Bushfire Services
If your project is within a Bushfire Prone area, you will need a report addressing the bushfire risk. What report you need and the best way to comply can be confusing. Do you need a BAL, BMP, BEEP, BRMP? This is where EcoForm can help. We have a range of consultants from many backgrounds that can explain the requirements and make sure you are getting the report you need for your project.
Bushfire Services
If your project is within a Bushfire Prone area, you will need a report addressing the bushfire risk. What report you need and the best way to comply can be confusing. Do you need a BAL, BMP, BEEP, BRMP? This is where EcoForm can help. We have a range of consultants from many backgrounds that can explain the requirements and make sure you are getting the report you need for your project.
Why Is Bushfire Planning Important?
Fire conditions to which a proposed or existing development may be exposed can be predicted, and appropriate measures are taken to ensure the best chance of property survival and the safety of occupants during a bushfire event.
Thus, bushfire planning allows us to predict and help minimise the effects of a bushfire. A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) report will indicate which level of attack your project is likely to come under and prescribe the building requirements from the Australian Standard 3959 (AS 3959), which can help prevent losing a building to bushfire.
Why Is Bushfire Planning Important?
Fire conditions to which a proposed or existing development may be exposed can be predicted, and appropriate measures are taken to ensure the best chance of property survival and the safety of occupants during a bushfire event.
Thus, bushfire planning allows us to predict and help minimise the effects of a bushfire. A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) report will indicate which level of attack your project is likely to come under and prescribe the building requirements from the Australian Standard 3959 (AS 3959), which can help prevent losing a building to bushfire.
Need Expert Advice On Energy Efficiency
Or Bushfire Planning?
Talk to one of our team to find out how EcoForm can help with
your next project.
Need Expert Advice On
Energy Efficiency
Or Bushfire Planning?
Talk to one of our team to find out how EcoForm can help with
your next project.
What to Consider in Bushfire Planning
During a bushfire event, a house can be subject to three different modes of attack:
- Embers and burning debris;
- Heat radiation; and
- Direct flame attack.
In their investigation of the houses lost in the 2011 Roleystone and Kelmscott bushfires in Western Australia, the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia stated ‘the homes that suffered direct flame contact or radiant heat damage as a consequence of the bushfire did so because the BPZ was not appropriate.’
A BPZ, now referred to as an APZ or Asset Protection Zone, ensures that buildings have a wide buffer from bushfire-prone vegetation. A building with standard construction methods is unlikely to survive a direct flame attack. Therefore, it is vital that the landscape of the area around the building is modified to ensure the safety of the building and protect against direct flame contact.
Additionally, it is important to identify the residual risk after any vegetation modification and ensure the construction standards of the proposed house match the risk. The construction standard is usually determined by the Australian Standard – AS3959 or the NASH standard – for steel-framed buildings. While building to these standards does not guarantee a building will be safe in a bushfire, it will reduce the risk of damage to a building during a bushfire event.
Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Assessments
A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Assessment measures the severity of a building’s potential exposure to ember attack, radiant heat and direct flame contact in a bushfire event, thereby determining the construction measures required for the dwelling.
The BAL assessment considers several factors, including the Fire Danger Index, the land’s slope, vegetation types and how close it is to the proposed building.
Once a BAL is calculated, building construction requirements can be calculated from the relevant sections of the Australian standard to ensure the correct resistance to bushfires. These requirements consider the BAL rating for attack from burning embers, radiant heat and flame contact.
The Bushfire Attack Levels are broken down into six categories:
- BAL Low
- BAL 12.5
- BAL 19
- BAL 29
- BAL 40
- BAL Flame Zone
A house must be built to accommodate the BAL level to assist in the survival of a house during a bushfire event. Each of these can add costs to your building costs, so it is important to get a qualified person to prepare a report that recognises the most cost-effective assessment method. To ensure you are getting the best result, our BAL assessments are carried out by FPAA accredited consultants.
Bushfire Management Plans (BMP)
A Bushfire Management Plan (BMP) is used to assess a proposal against State Planning Policy 3.7 (SPP 3.7). This is required when a project falls within a bushfire-prone area and involves either a development approval or subdivision of land.
As well as establishing a BAL level, a BMP will determine if the site is in a suitable area to manage the bushfire risk, whether it can attain a suitable BAL level (Usually BAL 29 or below) if there is suitable access to and from the site, and if there is a suitable water supply for fire fighting.
Our in-house Bushfire Practitioners assess the property, advise how to comply with SPP3.7, and provide a report demonstrating compliance that is suitable for lodgement with the Local Council or WAPC. Fully accredited with the Fire Protection Association Australia (FPAA), our reports are accepted throughout Western Australia.
Contact us for pricing, advice or just a chat about your bushfire requirements.
Bushfire Emergency Evacuation Plans (BEEP)
A development classified as ‘Vulnerable Use’ needs additional bushfire protection measures and hence requires assessment against the Vulnerable Use provisions of State Planning Policy 3.7 and the development of a Bushfire Emergency Evacuation Plan (BEEP) template and diagram.
The intent of a Bushfire Evacuation Plan is to provide strategic guidance to the owners and occupants of the subject property to assist with preparation for a future bushfire event and provide guidance in the event of a bushfire threatening the property.
It is a document specifically designed for vulnerable persons who do not have the experience to accurately determine the potential risk of a bushfire and what actions to take in the event of a bushfire. Therefore emphasis is placed on the safety of lives rather than the preservation of property.
Bushfire Risk Management Plans (BRMP)
A Bushfire Risk Management Plan (BRMP) is a method of identifying, assessing and treating the bushfire risk a project may be subject to. This may be undertaken to allow asset owners a high-level view of the risk to their assets or may be to support a planning application.
The most common reason a BRMP would be required to accompany a Development Application is if a project is defined as high risk, for example, a fuel station within a bushfire-prone area. Secondly, if a project is defined as vulnerable use and cannot meet the acceptable solutions of State Planning Policy 3.7, a BRMP may be developed to show that the risk is managed by implementing an alternative to the acceptable solution.
What to Consider in Bushfire Planning
During a bushfire event, a house can be subject to three different modes of attack:
- Embers and burning debris;
- Heat radiation; and
- Direct flame attack.
In their investigation of the houses lost in the 2011 Roleystone and Kelmscott bushfires in Western Australia, the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia stated ‘the homes that suffered direct flame contact or radiant heat damage as a consequence of the bushfire did so because the BPZ was not appropriate.’
A BPZ, now referred to as an APZ or Asset Protection Zone, ensures that buildings have a wide buffer from bushfire-prone vegetation. A building with standard construction methods is unlikely to survive a direct flame attack. Therefore, it is vital that the landscape of the area around the building is modified to ensure the safety of the building and protect against direct flame contact.
Additionally, it is important to identify the residual risk after any vegetation modification and ensure the construction standards of the proposed house match the risk. The construction standard is usually determined by the Australian Standard – AS3959 or the NASH standard – for steel-framed buildings. While building to these standards does not guarantee a building will be safe in a bushfire, it will reduce the risk of damage to a building during a bushfire event.
Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Assessments
A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Assessment measures the severity of a building’s potential exposure to ember attack, radiant heat and direct flame contact in a bushfire event, thereby determining the construction measures required for the dwelling.
The BAL assessment considers several factors, including the Fire Danger Index, the land’s slope, vegetation types and how close it is to the proposed building.
Once a BAL is calculated, building construction requirements can be calculated from the relevant sections of the Australian standard to ensure the correct resistance to bushfires. These requirements consider the BAL rating for attack from burning embers, radiant heat and flame contact.
The Bushfire Attack Levels are broken down into six categories:
- BAL Low
- BAL 12.5
- BAL 19
- BAL 29
- BAL 40
- BAL Flame Zone
A house must be built to accommodate the BAL level to assist in the survival of a house during a bushfire event. Each of these can add costs to your building costs, so it is important to get a qualified person to prepare a report that recognises the most cost-effective assessment method. To ensure you are getting the best result, our BAL assessments are carried out by FPAA accredited consultants.
Bushfire Management Plans (BMP)
A Bushfire Management Plan (BMP) is used to assess a proposal against State Planning Policy 3.7 (SPP 3.7). This is required when a project falls within a bushfire-prone area and involves either a development approval or subdivision of land.
As well as establishing a BAL level, a BMP will determine if the site is in a suitable area to manage the bushfire risk, whether it can attain a suitable BAL level (Usually BAL 29 or below) if there is suitable access to and from the site, and if there is a suitable water supply for fire fighting.
Our in-house Bushfire Practitioners assess the property, advise how to comply with SPP3.7, and provide a report demonstrating compliance that is suitable for lodgement with the Local Council or WAPC. Fully accredited with the Fire Protection Association Australia (FPAA), our reports are accepted throughout Western Australia.
Contact us for pricing, advice or just a chat about your bushfire requirements.
Bushfire Emergency Evacuation Plans (BEEP)
A development classified as ‘Vulnerable Use’ needs additional bushfire protection measures and hence requires assessment against the Vulnerable Use provisions of State Planning Policy 3.7 and the development of a Bushfire Emergency Evacuation Plan (BEEP) template and diagram.
The intent of a Bushfire Evacuation Plan is to provide strategic guidance to the owners and occupants of the subject property to assist with preparation for a future bushfire event and provide guidance in the event of a bushfire threatening the property.
It is a document specifically designed for vulnerable persons who do not have the experience to accurately determine the potential risk of a bushfire and what actions to take in the event of a bushfire. Therefore emphasis is placed on the safety of lives rather than the preservation of property.
Bushfire Risk Management Plans (BRMP)
A Bushfire Risk Management Plan (BRMP) is a method of identifying, assessing and treating the bushfire risk a project may be subject to. This may be undertaken to allow asset owners a high-level view of the risk to their assets or may be to support a planning application.
The most common reason a BRMP would be required to accompany a Development Application is if a project is defined as high risk, for example, a fuel station within a bushfire-prone area. Secondly, if a project is defined as vulnerable use and cannot meet the acceptable solutions of State Planning Policy 3.7, a BRMP may be developed to show that the risk is managed by implementing an alternative to the acceptable solution.
Contact The EcoForm
Team Today
Contact The EcoForm
Team Today
Why Choose EcoForm?
When you work with EcoForm, you are partnering with experts in sustainability, energy efficiency and bushfire risk management. We are more than consultants; we are part of your team. We guarantee to give you the most up-to-date advice, personal service and competitive pricing, just as if you had access to in-house energy efficiency and bushfire specialists.
Email your plans to admin@ecoform.com.au for a quote, or call 1300 372 846
