Gannawarra Shire Council, Media Release, 2 October 2025

As part of efforts to prepare the Gannawarra for the fire season, Gannawarra Shire Council’s annual fire hazard property inspections have started.

Council’s Local Laws team are travelling throughout the municipality, identifying properties which need to be cleared of fire risks and issuing Fire Prevention Notices to landowners, instructing them to carry out works to reduce fire risks.

“We all play a part to reduce the risks associated with uncontrolled fires during spring and summer,” Gannawarra Shire Council Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Rollinson said.

“The region may have experienced average rainfall during winter, but the falls that occurred during late August and maximum temperatures to increase in the coming weeks, ideal conditions for potential fire risks, including dry, overgrown weeds, will be evident.”

As part of the inspection process, properties deemed to be a high fire risk will be issued with a Fire Prevention Notice instructing the landholder to carry out works to reduce the risk.

Council staff will conduct a second inspection after the expiry date on the Fire Prevention Notice to confirm that the fire hazard has been removed. If works have not been carried out, Council will engage a contractor to complete these works, with the landowner required to pay for these efforts.

“You can never anticipate when a fire is going to occur, so whether you live in a farming area or residential street, it is important to prepare now for the fire season,” Mr Rollinson said.

For more information regarding fire management within the Gannawarra Shire, please visit www.gsc.vic.gov.au/fires.