Melbourne

No, it's basically just fires in the open outside. So no outdoor cooking fires, fires to get rid of garden waste etc. There are also restrictions on things like using grinders which can create sparks and start a fire.

It would also be possible in some circumstances to get a permit to be allowed to have a fire, so if you did have a religious or cultural ceremony requiring fire you may be able to get permission to do so (you would need to have a good reason and show you have taken precautions to ensure the fire can't spread).

Either do indoors safely or don't do it today. Religious exemptions for fire use don't exist when the risk to everyone else is so high.

It's Australia in Summer. There's zero sympathy for religious use of flame. Bush Fire is deadly and if your religious candle causes a bush fire and kills people and destroys homes then the courts will hit you with everything.

There's no reason you can't wait a week until extreme fire danger has passed.

We've had too many deaths to start making excuses

Do it indoors if at all. The fire ban applies to outdoor fires that might get out of control. Look up Black Saturday fires in Victoria and NSW. And Ash Wednesday. And Black Friday. These are just the ones with a lot of publicity. There are plenty of others. The bush burns in weather like this given the slightest excuse - deal with it. Do you want to be responsible for multiple deaths and a whole lotta destruction? If so, you're on your own, as every occult practitioner and emergency services worker will be sending curses your way. I might even be one of them.
Rusty Raven works in the industry and knows what's what.