All land east of state highway 25 from our Northern boundary at the Hikutaia River through to Paeroa

Fire Restrictions

Current Fire Season & Restrictions
Open Fire Season
Summer Fire Season
Fire Permits
Fire Safety Precautions
Barbeques
Hangi Fires
Braziers

Current Fire Season & Restrictions

Fire Ban - Hauraki District 20th December 2011 to 8 February 2012

Notice to residents of the Hauraki District.

The Fire Ban covers the entire Hauraki District including Department of Conservation lands, forest areas owned by Matariki Forests and NZ Super Fund. It also includes off shore islands, reserves and beaches.

See information below for full explanation of the restrictions relating to this ban.

Thank you, for your co-operation.

For further information please phone 07 862 8609 or freephone 0800 734 834 (from within Hauraki District).

Summer Fire Season - Fire Ban

The Fire Ban covers the entire Hauraki District Council including Department of Conservation lands, forest areas owned by Matariki Forests and NZ Super Fund. It also includes off shore islands, reserves and beaches.

Please direct all enquiries to any of our Hauraki District Council offices.

Barbeques

The fire ban does not apply to gas fire barbeques, solid fuelled proprietary barbeques, solid fuelled proprietary barbeques, solid fuelled permanent brick-concrete barbeques and fires in concrete or brick incinerators that are fitted with spark arrestors, but please take the following safety precautions -

Fire safety precautions:

to be at least 5m from buildings, timber fences, trees or other combustible materials

not to be lit under strong wind conditions

pressure water system with hose to be available nearby

to be supervised by an adult at all times

to be extinguished on completion.

Should weather conditions cause the fire risk to increase to an unacceptable level, solid fuelled barbeques and incinerator fires may need to be more strictly controlled.

Hangi Fires

Hangi Fires are permitted provided the safety precautions for barbeques (above) are complied with and a permit is obtained form Council.

Braziers

Braziers are classified as a fire in the ‘Open Air’ and are prohibited during the Fire Ban.

Fireworks

Fireworks are classed as a “fire in the open air” and are prohibited during the Fire ban.

Fire Permits

Fire permits may be issued depending on the fire season. Fire permits are required for all open fires during the summer fire season. No permits will be issued for open fires during a fire ban.

Conditions of permits (when issued):

1.	Open air	“Open air“ means not in a fire place, incinerator, Barbeque, or other place, duly approved in each case.
2.	Wind etc	Do not light up in a strong wind, or in conditions likely to spread the fire or to present a fire hazard (includes an adverse long-range weather forecast). Check the forecast.
3.	Patrol	Patrol the fire until completely out or cannot spread
4.	Notice	Notify neighbours as directed – before lighting a controlled burn.
5.	Extreme hazard	Permits are Suspended by fire hazard emergency warnings or orders prohibiting all open air fires. Check radio or ring local authority. If fire is essential for an emergency (e.g. stock disease) a special permit would be required.
6.	Showing Permit	The permit must be produced on demand by a member of Police or Fire Officer.
7.	Damage	A permit is not a legal defence against claims for damage caused by the fire. The permit holder is always responsible for any damage caused by the fire and suppression costs may also be charged.
8.	Parks etc	Except where officially signposted otherwise, permits are needed at all times for open fires in National or maritime Parks, in specially protected sites, and in (including their fire safety margins of 1 kilometre) other state areas or forest areas.
9.	Escape	If the fire gets out of hand, try to extinguish it. Urgently notify the New Zealand Fire Service Commission or a Fire Officer. Ring 111.
10.	Offences	It is an offence to light an open air fire without the appropriate permit, or to break permit conditions or to let a fire spread to and injure a State area, forest area or specially protected property, or to leave it unprotected against such a spread.
11.	Joint Permits	Obtain further permits from soil conservation, Crown, or other statutory fire authorities who’s approval is required, if this is not a joint permit signed on their behalf
12.	Landholder	Separate consent by the landholder may be needed.
13.	Nuisance	No person shall burn, or permit or suffer to be burnt, any matter or thing in such a manner as to be offensive.
14.	Revocation	This permit is revocable upon notice at any time without prior warning.