Circumstances for bushfire protection exemptions have been updated to simplify planning requirements and improve the ability to manage vegetation.
Key changes include aligning vegetation removal without the need for a planning permit for land within the Bushfire Prone Area or Bushfire Management Overlay and simplifying requirements around vegetation removal along fence lines.
Updating these requirements provide clarification on the purpose of the controls, and where and how they should be applied.
Land Use Planning Team Manager Anne Coxon said CFA supported the simplified processes which enabled people to manage vegetation on private property, as well as increase community resilience to bushfire.
"Managing vegetation around your property is one of the most important things you can do to keep your home safe in a bushfire," Anne said.
The Victoria Planning Provisions (VPPs) contain extensive and detailed policies for bushfire planning. The VPPs set out a comprehensive set of bushfire policies to strengthen the resilience of settlements and communities to bushfire through risk-based planning that prioritises the protection of human life. They also control the clearing of vegetation in Victoria.
If you want to clear vegetation from around your property you may need a planning permit. The planning controls in Clause 52.12 - Bushfire Protection Exemptions set out specific circumstances that allow you to clear vegetation around properties without a permit. Requirements apply around land use, construction dates and location.
Typically when the requirements are met, vegetation may be able to be removed between 10 metres, 30 metres or 50 metres around a home. This is commonly referred to as the 10/30 and 10/50 rules in the community.
