Planning a construction project is a lot of work - you’ll need to think about a whole range of different issues such as:
- The legal point of discharge
- Flooding (if you live in a flood zone)
- Dial Before You Dig
If you’re building in the outskirts, suburbs or in a regional area, you may need to add yet another step to the planning process: namely, the bushfire attack level.
Bushfire is a fact of life for many Australians, especially those living in more remote areas of the country.
Given recent events (as well as the fact that we’re in the middle of winter) it’s easy to have forgotten. If you’re planning on building in the near future however, it’s something that you can’t afford to overlook!
Step 1: determining whether or not the property is in a bushfire-prone area
The first thing a building surveyor needs to do when planning a project is to determine whether or not they’re in a bushfire-prone area to begin with.
Designated bushfire-prone areas are areas that either have a history of being subject to bushfires, or are determined to be at a high risk owing to their location, vegetation, or weather conditions.
Bushfire-prone areas are identified by the state government, and can be identified using a free planning property report from the relevant state agency (down here in Victoria, it’s VicPlan).
This report lists a range of important information such as:
- Property details and information
- Bushfire Prone Area status
- A map showing the extent of the designated bushfire prone area relative to the property
Important to note is that one thing this report doesn’t outline is minimum construction standards.
That comes with the Bushfire Attack Level assessment report, a completely separate document that’s essential for the construction planning process.
Designated bushfire-prone areas are areas that either have a history of being subject to bushfires, or are determined to be at a high risk owing to their location, vegetation, or weather conditions.
Bushfire-prone areas are identified by the state government, and can be identified using a free planning property report from the relevant state agency (down here in Victoria, it’s VicPlan).
This report lists a range of important information such as:
- Property details and information
- Bushfire Prone Area status
- A map showing the extent of the designated bushfire prone area relative to the property
Important to note is that one thing this report doesn’t outline is minimum construction standards.
That comes with the Bushfire Attack Level assessment report, a completely separate document that’s essential for the construction planning process.
Step 2: getting your Bushfire Attack Levels report
Implemented following the Black Saturday Fires, Bushfire Attack Levels (BAL) are a system devised to protect properties from ember attack, radiant heat as well as direct flame exposure.
There are six bushfire levels under this system, as defined by the National Compliance Code (NCC) ranging from minimal risk to high risk of direct exposure to flames.
These levels are based on four factors:
1. The region where you lives
2. The vegetation (type and volume) surrounding your property
3. The distance from your home to nearby vegetation
4. Slope on the property
(What are the 6 bushfire attack levels? You can click here to get caught up!)
On top of assessing your risk of fire, a Bushfire Attack Level assessment report also prescribes specific construction requirements to protect your home from the most likely risks.
And that’s what we’re here to talk about today.
There are six bushfire levels under this system, as defined by the National Compliance Code (NCC) ranging from minimal risk to high risk of direct exposure to flames.
These levels are based on four factors:
1. The region where you lives
2. The vegetation (type and volume) surrounding your property
3. The distance from your home to nearby vegetation
4. Slope on the property
(What are the 6 bushfire attack levels? You can click here to get caught up!)
On top of assessing your risk of fire, a Bushfire Attack Level assessment report also prescribes specific construction requirements to protect your home from the most likely risks.
And that’s what we’re here to talk about today.
Building in bushfire-prone area reports doesn’t always mean a high BAL
These are two completely separate reports that focus on different things.
As an example, you might be building in the middle of a bushfire-prone area - however, your BAL may actually state that your parcel of land is at low risk!
There are a number of reasons this may be the case:
- There may be natural barriers between your parcel of land and fire risks
- Uphill slopes increase radiant heat and fire intensity, increasing fire risk
- Some types of vegetation pose a higher fire risk than others
The only way to know is to order both reports before planning.
And speaking of which...
As an example, you might be building in the middle of a bushfire-prone area - however, your BAL may actually state that your parcel of land is at low risk!
There are a number of reasons this may be the case:
- There may be natural barriers between your parcel of land and fire risks
- Uphill slopes increase radiant heat and fire intensity, increasing fire risk
- Some types of vegetation pose a higher fire risk than others
The only way to know is to order both reports before planning.
And speaking of which...
Step 3: planning your project
Once your BAL report comes back in, you and your builder can start putting together a plan for your project that keeps the property safe.
All homes in bushfire-prone areas are required to be built to a minimum BAL 12.5 standard - whether or not your plan will need to include other features depends on your Bushfire Attack Level assessment report.
For example, at higher BAL rating:
- You’ll need to sealed roof junctions and edges
- Roof sarking is mandatory
- Non-combustible coverings are needed to cover gaps and potential entry points in your roof
- Roof-mounted air conditioners are explicitly banned
And that’s just for your roof - you may also have to follow special construction requirements for other parts of your home like external walls, doors, windows frames and more.
A Bushfire Attack level Assessment is crucial in helping you prepare a plan that ticks each of these boxes.
All homes in bushfire-prone areas are required to be built to a minimum BAL 12.5 standard - whether or not your plan will need to include other features depends on your Bushfire Attack Level assessment report.
For example, at higher BAL rating:
- You’ll need to sealed roof junctions and edges
- Roof sarking is mandatory
- Non-combustible coverings are needed to cover gaps and potential entry points in your roof
- Roof-mounted air conditioners are explicitly banned
And that’s just for your roof - you may also have to follow special construction requirements for other parts of your home like external walls, doors, windows frames and more.
A Bushfire Attack level Assessment is crucial in helping you prepare a plan that ticks each of these boxes.
Get the property information and land data you need with PSI!
The Bushfire Attack Level in Victoria is only one of the things that needs to be considered when planning a construction project
Whether you’re a landowner, developer or builder, property information is key when building - a Bushfire Attack Level assessment is only one of them.
Unfortunately, this can also make the property information search an incredibly long and tedious process.
Fortunately, the process of getting the property information you need to begin your project doesn’t have to take hours and hours anymore.
PSI’s automated document search takes the grunt work out of getting your property information reports.
Instead of having to contact different databases, providers and government agencies individually, getting the information you need is as simple as:
1. Creating a profile
2. Selecting the information you need from a drop-down
3. Waiting
Instead of wasting time chasing up emails and waiting for phone calls, you will be able to shift your focus elsewhere.
Save yourself the time and the effort - click here to begin your search, with just an address!
Need assistance? Get in touch with our team.
Unfortunately, this can also make the property information search an incredibly long and tedious process.
Fortunately, the process of getting the property information you need to begin your project doesn’t have to take hours and hours anymore.
PSI’s automated document search takes the grunt work out of getting your property information reports.
Instead of having to contact different databases, providers and government agencies individually, getting the information you need is as simple as:
1. Creating a profile
2. Selecting the information you need from a drop-down
3. Waiting
Instead of wasting time chasing up emails and waiting for phone calls, you will be able to shift your focus elsewhere.
Save yourself the time and the effort - click here to begin your search, with just an address!
Need assistance? Get in touch with our team.
The information in this article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. As with all things property, we strongly recommend consulting a professional to ensure that all stages of your building project (including the Title search) go smoothly.