The council is mailing out 23,000 RFS Bush Firewise Action Plans this week, which provide a guide to how best prepares.

Mayor Duncan Gair is asking residents and business owners to complete the action plans and make their property bushfire ready.

The National Climate Centre has predicted a long dry summer and the message from Wingecarribee RFS district manager superintendent Ashley Frank is to take responsibility.

“The most fundamental things you can do include clearing vegetation from around your home and removing potentially flammable rubbish,” he said.

One of the complaints from residents after the Victorian fires was council regulations prevented residents clearing their land and creating adequate safety zones around their homes.

“The Council in no way wants to see the loss of life through bureaucratic measures. Residents have a right to build on their land and have a comfortable safety zone,” Cr Gair said.

Cr Gair said the lessons from the Victorian fires need to be heeded and the action plan was designed to raise the level of awareness, particularly in bushfire prone areas.

“There is always danger and while you can never fully fireproof an area like Wingecarribee Shire, you can take precautions to make property safe,” he said.

Superintendent Frank dismissed claims the RFS had not been adequately funded for hazard reduction burns.

“The RFS has recieved unprecedented funding,” he said.

Superintendent Frank said all the recommendations of the Black Saturday enquiry would be been assessed by the RFS.

He warned a busy summer could lie ahead for firefighters.

“We are still well down on rainfall and head into the bushfire danger period this week,” he said.

“I urge everyone to work through the simple checklist to ensure they are ready for what looks like being a dangerous bushfire season.”