About The BPA – Bushfire Prone Areas


Bushfire Prone Areas are areas that are subject to or likely to be subject to bushfires.

Development in designated Bushfire Prone Areas such as new residential buildings, schools, child care centres, hospitals, aged care facilities and associated buildings, and extensions or outbuildings closer than 6m to a require a minimum construction standard to be determined know as a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL).

About BAL – Bushfire Attack Level


A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) is a way of measuring the severity of a building’s potential exposure to ember attack, radiant heat and direct flame contact.

There are six Bushfire Attack Levels that form part of the Australian Standard for construction of buildings in bushfire prone areas (AS 3959-2009):

  • BAL-LOW
  • BAL-12.5
  • BAL-19
  • BAL-29
  • BAl-40
  • BAL-FZ (Flame Zone)

A minimum Bushfire Attack Level of 12.5 is required in these areas in Victoria.

About the BMO (Bushfire Management Overlay)


The BMO – Bushfire Management Overlay

The purpose of the BMO is to ensure that the development of land prioritises the protection of human life and strengthens community resilience to bushfire, to ensure that the location, design and construction of development appropriately responds to the bushfire hazard, that development is only permitted where the risk to life, property and community infrstructer can be reduced to an acceptable level and to specifu location, design and construction measures fo a single dwelling that reduces the bushfire risk to life and property to an acceptable level.

What is Clause 44.06 Bushfire Management Overlay

The area where the Bushfire Management Overlay applies is shown on a map and written provisions which set out the planning scheme requirements.

The areas where it applies are shown as either BMO or WMO. These areas have the potential for extreme bushfire behaviour.  You can check if your property has a BMO by going to www.land.vic.gov.au or contact us and we can check for you

What Development is affected by the  BMO

A planning permit is required to construct a building or construct or carry out works associated with the following land uses:

  • Accommodation (including a Dependent person’s unit)
  • Child care centre
  • Education centre
  • Hospital
  • Industry
  • Leisure and recreation
  • Office
  • Place of assembly
  • Retail premises
  • Timber production

A planning permit is also required to subdivide land.

Exemptions

  • An alteration or extension to an existing dwelling that is less than 50 per cent of the gross floor area of the existing dwelling.
  • An alteration or extension to any building (except a dwelling or dependent person’s unit) that is less than 10 per cent of the gross floor area of the existing building

Get In Touch

Email us at [email protected] or call 0409 027 450 for more info on how we can help with your project.