the tree. Thinning may minimise the intensity of a fire.
                    to callus over

   3. Selective pruning
   Remove branches that are specifically identified as creating a bush fire hazard
   (such as those overhanging assets or those which create a continuous tree
   canopy). Selective pruning can be used to prevent direct flame contact
   between trees and assets.

Your Bush Fire Hazard Reduction Certificate or local council may restrict the amount
or method of pruning allowed in your APZ.

See the Australian Standard 4373 (Pruning of Amenity Trees) for more information on
tree pruning.

4. Slashing and trittering
Slashing and trittering are economical methods of fuel reduction for large APZs that
have good access. However, these methods may leave large amounts of slashed fuels
(grass clippings etc) which, when dry, may become a fire hazard. For slashing or
trittering to be effective, the cut material must be removed or allowed to decompose
well before summer starts.

If clippings are removed, dispose of them in a green waste bin if available or compost
on site (dumping clippings in the bush is illegal and it increases the bush fire hazard on
your or your neighbour’s property).

Although slashing and trittering are effective in inhibiting the growth of weeds, it is
preferable that weeds are completely removed.

Care must be taken not to leave sharp stakes and stumps that may be a safety hazard.