Fire season

When is firebreak season in Cockburn and Kwinana?

In the City of Cockburn, firebreak and fuel-reduction work must be done by 1 November and kept up until 15 April. In the City of Kwinana, the 2025/26 notice set the deadline for rural land at 1 December, maintained to 31 May — and urban land has to comply all year round.

Both councils inspect from their deadline onward, and both apply to vacant and developed land alike. This page sets out what each one asks for by block size, so you know whether you need a mow, a slash or a proper firebreak before you ring anyone.

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Published 22 October 2026 · Written by the Kiss My Grass crew, Perth WA

In short

In the City of Cockburn, in Perth's southern suburbs, firebreaks and fuel reduction must be completed by 1 November and maintained until 15 April. The City of Kwinana's 2025/26 notice required rural land to comply from 1 December to 31 May, and urban land all year. Both councils inspect properties from their deadline, and each council's annual notice is the authority.

Cockburn: Done by 1 November, maintained until 15 April
Kwinana (2025/26 notice): Rural: 1 December to 31 May. Urban: all year round
Small blocks: Grass and weeds at 50 mm or lower across the whole property
Kwinana penalty: Up to $5,000 for failing to comply with the notice
Who is responsible: The owner or occupier — including for a contractor's work

Firebreak dates and requirements by council

The two councils set different dates and different block-size thresholds. Find your council, then your block size.

Firebreak and fuel-reduction requirements for the City of Cockburn and the City of Kwinana, from each council's published requirements, checked October 2026.
Council	Works due by	Maintain until	Smaller blocks	Larger blocks
City of Cockburn	1 November	15 April	Under 4,047 m²: grass, weeds and other flammable vegetation kept to a maximum of 50 mm across the property	4,047 m² or more: firebreaks built and maintained to Section 3 of the City's Fire Control Order
City of Kwinana (2025/26 notice)	1 December (rural land); urban land all year	31 May	Under 3,500 m²: long grass and weeds slashed, mowed or trimmed to 50 mm or lower across the property, year-round. From 1,501 m², also a 3 m defendable space around habitable buildings	3,501 m² or more: mineral earth firebreaks 3 m wide with 4 m vertical clearance inside all boundaries, plus an asset protection zone

Both councils also have requirements this table leaves out — driveways, gutters, asset protection zones and Bushfire Management Plans among them. Your own notice, or your council's website, is the authority.

What "50 mm across the property" means in practice

For most suburban blocks in both councils, the requirement is not a firebreak at all. It is a height limit: long grass and weeds cut to 50 mm or lower over the whole property, not just a strip around the edge.

On a lawn that is mown regularly, that is already done — a normal lawn mowing cycle keeps grass well under 50 mm. The blocks that get caught out are the ones nobody is mowing: a vacant lot between builds, a rental between tenants, the back half of a big block that has been left to go, or a verge and side strip that sit outside the reticulated lawn.

Once that growth is knee-high or more, a mower will not take it down to 50 mm in a single pass. That is when it becomes a block slashing job.

A slashed strip is not always a firebreak

On larger blocks the requirement changes from a height limit to a firebreak, and the two councils describe that firebreak differently. Kwinana's notice specifies a strip of mineral earth — bare soil, free of flammable material — 3 metres wide with 4 metres of vertical clearance, running inside all the boundaries, with a living green lawn of the same dimensions accepted in its place. Cockburn sets its specification in Section 3 of its Fire Control Order.

Slashing cuts growth down. It does not, by itself, produce bare mineral earth. So before you book anyone, read the requirement in your notice and send it with your enquiry. We will tell you plainly whether it is a job we can do, rather than cut something that will not pass inspection.

Who the rules apply to

Vacant and developed land: Cockburn's requirements apply to all properties, vacant or developed. Kwinana serves its notice on all landowners and occupiers in the City.
Owners who live elsewhere: Owning a block you never visit does not change the obligation. This is the most common way a block ends up non-compliant.
Owners who hire a contractor: Kwinana's notice states that an owner or occupier who engages a contractor is responsible for making sure the finished work meets the notice. Send your contractor the requirement, not just the address.
State Government land: Cockburn notes it cannot act on land owned or managed by the State Government — contact the relevant agency directly.

Getting it done before the deadline

Every landowner in a council area receives the same notice with the same date, so the weeks before it are the busiest of the year for slashing.

01
Find your requirement
Check your council's notice or website for your block size. Note the date and whether you need a height limit, a firebreak, or both.
02
Send it with photos
Use the enquiry form: the address, the approximate block size, photos showing how tall the growth is, and the requirement from your notice.
03
Get it cut — and keep it cut
Both councils require the work to be maintained through the season, not just done once. Regrowth after spring rain can put a compliant block back over 50 mm, so a follow-up cut or a regular mow may be needed.

If you can't meet the requirement

Both councils allow you to apply to vary how a firebreak is placed when the standard requirement is impractical — Cockburn through a variation application, Kwinana through its 'Application to Vary Location and Type of Firebreaks' form, which its 2025/26 notice required by 31 October. A variation has to be approved in writing; without one, the notice applies in full.

Firebreak season FAQs

When do firebreaks need to be done in the City of Cockburn?

By 1 November each year, and maintained until 15 April the following year. The City's Fire Control Officers inspect properties during that period.

When do firebreaks need to be done in the City of Kwinana?

The 2025/26 notice required works on rural land by 1 December 2025, maintained up to and including 31 May 2026. Urban land must comply all year round. Check the City's current notice for the 2026/27 dates.

How short does the grass have to be?

On smaller blocks in both councils, long grass and weeds must be cut to 50 mm or lower across the whole property. In Cockburn that applies under 4,047 m²; in Kwinana's 2025/26 notice, under 3,500 m².

What is the fine for not having a firebreak?

Kwinana's notice states that failing to comply is an offence with a penalty of up to $5,000, and the City may carry out the work and charge the owner for it. Check your own council's notice for its penalties.

Does my block need a firebreak if it is vacant?

Yes. Cockburn's requirements apply to all properties, vacant or developed, and Kwinana's notice is served on all landowners. Vacant blocks are the ones most often found non-compliant, because nobody is there to notice the growth.

Can Kiss My Grass slash my block for the firebreak deadline?

Kiss My Grass slashes overgrown blocks across Perth's southern suburbs, including Cockburn and Kwinana, and you do not need to be there. Send the address, block size, photos and the requirement from your notice, and book early — the weeks before each deadline fill first.

Get your block cut before the deadline

Send the address, block size, a photo of the growth and the requirement from your council's notice. We'll quote it upfront.