RURAL FIRES ACT 1997

New South Wales Consolidated Acts

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RURAL FIRES ACT 1997 - NOTES

- As at 3 June 2008 - Act 65 of 1997

Note to Part 1

This Part contains provisions that are helpful in understanding the Act as a whole, as well as some machinery provisions. It also provides for the constitution of all those parts of the State that are not within fire districts (within the meaning of the Fire Brigades Act 1989) as rural fire districts.

Note to Part 2

This Part establishes the NSW Rural Fire Service, and provides for its composition, functions and management. The Service is to be managed and controlled by the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service. The Commissioner is responsible for issuing the Service Standards, which are the guidelines in respect of the standard operating procedures to be followed by members of the Service. The Commissioner determines the duties of certain members of the Service (staff of the Service, including fire control officers, deputy fire control officers and ancillary fire control staff). The fire control officers, deputy fire control officers and ancillary fire control staff are employed under the Public Sector Management Act 1988 and are responsible for a number of functions, including the supervision and direction of functions exercised by or under the Act by rural fire brigades and groups of rural fire brigades.

Note to Part 3

This Part charges the Commissioner with the responsibility of controlling and co-ordinating the action to be taken by persons and bodies involved in or associated with the prevention, mitigation or suppression of bush fires in dealing with fires requiring a response beyond the area or locality in which the fires are burning. The Commissioner is authorised to give directions to persons, members of the Service, officers of other emergency services organisations and others in relation to the prevention, mitigation and suppression of fires in these circumstances.
The Part also provides for the establishment of the Bush Fire Co-ordinating Committee, the principal responsibility of which is to plan for bush fire prevention and for co-ordinated bush fire fighting. The Bush Fire Co-ordinating Committee is required to constitute Bush Fire Management Committees for rural fire districts and may constitute them for other parts of the State. These committees are responsible for the preparation of bush fire management plans for the areas for which they are constituted.

Note to Part 4

Part 4 deals with the prevention and minimisation of the spread of bush fires throughout the State. It provides for bush fire hazard reduction work to be done, for limitation of the lighting of fires without a permit during bush fire danger periods and the imposition of total fire bans. It imposes responsibilities on the owners and occupiers of land and public authorities in relation to these and other matters.

Note to Division 2

"Bush fire hazard reduction work" and "bush fire hazard reduction notice" are defined in the Dictionary.

Note to Part 5

This Part requires local government councils and insurance companies to contribute, along with the State Government, to the costs of rural fire brigade expenditure. The total amount required to be contributed is based on estimated rural fire brigade expenditure.

Note to Part 6

Part 6 establishes a Rural Fire Service Advisory Council and provides for its composition, functions and procedure.

Does not include amendments by:

Miscellaneous Acts (Local Court) Amendment Act 2007 No 94 (not commenced)

Reprint history:

Reprint No 13 July 2001
Reprint No 21 October 2002
Reprint No 33 June 2008

Historical notes

The following abbreviations are used in the Historical notes:

Am	amended	No	number	Schs	Schedules
Cl	clause	p	page	Sec	section
Cll	clauses	pp	pages	Secs	sections
Div	Division	Reg	Regulation	Subdiv	Subdivision
Divs	Divisions	Regs	Regulations	Subdivs	Subdivisions
GG	Government Gazette	Rep	repealed	Subst	substituted
Ins	inserted	Sch	Schedule

Table of amending instruments

Rural Fires Act 1997 No 65. Assented to 10.7.1997. Date of commencement, 1.9.1997, sec 2 and GG No 95 of 29.8.1997, p 6644. This Act has been amended as follows:

1997	No 147	Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No 2) 1997. Assented to 17.12.1997. Date of commencement of Sch 1.22 [1] and [2], 1.9.1997, Sch 1.22; date of commencement of Sch 1.22 [3], assent, sec 2 (2).
1998	No 19	Fire Services Legislation Amendment Act 1998. Assented to 3.6.1998. Date of commencement, 3.7.1998, sec 2 and GG No 102 of 3.7.1998, p 5210.
1999	No 31	Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1999. Assented to 7.7.1999. Date of commencement of Sch 1.44, assent, sec 2 (2).
	No 85	Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No 2) 1999. Assented to 3.12.1999. Date of commencement of Sch 4, assent, sec 2 (1).
	No 94	Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sentencing) Act 1999. Assented to 8.12.1999. Date of commencement of Sch 4.54, 3.4.2000, sec 2 (1) and GG No 42 of 31.3.2000, p 2487; date of commencement of sec 7 and Sch 5, 1.1.2000, sec 2 (1) and GG No 144 of 24.12.1999, p 12184.
2000	No 89	Transport Administration Amendment (Rail Management) Act 2000. Assented to 6.12.2000. Date of commencement of Sch 2, 1.1.2001, sec 2 (1) and GG No 168 of 22.12.2000, p 13466.
	No 104	Rural Fires Amendment Act 2000. Assented to 13.12.2000. Date of commencement of Sch 1 [1]-[3] [6] [10]-[12] [21]-[24] [27] [29] [31] and [32], 5.2.2001, sec 2 and GG No 34 of 2.2.2001, p 440; date of commencement of Sch 1 [4] [5] [7]-[9] [13]-[20] [25] [26] [28] and [30], 1.7.2001, sec 2 and GG No 34 of 2.2.2001, p 440.
2001	No 121	Justices Legislation Repeal and Amendment Act 2001. Assented to 19.12.2001. Date of commencement of Sch 2, 7.7.2003, sec 2 and GG No 104 of 27.6.2003, p 5978.
2002	No 67	Rural Fires and Environmental Assessment Legislation Amendment Act 2002. Assented to 10.7.2002. Date of commencement, 1.8.2002, sec 2 and GG No 122 of 26.7.2002, p 5545.
	No 112	Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No 2) 2002. Assented to 29.11.2002. Date of commencement of Sch 2.21, assent, sec 2 (3).
2003	No 96	Transport Administration Amendment (Rail Agencies) Act 2003. Assented to 10.12.2003. Date of commencement of Sch 3, 1.1.2004, sec 2 and GG No 197 of 19.12.2003, p 11271.
2004	No 55	Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004. Assented to 6.7.2004. Date of commencement of Sch 1.37, 1.12.2005, Sch 1.37 and GG No 140 of 18.11.2005, p 9404.
2005	No 43	Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Infrastructure and Other Planning Reform) Act 2005. Assented to 16.6.2005. Date of commencement of Sch 7.16, 1.8.2005, sec 2 and GG No 96 of 29.7.2005, p 4031.
2007	No 22	State Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment (Budget) Act 2007. Assented to 4.7.2007. Date of commencement of Sch 5, assent, sec 2 (2).
	No 82	Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No 2) 2007. Assented to 7.12.2007. Date of commencement of Sch 2.16, assent, sec 2 (2).

Table of amendments

Sec 7	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [1]-[3].
Part 2, note	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [4].
Sec 8	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [5].
Sec 9	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [6].
Sec 10	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [7].
Sec 12	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [8].
Sec 12A	Ins 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [9].
Sec 14	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [1].
Sec 22	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [10]-[12]; 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [1].
Sec 27	Am 2000 No 89, Sch 2.7 [1]; 2003 No 96, Sch 3.16 [1]; 2007 No 22, Sch 5.11 [1].
Sec 28	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [2].
Sec 34	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [13]-[15].
Sec 35	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [16].
Sec 37	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [17] [18].
Sec 38	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [19] [20].
Sec 47	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [21].
Sec 48	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 2 [1].
Sec 50	Am 1998 No 19, Sch 2 [1] [2].
Sec 51	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 2 [2].
Sec 52	Am 1998 No 19, Sch 2 [3].
Part 3, Div 6 (sec 62A)	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 2 [3].
Sec 66	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [2].
Sec 67	Am 1997 No 147, Sch 1.22 [1]; 1998 No 19, Sch 2 [4]-[7].
Sec 68	Am 1998 No 19, Sch 2 [8].
Sec 69	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [3] [4].
Sec 73	Subst 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [3].
Sec 74	Subst 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [4].
Part 4, Div 2A (secs 74A-74H)	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [5].
Sec 76	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [6].
Sec 80	Rep 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [7].
Sec 82	Subst 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [5].
Sec 83	Subst 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [6].
Sec 84	Rep 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [7].
Sec 85	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [8] [9].
Sec 86	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [22]; 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [8]; 2002 No 112, Sch 2.21.
Sec 86, note	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [10].
Sec 87	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [23].
Sec 87, note	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [11].
Sec 88	Am 1997 No 147, Sch 1.22 [2]; 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [24]; 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [12]-[14].
Sec 88, note	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [15].
Sec 89	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [9]; 2002 No 112, Sch 2.21.
Sec 92	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [10].
Sec 93	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [16].
Sec 94	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [17].
Sec 95	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [18].
Sec 96	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [19].
Sec 97	Am 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [20] [21].
Part 4, Div 8	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [11].
Part 4, Div 8, Subdiv 1	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [11].
Sec 100A	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [11]. Am 2003 No 96, Sch 3.16 [2]; 2007 No 22, Sch 5.11 [2].
Part 4, Div 8, Subdiv 2	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [11].
Sec 100B	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [11]. Am 2005 No 43, Sch 7.16; 2007 No 82, Sch 2.16.
Part 4, Div 8, Subdiv 3	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [11].
Sec 100C	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [11]. Am 2004 No 55, Sch 1.37.
Secs 100C-100I	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [11].
Part 4, Div 8, Subdiv 4 (secs 100J-100O)	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 3 [11].
Sec 108	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [25].
Sec 109	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [26].
Sec 123	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [27].
Part 6A, Div 1 (secs 124A-124C)	Ins 2002 No 67, Sch 4 [22].
Sec 128	Am 1997 No 147, Sch 1.22 [3].
Sec 134	Am 1999 No 94, Sch 4.54; 2001 No 121, Sch 2.183 [1] [2].
Sec 138	Rep 1999 No 85, Sch 4.
Sch 1	Am 1999 No 94, sec 7 (2) and Sch 5, Part 2.
Sch 3, heading	Am 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [28].
Sch 3	Am 1998 No 19, Sch 2 [9]-[11]; 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [29] [30]; 2002 No 67, Schs 3 [12], 4 [23] [24].
Sch 4	Rep 1999 No 85, Sch 4.
Dictionary	Am 1998 No 19, Sch 2 [12] [13]; 2000 No 89, Sch 2.7 [2]; 2000 No 104, Sch 1 [31] [32]; 2002 No 67, Schs 3 [13], 4 [25] [26]; 2003 No 96, Sch 3.16 [3]; 2007 No 22, Sch 5.11 [3].