The season will now kick off this Sunday.
The bushfire season in the Central Coast region is set to begin a month early due to high risk conditions in the area.
The Rural Fire Service’s Bush Fire Danger Period normally runs from 1st October to 31st March, however dry vegetation caused by months of low rainfall has accelerated the risk on the Central Coast.
Scott Cox, the Director of Environment and Planning at the Central Coast Council, said that there was more that there are thousands of hectares of bushland in the region that could be at risk.
“We have over 128 hectares of bushland on the Central Coast, we are in drought and we are moving into the warmer months, we are in drought– all cues are that we need to be on high alert for bushfires,” Mr Cox stated.
“At Council, we’ve completed our largest bush fire preparation program to date and we encourage each household on the Coast to be as bush fire ready as possible.
“We have been working hard to enhance our fire trail network, constructing new fire trails, upgrading a significant number of existing strategic fire trails and protecting our bushland assets through fencing and security measures”.
To help Central Coast residents be prepared for possible bushfires in the area, the Central Coast Council has joined the NSW Government’s ‘Get Ready’ initiative – a five step program that helps people to prepare for any kind of emergency in the region.
Residents are also being advised by the RFS to develop a bushfire survival plan.
SEE ALSO: Central Coast Animal Care Facility named as one of the best shelters in Australia
Written by Kate Stevens
Images: Unsplash
