On 30 August 2018, the Minister for Emergency Services approved the drafting of amendments to the
Bush Fires Regulations 1954 (the Regulations).
These changes took effect on 6 November 2019 and the Total Fire Ban (TFB) Exemption process has changed. An exemption is no longer required for the following activities where the activity is being undertaken in the course of trade or commerce
(i.e. a business), or by (or on behalf of) a public authority:
These activities and the associated conditions which must be adhered to when carrying out the activity are now prescribed in the Regulations. This removes the requirement for businesses and industry to apply
for an exemption to undertake the activity during a TFB.
TFB exemptions will still be required for activities which are likely to
cause a fire, and are not prescribed in the Regulations. These include programmed hot fire training; rail
grinding; and religious and cultural ceremonies. Exemptions will still be required for these activities,
for exemption application information please click
here.
The purpose of the change to the Regulations is to streamline processes and
minimise delays currently experienced by applicants during the approval process, whilst ensuring the community is kept safe, and the risk of undertaking the activity is mitigated sufficiently by the business undertaking it.