DIY activities – time to clean up your own backyard

THE change of seasons traditionally means a change in the weather conditions, including cooler days and nights.

Thus far, we’ve seen a continuation of the mild to warm days of summer with the addition of strong winds and cooler evenings.

While we wait for the breaking rains of autumn, we need to be mindful that these conditions pose fire risks, with fire restrictions still in force.

The latest update from the Bureau of Meteorology predicts a warmer than average period from April to June across the south east of the country.

While eastern parts of Victoria are likely to be wetter than average, most of the country has roughly equal chances of being wetter or drier than average over the next three months.

With population numbers around the Bellarine region swelling over the school holidays, it is very important that people are aware of what they can and can’t do and to keep an eye on the fire danger ratings, especially if camping in our campgrounds and national parks. Ensure you have downloaded the VicEmergency app and set your watch zone.

At this time of year, we traditionally turn our focus to the big jobs that need doing around the house, yard and property to prepare for winter.

Here are our top tips on tasks to focus on over the next few weeks:

Change your clocks, change your smoke alarm batteries.

With daylight savings now ended for another year, it’s a timely reminder to test and clean your smoke alarms and to change the battery.

Clean the gutters and ensure tree branches are cut back from touching the house. Debris in gutters is fuel for house fires, so it is important they are cleared. Similarly, tree branches become dangerous in windy conditions.

If undertaking landscaping and gardening, choose plants that are suitable to the local environment and conditions. Refer to the Plant Selection Key on the cfa.vic.gov.au website for more information.

Sweep up leaves and debris around the yard. Not only will your property look better for it, but it will help prevent a house fire from spreading.

And always remember to call 000 in the event of a fire or emergency situation. For more information, visit cfa.vic.gov.au

Andrew Mahoney is Chairperson of the Bellarine Group Community Safety Committee.