87Criteria for formation of forestry industry brigades

87 Criteria for formation of forestry industry brigades

(1) The Authority must have regard to the criteria under this regulation in determining whether to require a relevant owner or group of relevant owners to form a forestry industry brigade for a designated area.

(2) If the aggregate plantation holdings of a relevant owner or group of relevant owners in the designated area are 10 000 hectares or more, the Authority must be satisfied that there is no other forestry industry brigade in another designated area that is able and willing to provide adequate services for the suppression of fires and the saving of life at fires in the designated area.

(3) If the aggregate plantation holdings of a relevant owner or group of relevant owners in the designated area are less than 10 000 hectares, the Authority must be satisfied that—

(a) the aggregate plantation holdings of the relevant owner or group of relevant owners are 500 hectares or more; and

(b) there is no other forestry industry brigade in another designated area that is able and willing to provide adequate services for the suppression of fires in the designated area; and

(c) the formation of the forestry industry brigade is appropriate having regard to the following—

(i) the adequacy of existing fire detection systems;

(ii) the first attack capability of the proposed brigade;

(iii) the apparatus available for undertaking the responsibilities of a forestry industry brigade;

(iv) the availability of competent persons to become members of the brigade;

(v) the fire suppression capacity of any other brigade in the designated area;

(vi) the fire hazard characteristics of the designated area.