Saturday night’s gale has left rural and urban areas littered with branches and leaves, just in time for the bushfire season.

Get rid of it, but do it safely is the message from Eurobodalla Rural Fire Service (RFS) community safety officer Paul Cook.

Since the official bushfire season began on September 1, residents must get permits for pile fires or burn-offs.

“We want to encourage people to get rid of that fuel,” Mr Cook said.

“On rural blocks, they need to notify their neighbours and get a permit from the local RFS brigade.

“There is no cost for the permit. The brigade can issue a permit or they may be able to help in some instances.”

He said the RFS might inspect safety measures first, and permits were issued depending on weather conditions and forecasts.

Permits could be issued for 28 days but brigades relied on weekly forecasts and preferred to issue permits for shorter periods.

“The people issuing the permits are volunteers, so people sometimes have to wait for them to be available,” he said.

In urban areas, smoke pollution restrictions apply and residents must first get a hazard reduction certificate from the RFS Fire Control Centre in Moruya, before applying for a permit.

Residents in the centres of Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma should approach their NSW Fire Brigade.

Mr Cook said mulching was also an option, with leaves and small branches reduced to piles that rotted down quickly and could be used on the garden.

Mulch should not be left close to buildings.

For details about your local RFS brigade, contact the Eurobodalla office on 4474 2855 or Shoalhaven on 4424 4424.

Meanwhile, Eurobodalla Shire Council’s tips will accept green waste from residential properties free of charge until 3.30pm on Sunday to help residents clear up storm damage.

Council accepted a proposal by general

manager Paul Anderson to develop a policy that addresses the acceptance of green waste after a natural disaster.

“This policy will enable us to automatically accept green waste for a period following severe storms and other natural disasters,” Mr Anderson said.

Council currently processes 5500 tonnes of green waste each year and has recently made shredded green waste available to the community free of charge.