Total Fire Bans and Harvest & Vehicle Movement Bans - What's the Difference?

Total Fire Bans

A Total Fire Ban (TFB) is declared because of extreme weather conditions or when widespread fires are seriously stretching fire fighting resources.  A TFB is declared by DFES following consultation with local governments.

A TFB prohibits the lighting of any fires in the open air and any other activities that may start a fire.  The ban includes all open air fires for the purpose of cooking or camping. It also includes incinerators, welding, grinding, soldering or gas cutting. Exemptions may be allowed for some industries and activities with conditions applied.

Recent changes to Total Fire Ban regulations have been introduced that broaden the activities farmers can undertake during these bans.

The changes mean farmers can now continue day-to-day agricultural activity such as harvesting, as long as a Harvest & Vehicle Movement Ban has not been implemented by their local government.

On days when a Total Fire Ban and/or a Harvest & Vehicle Movement Ban are in place farmers are still able to check on the welfare of their stock, including moving livestock between paddocks to a water source, providing the vehicle being used in equipped with a portable fire unit carrying a minimum 600liters of water

Certain activities likely to create a bushfire danger such as operating an oxytorch, welding and operating grinders in the open air are still banned.

You can find more information on the DFES website.

https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/hazard-information/bushfire/total-fire-ban

Harvest & Vehicle Movement Bans

Harvest & Vehicle Movement Bans (HVMB) are issued by local governments. It is the responsibility of the farmer to be aware of any bans in place before harvesting as you could be fined for breaching a ban.

A HVMB is a ban that individual local governments are responsible for issuing under the Bush Fires Regulations 1954 Section 38A, and/or Section 24C. Local governments will impose the ban when their Bushfire Control Officer is of the opinion that the use of engines, vehicles, plant or machinery during the prohibited burning times or the restricted burning times or both is likely to cause a fire or contribute to the spread of a bushfire. The prohibited and restricted burning times vary between local governments.

SMS Notifications

If you wish to receive SMS updates of the road conditions or harvest or movement bans, please complete our online form.