Latest update
The Bushfire Preparedness and Resilience Project (BPP) aims to mitigate and better understand bushfire risks, and to support community-led disaster resilience and community education programs.
Over the past 18 months woody weeds and flammable vegetation on roadsides and reserves have been treated across all areas of council that are bushfire prone. Works will continue until the project concludes in March 2025. Criteria for site selection have included protecting assets recognised by CFS’ Bushfire Management Area Plan such as schools, sites in proximity to stringybark forests and those within areas considered as high bushfire risk under the State planning system, as well as sites ascertained using modern bushfire modelling and risk assessment techniques.
Targeted works are undertaken by contractors and our in-house crew who use the specially procured Green Climber, a remote controlled mower that can mulch vegetative material. The Green Climber is proving a valuable tool in the battle to mitigate bushfire risks and will be seen on over 50 sites tackling fine fuels (grasses etc.) and mulching up vegetative material in the lead up to and during the bushfire season.
Community groups will continue to be consulted, with works being planned sensitively to mitigate issues such as endangered animal habitat loss and disruption to registered sites. Notification may also be provided direct to residents depending on the nature of works.
Our Community-led Disaster Resilience (CDR) groups will be expanded over the next 18 months. A few groups are already established and these groups focus on various hazards, including fire, flood and storms relevant to their specific location. They are a great way to connect with other community members and prepare for disasters locally.
See the Resilient Southern Communities CDR Network webpage for further information on how to get involved in a CDR group.
Additionally, we are engaged with CFS and others on modern risk assessment methodology and Adelaide Mt Lofty Ranges Councils on community education, fire tracks, Fire Prevention work and other bushfire-related topics.
In 2023 we supported an Adelaide University honours student group with their work creating a framework for land management decision making in relation to fire mitigation strategies.
This project is funded by the Australian Government.
Are you bushfire ready?
The South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) has a range of free resources available on its website, making it easy for you to plan and prepare for a bushfire.
Resources include tips on how to do your five-minute bushfire plan, how to prepare your home and property, how to stay informed, and how to prepare emergency kits.
Things you can do now to clear around your property include slashing or mowing long grass and removing cut material (unless it can rot down before summer), removing weeds, cutting back trees overhanging your home, removing fallen branches and other debris, and removing leaves from gutters.
Subscribe to CFS warnings through their website and download the Alert SA App, but don’t rely on a single source—stay informed using multiple sources of emergency warning information.
To see what level of bushfire risk your area is in, use the state government’s map-based online bushfire risk assessment tool. You can find a list Onkaparinga’s Bushfire Safer Places and Bushfire Last Resort areas at the CFS website.
