Thousands of Melburnians who have swapped the city for regional life are being urged to get their properties ready ahead of what is forecast to be a challenging fire season.
According to the Regional Movers Index, 35 per cent of Australians who relocated from capital cities to regional areas in the June 2025 quarter were from Melbourne. Many sought a slower pace, access to nature, and closer communities, but the Country Fire Authority (CFA) is warning that with those rewards comes responsibility.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said too many people living in bushfire-prone areas were still unprepared. “We can’t have a truck in every driveway,” he said. “By doing things now like clearing your gutters, pruning trees, moving woodpiles, and mowing grass you really help our firefighters but you also give yourself and your property the best chance for survival.”
A recent CFA survey revealed that 85 per cent of residents in high-risk bushfire areas still did not have a written survival plan. Half of those surveyed believed the threat of bushfire was small or very small, which Heffernan said was worrying given the current forecasts.
For those who have recently moved to regional Victoria, the message is hitting home. Raglan Fire Brigade volunteer Greg Staib left Melbourne’s eastern suburbs in 2022 and joined the local CFA soon after. He completed his training just before the 2024 Bayindeen fires. “That was definitely a sobering experience,” he said. “It really drove home to me how important being fire ready was and learning about the risks of the area you have chosen to live in.”
The reality of the risk is echoed by Kalista Fire Brigade volunteer Talor Robertson, who swapped a “concrete box” in Collingwood for a heavily forested block in 2023. “It comes with living out here,” he said. “It’s not the same as living in Melbourne and people need to be aware of that before moving.”
The CFA is encouraging residents to take simple but crucial steps, including moving woodpiles away from houses or sheds, pruning tree branches, clearing gutters, cutting grass shorter than 10 centimetres, and removing leaves and twigs from around homes. Households are also advised to test equipment such as sprinklers and pumps, register any burn-offs, and have a clear bushfire plan.
Throughout October, CFA brigades will host “Get Fire Ready” events across Victoria, offering practical advice and a chance for residents to connect with their local volunteers.
Information on open days can be found at cfa.vic.gov.au/getfireready.
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