Council has a process for closing community facilities on bush fire prone land during elevated fire danger weather. This process focuses on organised groups such as sporting clubs and groups who have hired halls for events, but it is still good practice for individuals to avoid these higher risk places during high fire danger periods. This minimises the number of people in high risk areas during times of heightened fire danger.
A risk rating has been used to classify facilities based on a number of characteristics including the number of people likely to be using a facility and how easy is it to get away from bush fire prone land in the event of an unexpected fire.
View the Fact Sheets on this page to find out which community facilities will be closed or restricted for organised group activities under certain conditions.
For certain facilities, closures are triggered at severe, extreme and catastrophic Fire Danger Ratings. Fire Danger Ratings are generally published each day around 4 pm by the Rural Fire Services. For more information on Fire Danger ratings and what they mean go to: rfs.nsw.gov.au.
Facility hirers will need to check the fire danger rating before using the facility. Sporting clubs already check the website when wet weather impacts grounds. The bushfire risk process is similar.
When you book an oval or hall, the user agreement or booking request forms will provide information about whether the facility is on bushfire prone land.
If you are planning an important sporting or social event during the Bush Fire Danger Period (October to March), consider using a facility that is not on bushfire prone land to avoid the need to change venues at the last minute if the fire danger rating increases.