Planned burn: Russell Island – 2 to 6 September 2024

Redland City Council’s Parks and Conservation crews in conjunction with the Russell Island Rural Fire Service Queensland Fire Department will undertake multiple hazard reduction burns in sections of bushland on Russell Island between Monday 2 and Friday 6 September 2024, weather conditions permitting.

The location of the burn areas are highlighted in yellow on the map:

172-216 High Street (Whistling Kite Wetland)17 Jupiter Street (Jupiter Street Bushland Refuge)93-129 Centre Road (Turtle Swamp Wetland)153-165 Centre Road (Turtle Swamp Wetland)12-30 Bilambil Drive (Turtle Swamp Wetland)14 Darwallah Avenue (Turtle Swamp Wetland)33 Grove Road (Water Mouse Wetland)2-24 Stradbroke Drive (Melomys Wetland)3-19 Coolabah Street (Coolabah Street Bushland Refuge)

The purpose of the burns is to reduce the volume of forest litter fuel, which will assist with hazard reduction – reducing the fire danger and providing conditions essential for native regeneration.

It is appreciated that this burn may cause some inconvenience, however all attempts will be made to limit any smoke hazards.

Traffic guidance schemes will be in place for each site, and traffic control and/or advisory signs will be place in locations where traffic may be impacted with smoke.

Motorists are advised to drive with caution and to conditions.

Council recommends that people close their windows and doors and those who have a respiratory condition keep their medications nearby.

To protect wildlife during a planned burn, Council:

Aims to carry out cooler, less intense and slower burns with lower flamesExcludes sensitive wildlife habitat from planned burn areasBurns in a mosaic/patchy mannerInspects sites for wildlife and clears around hollow-bearing trees and important habitat features prior to burnsWalks through the site during burn preparation activities (days leading up to the burn date) and also on the day of the burnTries to ensure that wildlife has safe movement corridors if they need to move out of the area temporarily.

Residents can receive targeted alerts about planned burns on Council land, based on burn location and prevailing winds, by opting in for community alerts through Council’s emergency notification messaging service. To register, go Council’s Redlands Coast Disaster Dashboard at disaster.redland.qld.gov.au and follow the prompts under the Redlands Coast Alerts tab.

For more information about Council’s planned burn program, visit redland.qld.gov.au/PlannedBurns