Public exhibition open

Central Coast Council's draft Open Pile Burning Policy has been revised and is on public exhibition for your feedback.

The policy sets out Council’s moral and legal responsibility to manage open pile burning in a way that protects the health and safety of residents, members of the public, Council workers/contractors and the natural environment.

What does the policy cover?

The key objectives of the policy are to:

  • Enable burning of dead and dry vegetation

    Enable safe burning of dead and dry vegetation for property management and maintenance on specific environmental and/or rural zoned land

  • Minimise public and environmental health risks

    Minimise risks to public health, local air quality and align our obligations with the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 and the Protection of the Environment (Clean Air) Regulation 2022

  • Provide a framework for approval

    Provide a framework where residents can obtain deemed approval subject to meeting the specific condition criteria

What are the changes to the policy?

Changes to the policy have been built on feedback from the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and previous community engagement. It reflects the latest regulations under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 & Protection of the Environment (Clean Air) Regulation 2022.

Key changes include:

  • Only burn dead, dry vegetation – no green, damp or compacted material
  • Pile burning is only to occur between the hours of 7am to 10pm
  • Burn one pile at a time, max size 2m wide x 1.5m high
  • Keep piles 150mm branches or smaller to reduce smoke
  • Fire must be 20m from buildings and clear of flammable material within 4.5m
  • Have a hose and water supply ready to control the fire
  • Give 24 hours’ notice to neighbours and the RFS (or Fire & Rescue NSW if not in a Rural Fire District)
  • A responsible adult must supervise the fire at all times

Make a submission

To have your say on the draft Open Pile Burning Policy, you can:

Submissions close Friday 14 November.

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