Bush Fire hazard reduction

State of the environment

The Nursery has held Garden Industry of NSW/ACT accreditation with the Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme Australia (NIASA) and Ecohort since 2005. It is the only local government nursery in New South Wales to hold this accreditation.

Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the large, ward-based nursery-located plant giveaways could not be held. Instead, Plants on the Run was developed to provide smaller and more frequent native plant giveaway events. This new plant giveaway method was highly successful and greatly appreciated by the community. Further, there were 17 Resident Tree Collection days held at the nursery in 2020/21. In total, 6,529 native plants were distributed at giveaway events to 1,449 properties in Hornsby Shire.

2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21

Community nursery volunteers Total community nursery volunteer hours

37 39 44 45 45

3,000 3,072 3,232 2,404 3,265

Tubestock despatched 32,541 52,762 37,483 50,372 29,640

Free Plant Giveaway Days 4 3 4 1 28* Tubestock despatched to ratepayers 7,455 5,408 5,454 7,459 6,529 Ratepayer properties receiving tubestock 2,500 1,604 1,116 1,300 1,449

* Due to COVID-19 restrictions, plant giveaways were changed to Plants on the Run pop-ups in local parks and smaller resident tree collections at the Nursery

Bush Fire hazard reduction

How are we going?

Bush Fire Management Committee (BFMC) activities

The Bush Fire Risk Management Plan (BFRMP) (2016) details bush fire management works (manual hazard reduction, fire trail maintenance and community education) to be undertaken for a five-year period by land managers, including Council. Council worked closely with the BFMC, in particular the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Fire & Rescue NSW, in all aspects of bush fire management to ensure optimum bush fire mitigation outcomes for the communities of the Shire. Hazard reduction burns in Hornsby Local Government Area

Despite COVID health requirements limiting traditional operational methods of works, hazard reduction burning continued within Hornsby LGA in 2020/21. Combined hazard reduction burns, across land management agencies of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Crown Lands and Council 2,475ha of area was treated, representing protection to approximately 1000 residences.

Number of sites of hazard reduction burns* Area burnt* ha 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21

5 15 11 1 13

849 2,909 98.4 761 2,475.6

* These figures cover all hazard reduction in the Shire, which is carried out by NPWS, RFS and Fire & Rescue NSW

Manual hazard reduction activities

Manual works were scheduled and undertaken with assistance of grant funding from the Bush Fire Mitigation Fund. Treatment of 42 asset protection zones was undertaken, affording protection to over 220 properties immediately adjoining Council bushland.

Burning on private land

A total of 1,054 ‘Approval to burn’ permits were issued in 2020/21 under the Protection of Environment Operations (Clean Air) Regulation 2010.

Fire trail works

There are over 21km of fire trails that Hornsby Council manages and maintains and on which works are scheduled as part of the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai District Bush Fire Risk Management Plan. Major fire trails surface and vegetation works completed at Cootamundra, Galahad and Ginger Meggs, Keighran, Kentia, Blackwattle, Boundary Road, Clovelly, Lambe, McKinley and Pennant Hills Park (vegetation control). Scheduled inspections have occurred on all Council-managed fire trails and surface and vegetation works and infrastructure renewals were conducted on: