Bushfire Shutters

Building in a Bushfire Area

Bush fire is a major challenge for the community. It has been a natural part of our landscape for thousands of years and remains an ever-present threat. All developments on land that is designated as bush fire prone have a legal obligation to consider bush fire and meet the requirements of Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006and AS3959 – 2009.

This part of the website contains information that promotes an understanding of bush fire behaviour, bush fire assessment reports and the legal framework that governs the planning process for proposed developments on bush fire prone land in NSW. Information within this section is relevant to current and future home owners, developers, planners, councils, fire authorities and other government organisations.

Planning for Bush Fire Protection

This section provides a basic background to the document Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006. It also provides information regarding the origin of current bush fire requirements, the meaning of bush fire prone land and the options available in getting assistance with bush fire related matters. The following pages are provided in this section:

Why consider bush fire?
What is a bush fire prone area?
How to use Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006
Acceptable Solutions and Performance Criteria
Where can I get help?
Dictionary
FAQ’s

Types of Development

The classification of a particular development type on bush fire prone land will influence the applicable protection measures and the way that the application is assessed. This section addresses the following development types:

Complying Development
Infill and Other (Building Construction and Additions)
Residential Subdivision
Special Fire Protection Purpose
Major Projects
Local Environment Plans
Development Control Plans

Legal Obligations

This section provides information regarding the legal framework that is relevant to developing on bush fire prone land. This section also addresses the requirements for a bush fire report and the assessment time frames for the NSW Rural Fire Service to process development applications. The following pages are provided in this section:

Legislative Requirements
Submission Requirements
Assessment Timeframes
Qualified Consultants

Bush Fire Protection Measures

There are a number of bush fire protection measures that can be incorporated in to a proposed development to minimise the bush fire impact on life and property. The six bush fire protection measures that are addressed in Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006 and in this section include:

Asset Protection Zones
Access
Building Construction & Design
Water Supply & Utilities
Landscaping
Emergency Management Arrangements

In order to appreciate how each of the above protection measures work, a basic understanding of bush fire behaviour and bush fire impact is required. This information can also be found in this section.

Tools for Assessment

This section provides information regarding the currently available tools developed by the NSW Rural Fire Service for the assessment of proposed developments on bush fire prone land. The following information is provided in this section: