Keeping your home safe from fire - the 10/50 vegetation clearing rule
- hello80430
- May 28
- 2 min read
The 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Scheme is a bushfire safety measure that helps people living near bushland to reduce fire risk around their homes. Here’s a quick summary of what it allows if your property is in a designated area:
Clear trees within 10 metres of your home (Check with your local council)
Clear shrubs and vegetation (not trees) within 50 metres of your home.
This scheme is backed by the 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Code of Practice, and you can check if your property qualifies using the NSW Rural Fire Service online tool.
The 10/50 scheme is supported by the 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Code of Practice.
10/50 Review report recommendations announced
A review of the 10/50 scheme has been conducted by the NSW Rural Fire Service, Department of Planning and Environment, and the Office of Environment and Heritage. The review has now been completed and a copy of the final report is available here.
Thirty recommendations have been made. The NSW Government is now in the process of implementing these recommendations.
Check the online tool on the day you are clearing
Check the online tool on the day you are clearing to re-confirm your eligibility to clear vegetation under the 10/50 Scheme. This is because the 10/50 vegetation clearing entitlement area, the excluded matters or other rules may have changed. It is important to know that you must follow the eligibility or rules in place at the time you clear any vegetation.You may only clear your own land.
Key Legislative & Code of Practice Changes
Effective dates:
Legislative changes: 28 August 2015
Amended Code of Practice: 4 September 2015
Tree Removal Clarifications
Multi-stemmed Trees:
Now classified as “trees” under the scheme.
You cannot remove multi-stemmed trees beyond 10 metres from a building.
Tree Trunk Measurement Rule:
A tree can only be removed if any part of its trunk that’s >30cm in circumference at 1.3m height is within 10 metres of the building’s external wall.
Neighbour Consent Requirement
If you want to rely on your neighbour's building for:
10m clearance (trees) or
50m clearance (vegetation),
You must get their written consent.
If the vegetation/tree falls within 10/50m of multiple neighbouring properties, consent is needed from each affected neighbour.
Farm Sheds Now Included
Clearing vegetation adjacent to farm sheds is now permitted under the scheme.
Changes to Entitlement Areas
The 10/50 area has been reduced in response to misuse.
Still includes a 100m buffer from high-risk vegetation, covering 85% of properties previously affected by bushfires.
Use the NSW RFS online tool to check if your property falls within the eligible area.
Additional Resources from NSW RFS
Bush Fire Survival Plan – Download
Prepare Your Home – Download Fact Sheet
Prepare. Act. Survive – Download Fact Sheet
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