Take Action

Take Action

Understand Your Exposure

To protect against bushfires, start by knowing your exposure. Explore the Bushfire Exposure Index Data to learn about your household's risk. This helps you make smart, safe decisions.

For your household:

• Learn about your specific exposure to bushfires.
• Make clear plans to protect your loved ones and property.

For your community:

• Research how your community responds to bushfires.
• Explore past responses and recovery from different hazards.
• Think about the success of those efforts.

Understanding both your household and community's exposure levels helps you plan and prepare better. Dive in to discover, plan, and protect. Keep informed and act to ensure the safety of your household and community.

Explore Resources

Knowledge is your shield! Explore resources to gain insights on bushfire risks and learn steps for preparation and recovery. This information is important for understanding for effective risk management both for your household and your community.

Municipal Resources

• Clarence Bushfire Resources: Clarence City Council’s bushfire page explains that around 78% of the municipality is bushfire-prone and urges residents to “leave early” when threatened, stay informed via the Tasmania Fire Service and TasAlert, and take simple property-prep steps (keep grass short, prune shrubs, clean gutters, and move flammables away from the house). It outlines Council’s year-round mitigation—hazard-reduction burns, slashing/manual vegetation removal, and maintaining fire breaks and fire trails—and points to its Bushfire Mitigation Strategy 2024–2034, Bushfire Mitigation Policy 2024, and a suite of reserve-specific Bushfire Mitigation Plans. The page also highlights the “Sparking Conversations, Igniting Action” initiative with Greater Hobart councils, which includes community events, demonstration sites, and free bushfire risk assessments.
• Derwent Valley Resources: The Derwent Valley Council’s “Preparing for a bushfire” page urges residents to understand the Fire Danger Rating, prepare their properties before the season, and make a clear plan—emphasising that leaving early is always the safest choice when threatened. It points to Tasmania Fire Service resources, including the Bushfire Survival Plan and Community Bushfire Protection Plans (for areas like Bushy Park/Karanja, Collinsvale, Granton, Glenfern, Lachlan, Maydena, Molesworth, National Park and Westerway), and highlights the Bushfire Ready Neighbourhoods program, which builds community resilience through shared responsibility. It also recommends the Australian Red Cross Rediplan for personal preparedness.
• Hobart Bushfire Resources: Hobart says it’s among Australia’s most bushfire-prone cities and outlines how it reduces risk through planned (fuel-reduction) burns, and by maintaining fuel breaks and fire trails in bushland reserves—while noting the danger can’t be eliminated and significant fires will occur again. The page points residents to its Bushfire Management Strategy and stresses preparedness alongside ecological protection.
• Kingborough Bushfire Resources: Kingborough’s page focuses on personal safety and preparedness: understand the Fire Danger Rating, monitor TasALERT, make a Bushfire Survival Plan, and ready your home (defendable space, landscaping choices, water supply, clear access, retrofits, clean gutters, remove flammables). It explains Community Bushfire Protection Plans, links to Bushfire Ready Neighbourhoods resources, and lists Council policies and reserve-specific Bushfire Management Plans, plus guidance on hazard-management areas near reserves.
  
  

State Resources

• Tasmania Fire Service Resources: The Tasmania Fire Service’s “Bushfire: Why risk it?” portal is a one-stop hub for readiness and alerts: it urges residents to make a Bushfire Plan, try the Bushfire-Ready Challenge, and use the Bushfire Safety Guide; lists practical prep steps (clear property, pack an emergency kit, know when to leave and where to go); and links to live essentials—TasALERT bushfire alerts, current fire bans, Fire Danger Ratings, and BOM weather. It explains the Australian Warning System and the Australian Fire Danger Rating System, and points to community resources including Bushfire Ready Neighbourhoods, Community Bushfire Protection Plans, and guidance on using fire outdoors, caring for animals, and person-centred emergency preparedness. It also provides triple-zero (000) advice and publications.

Reduce Your Exposure

Households and their communities can help minimise bushfire exposure by taking the following steps:

• Gather Local Data: Collect localised exposure data for your household and community. Understanding the areas and populations most exposed will guide you in preparing effectively.
• Share Information: Discuss bushfire exposure information with neighbours, friends, and local businesses. Raising awareness helps everyone be more prepared and make informed decisions.
• Identify High-Exposure Locations: Prioritise areas in your community that are more exposed for additional assessments or studies. This can identify specific needs for mitigation efforts.
• Utilise Available Resources: Use resources that provide advice and guidance on mitigating and preparing for bushfires, enabling your household and community to respond and recover effectively.
• Update Emergency Plans: Review and refresh your household and community's bushfire emergency plans. Implement ongoing or planned mitigation projects, document progress, and plan for future needs.
• Adhere to Building Standards: Consider adopting bushfire resilient building standards and development practices to strengthen your household's and community's resilience to bushfire exposure.
• Identify Safe Areas: Use exposure data to identify safe locations in case of evacuation, sheltering, and emergency supply distribution, ensuring the safety and well-being of all community members.