Bushfire Prepare Program
Cardinia Shire Council established the Bushfire Prepare Program following the introduction of the 2020 Metropolitan Bushfire Management Strategy, which identified Bushfire Risk Engagement Areas (BREAs) on privately owned land. Council recognised a gap in accessible information and resources to support private landholders in reducing bushfire risk within these areas.
Cardinia Shire contains a higher proportion of private land than neighbouring municipalities. Without targeted support for fuel management on private property, a significant level of residual bushfire risk remains.
The Safer Together initiative has contributed seed funding and technical expertise to support the program’s development and implementation. The project will serve as a valuable resource for any council area with privately owned land located within BREAs.
About the project
The project aims to reduce bushfire risk and impacts by engaging private landholders in effective fuel management on their properties. It seeks to:
Promote bushfire risk reduction through fuel management and related activities.
Strengthen partnerships between local government, the community and agencies involved in fuel management.
Increase community understanding of bushfire risk, resilience and shared decision‑making in risk‑reduction activities.
Identify links between emergency management approaches and community‑based initiatives.
Target outcomes
- Build upon the existing Bushfire Fuel Management Guide to help landholders understand their responsibilities for managing fuel on private land.
- Equip residents with the knowledge required to safely and effectively manage fuel loads in alignment with broader strategic bushfire management planning.
- Support landholders to recognise local biodiversity values and apply fuel‑management techniques that maintain ecological integrity.
- Deliver key information through flexible, accessible formats, including video and online learning.
Program structure
Bushfire Prepare consists of an e-learning package comprising seven modules:
- Basic fire behaviour
- Your bushfire plan
- Fire management arrangements
- Fuel management options
- Managing safety
- Equipment operation
- Planning and conducting your burn
The first two modules basically mirror the existing CFA Fire Safety Essentials program, adapted for online learning and providing an accessible delivery mechanism. These modules can be completed by anyone with an interest in bushfire safety and preparing a bushfire plan.
Modules 3 to 7 are mainly aimed at owners of properties with a bushfire risk who want to better understand how to go about reducing their bushfire risk. While these are aimed at those properties in the Bushfire Risk Engagement Areas the modules will be suitable for any rural areas.
Following completion of all modules, there will be an option for participants to take part in a practical workshop in which the skills learnt in the theory component will be able to be put into practice.
To register your interest in a practical workshop session, go to the practical workshop expression of interest form or to register for the online learning go to e-learning registration.
Relationship between existing CFA programs and Bushfire Prepare
