Fire Season Prep Checklist
A one-page month-by-month checklist for Northern Rivers acreage owners — APZ rules by council, what to do from June through March, vehicle access standards, and paperwork to keep on file. Aligned to NSW RFS guidance.
What's inside
- Council quick-reference (Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Tweed, Richmond Valley)
- Month-by-month timeline from June through March — what to do, in what order
- APZ standards, including the Inner and Outer Protection Areas
- Vehicle-access requirements that fire trucks actually need
- Paperwork to keep on file (insurance, council, contractor records)
Tell us where to send it. The PDF appears on the next page and lands in your inbox alongside.
Why it matters before September
NSW Rural Fire Service requires Asset Protection Zones around dwellings on rural land. Missing fire-season prep can void insurance, trigger council fines, and block fire-truck access in an emergency. The September deadline gets quoted casually — it isn't casual.
This checklist is the practical version: what to do, in what order, by when. It's general NSW guidance — your council and property may have specific rules, so always check before locking in a plan.
Put fire-season prep on calendar reminders for early September, not when the season starts. Contractors get booked out fast.
Who it's for
Acreage owners across Byron Shire, Ballina, Lismore, Tweed and Richmond Valley. Useful whether you're an owner-occupier, an absentee owner, or running a holiday rental — the bushfire rules don't care about ownership model.
Who wrote it
AutoAcre is the Northern Rivers' independent multi-brand dealer for commercial-grade autonomous mowing equipment. The checklist pulls from local experience preparing properties for season after season — what auditors actually look for, what fire crews actually need.
Want a property-specific cost view on keeping APZ maintained year-round? Run the calculator for an 8-year contractor-vs-autonomous comparison.