Fire alarm on blanket laws

INFLEXIBLE red tape is putting Townsville lives and properties at risk.

Experts are begging the Queensland Government to change fire safety and environment regulations before its “one- hat- fits- all” legislation kills someone.

There are fears countless houses across our region could go up in smoke because homeowners are hamstrung by vegetation clearance rules that do not reflect the region’s diverse flora and topography.

Currently, all property owners must clear bush and trees to a maximum distance of 1.5 times the height of the tallest vegetation adjacent to their buildings or 20m, whichever is greater. If they remove more than this, they can be penalised for damaging the environment.

Often this limited clearance zone means properties are at greater risk of destruction because there is not enough room for fire appliances to enter safely to fight the blaze.

There is also concern that people building on steep slopes cannot have a larger clear area as fire travels faster uphill.

There were 447 fires in the Townsville local government area in the year to February 28 – 327 were environmental and 120 blazes involved buildings.

Rural Fire Brigades Association Queensland has written to Deputy Premier Jackie Trad asking her to amend the Vegetation Management Act and the Sustainable Planning Act and urging her to meet with it and local firefighters about Townsville’s specific legislative needs.

“In a lot of areas, we wouldn’t consider the 20m clearance a defendable space,” RFBAQ general manager Justin Choveaux said.

Rangewood Rural Fire Brigade’s Jim Besgrove said the rules meant the region’s volunteer firefighters would struggle to protect some properties.

“In some areas we need larger cleared areas around the properties for their own protection and so the emergency services can get in there to help protect the properties,” he said.

Ms Trad’s office said the Government was considering the RFBAQ’s request for change.