Bushfire Assessment Report
If your lot is mapped as bushfire prone, a bushfire assessment is required and it changes two things: the construction standard your building must meet, expressed as a Bushfire Attack Level, and usually the approval pathway, because bushfire-prone land removes complying development eligibility in most cases. Getting the assessment early is what prevents a redesign.
Free planning consultation
- 2–3 weeks
- Quoted per site - typically from $1,600 + GST
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
Why this is a design input, not a report
The asset protection zone requirement determines how close the building can be to the hazard, which determines where it can sit on the lot. The BAL rating determines the construction specification, which determines cost.
Both are inputs to the design. Treating the bushfire report as a document to obtain at lodgement is how projects end up needing to move the building.
How it works
Mapping check
1 day
Confirm the bushfire prone land classification for the lot.
Site assessment
1–2 weeks
Vegetation, slope and separation assessed to determine BAL and APZ requirements.
Report and integration
2–3 weeks total
Report issued and requirements integrated into the design and the planning case.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- Confirming whether your lot is mapped as bushfire prone
- Coordinating the bushfire assessment and BAL determination
- Advising on the pathway implications before design commits
- Integrating asset protection zone requirements into the site planning
- Managing any Rural Fire Service referral
What you don't have to deal with
- A design that cannot accommodate the required asset protection zone
- Assuming complying development is available on bushfire-prone land
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my land is bushfire prone?
Councils publish bushfire prone land maps and the classification also appears on the planning certificate for the property. It is a quick check and it should be one of the first things established, because the consequences flow through the whole project.
What is a BAL rating?
Bushfire Attack Level is the measure of predicted exposure to radiant heat, ember attack and flame contact, and it determines the construction requirements for the building. Ratings run from BAL-LOW through to BAL-FZ (flame zone), and the construction cost difference across that range is substantial.
Does bushfire-prone land stop me using complying development?
In most cases yes, which pushes the project to a DA. That is one of the most consequential effects of the mapping and it is worth knowing before you plan around a three-week certification.
What is an asset protection zone?
A managed area between the building and the hazard vegetation, maintained to reduce fuel. The required width depends on vegetation, slope and the BAL sought. On smaller or steeper lots the APZ requirement can constrain where the building can sit, which is why it belongs in the site planning rather than being resolved afterwards.
Related approvals
Specialist Reports
Most applications of any size need reports from specialists outside town planning.
BCA & Fire Safety Report
When a building's use changes - a house becoming an office, a warehouse becoming a gym - its Building Code of Australia classification can change with it, and that triggers stricter fire safety requirements around evacuation routes, smoke detection, fire-rated materials and emergency lighting.
Heritage Impact Statement
If your property is a listed heritage item, is in a heritage conservation area, or is adjacent to a heritage item, a Heritage Impact Statement is required with the application.
Traffic Impact Assessment
A traffic impact assessment quantifies the trips a development generates, assesses the effect on the surrounding network and intersections, and demonstrates that parking, servicing and access arrangements work.
Waste Management Plan
Most DAs above a council-set construction value threshold - commonly around $5,000, set locally - need a Waste Management Plan detailing how construction and demolition waste will be sorted, reused, recycled or disposed of, usually against a target diversion-from-landfill rate.
Why clients choose EHUP
- 10+
- 250+
- 17
- 1
Not sure which approval you need?
Tell us the address and what you want to do. We'll help identify the appropriate planning pathway, whether it is exempt development, complying development or a full DA. Your first conversation is free.