Farmers and rural landholders will have a greater ability to protect their communities. Photo: NSW Rural Fire Service Facebook.
The NSW Labor Government is delivering reform to give farmers a leg up in the fight against bushfires, with new legislation giving them greater freedom when they use vehicles to battle blazes.
New reforms from the NSW Government allow farmers and rural landholders to register and use farm firefighting vehicles (FFVs) to respond to bushfires near their property.
“With most of the state entering the bushfire danger period today, this reform comes at a crucial time,” NSW RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin said.
“Farmers know their land better than anyone, and when a fire starts nearby their quick action can make all the difference.”
The new rules follow recent trials of roughly 350 FFVs, which analysed their use in emergencies and put forward a conditional registration scheme.
FFVs are not typically registered for use on public roads and are usually used on private properties.
Reform means that such vehicles can be legally used on public roads in emergencies, giving farmers and landholders greater ability to attend to and battle nearby fires. Before this change, they were restricted to firefighting within their boundary.
“During the 2019/2020 bushfires, I spent a lot of time with farmers, tourism operators and other members of regional and rural communities who were so badly impacted by that catastrophic bushfire season. I heard firsthand stories of the heroism and bravery shown by farmers standing side by side with our RFS and other emergency services to fight bushfires,” Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison said.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work that the Minns Labor Government has been able to achieve in establishing a scheme which allows neighbours to help each other in the very worst of times.”
The new scheme offers a lower cost for conditional registration, which includes inspection for light vehicles and the issuing of a licence plate, with an expected maximum price of $209.
The conditional registration cost will drop after the first 12 months, with an inspection estimated to be $126 or just $75 when only an inspection is needed. This change is subject to CPI and CTP increases.
The NSW Government stated the conditional registration changes offered the best of both worlds, meaning more vehicles could respond to fires while not compromising NSW road standards.
Vehicles under the scheme will be subject to the following requirements:
- Vehicle inspections to establish registration, with an inspection required every second year and registration required to be renewed yearly
- Vehicles can be used exclusively for emergencies and not for regular operations
- Firefighting equipment must be permanently attached to the vehicle
- Vehicles may use roads up to 50 km away from garaging addresses east of the Newell Highway and no distance limit applies from garaging addresses west of the Newell Highway.
This new scheme is set to take effect on 7 October.
In addition, Service NSW is available to assist people with applications for the scheme at Service NSW centres.
