THE STATE Government is encouraging farmers to take part in a trial that exempts farm vehicles used to fight fires from registration.

Under the trial, participants can nominate a Farm Fire Fighting Vehicle (FFFV), or a vehicle used for firefighting purposes, to respond to emergency bush fire incidents on public roads within 100km of their home.

FFFVs might be utility vehicles fitted out with hoses and other firefighting equipment.

Typically, these vehicles are not used outside the farm, so they are generally not registered.

The trial is testing the use of the unregistered vehicles on public roads to access fire-impacted areas.

An initial trial was run of the arrangement between December 2023 and March this year.

The second trial will run from 13 December 2024 to 31 March 2025.

As the second trial approaches, Transport for NSW, the NSW Rural Fire Service and NSW Farmers are working together to continue to examine ways to introduce a permanent scheme.

“If a fire breaks out on a private property, we want landholders to have options at their disposal to help stop it spreading and this trial is a commonsense solution to help fight fires,” Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said.

“Landholders play an important role in fighting bush and grass fires in rural areas and often work alongside Rural Fire Service volunteers and other emergency responders to keep fires at bay.

“This change is something the RFS and advocacy groups such as NSW Farmers have been calling for, and I encourage more farmers to trial it, so we have the information we need to find a longer-term solution.”

Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Gurmesh Singh expressed frustration that the Government has opted for a second trial to run instead of officially implementing the scheme.

“In paddocks and sheds across regional New South Wales, there’s an army of privately owned firefighting assets known as the ‘mosquito fleet’,” Mr Singh said.

“They are ready to swarm and help contain a blaze, but they are stuck in red tape because they are not always registered.

“We are now well into the bushfire season, and we need the Minns Government to urgently deliver on its promise and offer a conditional rego, to give our communities every available resource at their disposal.”

Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Dave Layzell said regional communities are being put at risk. “Farm Fire Fighting Vehicles tend to be used around the farm and not on public roads, which is why the conditional registration will be a good way to allow them attend nearby fires, without the high cost of a full registration,” Mr Layzell said.

“We don’t want a situation where landholders are deterred from helping in an emergency because the Government was too slow to act on making these changes permanent.

“Although we agree safety needs to be a top priority, the Minister needs to explain how this second trial will be different. It just seems to be an unnecessary step preventing crucial firefighting support.”

To nominate a Farm Fire Fighting Vehicle for the trial, farmers can visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/vehicle-registration/unregistered-vehicles/when-you-can-drive-an-unregistered-vehicle#toc-farm-fire-fighting-vehicle-trial