Forums Posts

by Riverina Water County Council Joined 01-01-0001 12:00 AM Posts 23

Under the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005, Section 142 - Fire Hydrants, Subclause (5), it states that "Persons authorised to do so by the council may take water without charge for the purpose of extinguishing fires". Could someone please point me in the right direction whether Metro fire fighting services and (and more particularly) RFS require formal council authorisation access fire fighting water without charge, or do they have other legislative instruments bigger than ours that negate this need?... interesting maybe? Regards, Jason Ip - Manager Operations, Riverina Water

by greg.mashiah@clarence.nsw.gov.au Joined 24-04-2013 03:37 PM Posts 17

Jason Section 26 of the Rural Fires Act, 1997: 26 Use of water and works (1) An officer of a rural fire brigade or group of rural fire brigades may for the purpose of controlling or suppressing a fire— (a) take and use without any payment any water from any source on any land, or (b) use without any payment all or any water mains, water plugs, valves, pipes and works of water supply vested in or under the management or control of any water supply authority, public authority or body. (2) The Commissioner may, by arrangement with the owner or occupier or person having control or management of land containing a water source, take and use, free of charge, water from that source for the purpose of training or demonstration by any rural fire brigade. Greg

by Brendan Guiney Joined 02-08-2019 03:32 PM Posts 12

Hi Jason, the RFS have power to take water without payment under Section 26 of the Rural Fires Act 1997. Link: https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1997-065#sec.26 The metro fire fighters, Fire and Rescue NSW, have the same powers under S.15 of the Fire and Rescue NSW Act 1989. Hope this helps. Cheers, Brendan Guiney | Executive Officer