What you need to know
A permit to burn is required by the NTFRS year-round within their Emergency Response Areas (ERAs).
Permits are obtained by visiting your nearest fire station.
Contact your local fire station
For owners or occupiers of land residing in Litchfield and Katherine, permits are generally available from December to May, weather and operational requirements permitting.
For owners or occupiers of land residing in the Alice Springs Emergency Response Area south of the ‘Gap’, permits are generally available from April to September, weather and operational requirements permitting.
Requests are only processed during business hours, Monday to Saturday. Burning is not permitted at any time in the municipal areas, such as Darwin and Palmerston etc.
All permits will cease at a date advertised to the public by the NTFRS with closure decisions routinely assessed encompassing all ERAs rather than individual locations (e.g. Humpty Doo).
As the dry season approaches, landholders in the Litchfield Municipality within the NTFRS Emergency Response Area will soon be unable to obtain permits to burn for garden green waste.
NTFRS will continue to monitor weather conditions until declaring the end of the permit period in preparation for the Top End fire season.
Not in a NTFRS ERA?
Then you will fall under Bushfires NT rules and regulations, please contact the Bushfires NT main office on (08) 8922 0844 for more information.
Applying
Permits to burn are currently available in the following areas:
- Litchfield Council landholders
Permits to burn will be available to be issued to Litchfield Council landholders only within NTFRS Emergency Response Areas.
Each year the NTFRS will advise the permit period for when applications for permits can be accepted.
Contact your local Fire Station to obtain a permit.
Fire Station
Telephone Numbers
Berrimah Fire Station
08 8946 4142
Marrara Fire Station
08 8995 5222
Palmerston Fire Station
08 8932 1100
Humpty Doo Fire Station 08 8988 0296 Volunteer Fire Brigades (after hours only)
Telephone Numbers
Howard Springs Volunteer Fire Station 08 8983 2999 Humpty Doo Volunteer Fire Station 08 8988 4333 Koolpinyah Volunteer Fire Station 08 8988 5023 Virginia – Bees Creek Volunteer Fire Stations 08 8988 2453 or 08 8988 9902 - Katherine
Permits to burn will be available to be issued to members of the public who live within the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service (NTFRS) Katherine Emergency Response Area.
Each year the NTFRS will advise the permit period for when applications for permits can be accepted. When requesting a permit to burn, identification address and property address must match, there will be no exceptions.
Contact your local Fire Station to obtain a permit.
Fire Station
Telephone Numbers
Katherine Fire Station
08 8973 8014
- Alice Springs
Permits to burn will be available to be issued to members of the public who live within the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service (NTFRS) Alice Springs Emergency Response Area south of ‘The Gap’.
Each year the NTFRS will advise the permit period for when applications for permits can be accepted.
Contact your local Fire Station to obtain a permit.
Fire Station Telephone Numbers Alice Springs Fire Station 08 8951 6688
Strict conditions relate to a permit to burn and infringements will be issued for non-compliant burns.
Conditions include:
- The applicant must be over the age of 18 and is obligated to notify neighbours at least 24 hours prior to ignition.
- The applicant must notify JESCC (Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre) on 8922 1555 immediately prior to ignition.
- Permits will be issued for up to one month. Notified permit burns will be active for 24 hours ONLY. Each permit burn requires the above actions in dot points one and two.
- Garden green waste ONLY, no building or household waste allowed.
- Burn piles to be no larger than 5m x 5m and have 4 m clearing on all sides.
- The property must comply with the Fire and Emergency Regulations 1996, specifically Part 2, Section 3 - Firebreaks.
- The permitted burn must be monitored by a competent person over the age of 18 at all times until fully extinguished.
- Each site should have sufficient resources to extinguish the fire if required.
The NTFRS encourage all landholders to consider alternatives to burning wherever possible.
Failure to obtain a permit or adhere to the terms and conditions of a permit may result in an infringement up to the value of $704.00 + $40.00 levy.
It is extremely important that if anyone witnesses unlawful burning, or suspects unlawful burning to be occurring, immediately ring the 24 hour Fire Assistance line and report it. You may be preventing a fire emergency.
Land owners are also encouraged to take advantage of the Street Sign Program, so that properties are easily identifiable in an emergency, not just a fire. Signs are produced at cost (approx. $20 each) and can be obtained directly from Norsign located at 7 Brooker St Winnellie.
Contact your local fire station or volunteer fire brigade
NOTE: Other fire districts (like Bushfires NT) within the Northern Territory set local policy, governed by the prevailing weather, topography and fuel state.