Notice is hereby given that the prohibition on fires in the open air over those parts of the district which are fire districts of the Christchurch Urban Fire Safety Bylaw 2014 for the period from midnight Sunday 29 November 2015 until further notice.
The prohibition applies to those parts of the district which are a Fire District declared as constituted under Section 26 of the Fire Service Act 1975 and these are Brooklands, New Brighton, Sumner, Lyttelton, Governors Bay, Diamond Harbour, Little River and Akaroa and Christchurch Urban Fire Districts (where District is defined as meaning “for which the Council is the territorial authority”). The Council may extend the prohibition.
During any such prohibition no person shall light any fire in the open air and no person being the occupier of any premises shall cause, permit, or suffer any such fire to be lit there or to continue to burn there. The penalty for such an offence is a fine of up to $20,000.
The purpose of the prohibition is to conserve public safety by preventing danger from fire.
Note: The Council may at any time, where in its opinion special reason exists or may exist to prevent the outbreak or spread of fire, prohibit the lighting of fires in the open air for any specified additional period of time within all or any districts of the city as listed above.
This prohibition does not apply to:
1. Any barbeque, pizza oven or hangi provided –
(a) it is not likely to constitute a danger to any person or property by reason of its location, risk of spread, inadequate containment, prevailing wind or otherwise; and
(b) there is immediately available a pressurised water supply connected to a hose; and
(c) it is adequately supervised.
2. Any fire in the open air in respect of which the occupier of the land upon which the fire is situated has obtained from the Council an exemption from the prohibition.
Exemptions may, under Section 15 of the Bylaw, be granted in exceptional circumstances in that:
(a) the fire is urgently required to prevent, reduce or overcome any hazard to life, health, property or the environment; and
(b) the use of fire is the most efficient and effective means to reduce any risk of hazard to life, health, property or the environment.
Applications for exceptions may be made in writing to the Inspections and Enforcement Unit, Civic Offices, PO Box 73013 Christchurch 8154 or at any Council Service Centre. The issue of an exemption is not a legal defence against claims for damage arising by reason of the fire. The responsibility for its control and liability for any damage which may arise lies with the person lighting the fire.
Tracey Weston
Regulatory Compliance Unit Manager