Farmers given green light to drive unregistered firefighting vehicles

The registration exemption has been introduced by the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) in partnership with Transport for NSW to help rural firefighting efforts during the bushfire season and will be in play until March 31.

During the trial, farmers will be able to drive unregistered vehicles carrying firefighting equipment within a 100 kilometre radius of their home to get to the fire ahead of emergency services.

Farm fire fighting vehicles (FFFVs) tend to be vehicles used to move around farm properties and not on public roads, and therefore may not be registered.

Wagga farming contractor Cam Dooner says while it comes as good news, he does question the safety of those vehicles.

"When there is a fire every resource should be used to get it under control as quickly as possible because by the time RFS get there, something could be done beforehand to at least get it under bay," he said.

"We had a header fire this year and we had a farmer's vehicle there to hold the fire at bay until the RFS got there and if not for that it would have been a total loss.

"That's not to say that they got there slowly, it's just logistics of that extra half an hour of getting the call in and getting them out.

"The other thing is, farmers know each other's properties whereas the RFS may have trouble finding the place straight away."

That said, Mr Dooner believed there was a dangerous element to it despite guidelines stating it needed to be a well-maintained vehicle.

"Without that formal mechanic checking it there's always a chance something could go wrong," he said.

Mr Dooner said they also needed clearer guidelines around insurance and liability.

Local RFS volunteer and farmer Tony Clough has been calling for private farm firefighting apparatuses to get the government's tick of approval for emergency situations for 15 to 20 years.

Mr Clough said while it was a step forward, he had reservations when it came to the guidelines and was concerned around the safety of the farmer.

He said farmers needed to ensure they had the correct personal protective equipment at hand when fighting fires and hoped to see them following the guidelines.

"It has happened before where someone has been burnt because they weren't wearing the appropriate clothing," he said.

Mr Clough said he believed the vehicles should undergo inspections and farmers should receive training and a copy of the Farm Fire Unit Operation Guide booklet.

"It's a step forward, but I'm not completely happy with the compliance aspect of it," he said.

As well as staying within a 100 kilometre radius of the storage address, the vehicle must be maintained in a safe operating condition and have fire-fighting equipment permanently attached to be eligible for the exemption.

NSW Minister for Roads John Graham said for the duration of the trial farmers would see the removal of red tape that would allow them to ready vehicles for protecting land, property, stocks and crops.

"The mosquito fleet, as it's affectionately known, has been an incredible asset for regional, rural and remote areas and I am glad the Labor government is supporting the farmers to continue their vital, life-saving work," he said.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said February and March could prove challenging months for bush and grass fires.

"It is expected this exemption will make it easier for landholders to fight fires on or near their properties," he said.

RFS commissioner Rob Rogers said the exemption would lead to an integrated relationship between farmers and the RFS, leveraging all available resources and the expertise and dedication of farmers in safeguarding their communities.

For further information and to nominate a vehicle for the trial, visit nswroads.work/fffv.