Since 2007 an application to conduct fuel reduction burning was not only compulsory but also costly. It was decided at a council meeting last week that fees would be waived except for the cost of advertising the development application in the local newspaper.

"Following the devastating Victorian bushfires earlier this year, it's even more vital for everyone to do what they can to reduce fire risk on their properties," Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said.

"A sound fire risk plan is essential for anyone living in a rural or semi- rural area and waiving the fees will make it easier for property owners to prepare their land."

The changes will typically apply to properties within a scenic protection area, as defined in the Launceston Planning Scheme.

During the last fire season Launceston was plagued by scrub fires on a daily basis, some which came close to homes at Ravenswood, Rocherlea and Waverley.

Lilydale resident Don Smith said he had been conducting fuel reduction burns on his property for more than 30 years and despite the reduction in fees, the restrictions and red-tape were too stringent for rural and semi-rural residents.

"Some of us have been out here all our lives and we know how to manage our own properties but these laws stop us being able to do that," he said.

Launceston City Council general manager Frank Dixon said the application process was important to ensure the safety of the environment and the residents.

"We have a particle air pollution challenge given that we are in a valley," Mr Dixon said.

"And we need to maintain a balance between protecting properties and ensuring we have clean air. "People will have experienced the discomfort caused by burnoffs under certain weather conditions where the smoke lingers."

A spokesperson from the Department of Environmental Health said the application for a by-law exemption was necessary to control burning of certain materials.

"People can apply for an exemption from the by-law and the application is assessed and that is followed by an inspection by a council officer."

The Launceston City Council has received 105 applications over the past year, of those only four were refused on the grounds that the material, including plastic and large green logs, was inappropriate to be burned.