Burning Green Waste - information for bushfire affected residents

As the 2019/20 bushfire season has come to an end, many rural property owners and bushfire affected residents will have piled up green waste ready for burning. Before doing so, residents are reminded to review the ‘Burning in the open’ information on Council’s website to determine whether or not a Burning Permit is required.

Note that Council has a Burning Permit Policy which was developed in response to the introduction of the Environment Protection (Air Quality) Policy 2016 by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). The EPA Air Quality Policy was developed with the intent of better protecting and improving the health of South Australians and our environment through improved air quality. The Policy regulates air emissions including those from burning in the open. It is noted that burning of uncured green waste would increase the level of smoke pollution in a locality and this needs to be avoided.

It is noted that there are questions from bushfire affected residents about the burning of uncured green waste from trees felled as a result of the recent Cudlee Creek Bushfire. In this instance, residents have the following options:

1. Store/pile up the green waste in a safe location on your property away from any houses or other buildings on the site or neighbouring properties to allow it to cure over the winter period ready for burning off prior to the start of the next bushfire season in November/December 2020.
2. Remove uncured green waste and take it to the next Council Free Green Waste Drop of Day on Saturday 13 June 2020 in Gumeracha, Woodside or Heathfield.
3. Compost your uncured green waste and use it on your garden at a later date
4. If you have a green waste kerbside bin, then use this to dispose of as much of the uncured green waste as you can.

Residents are reminded that no matter where they live - burning in the open must be done in accordance with CFS Codes of Practice for Broad Acre Burning and Vegetation Rubbish Pile Burning. Vegetation to be burnt must be seasoned and dry to prevent it causing a smoke nuisance, and the piles of vegetation cannot contain other household waste.

If any resident has any queries in this regard, then please contact Council’s Fire Prevention Officers on 8408-0400 or visit Council's ‘Burning in the open’ webpage.