Before buying a block and subdividing, it is very important to know if your lot is affected by or is in a bushfire prone area. If your lot is within a bushfire prone area, you may need to prepare a Bushfire Management Plan for a subdivision or development. There may also be additional construction requirements due to the sites Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) which could increase the costs of your project.
How do I know if my lot is in a Bushfire Prone Area? To find out if your property is within a bushfire prone area, visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) website’s mapping system here and search your address HERE. If your lot is within the pink area (even if it only goes over a corner of your site) your site is classified as being within a Bushfire Prone Area.
A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment or BAL Contour Map is required for the development projects creating habitable buildings if the development is located in a designated bushfire prone area (as identified in pink on the Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas). Please note that your property is considered to be within the bushfire prone area even if only a small portion of your property is in the highlighted pink area.
For subdivision applications in particular, a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment will be required to accompany your Form 1A application to the WAPC. If the BAL rating is Low, then the BAL Certificate will suffice for their application. However, if the rating is BAL12.5 to BAL 29, the applicant will be required to commission a BAL contour map and a Bushfire Management Plan (BFMP) to accompany the application to the WAPC. If this is not completed, your application will not be processed and can be rejected.
Subdivisions in BAL-40 to BAL-FZ (Flame Zone) areas will not be supported unless the proposal is considered to be either minor development or unavoidable development.
If a BAL Contour Map has been prepared for a previous subdivision approval, this may be used in place of a BAL assessment where the decision-maker is satisfied the BAL Contour Map is sufficient. The BAL Assessment can be prepared by your Bushfire Consultant
Under the Building Code of Australia, additional building construction requirements apply to residential buildings (Class 1, 2 and 3 buildings and associated Class 10a buildings and decks) in a designated bushfire prone area, regardless of the site area. These additional requirements will add to the construction cost of your subdivision project so it is worth noting from the start or at least getting a good idea from your building consultant as to what additional costs you may incur.
If you have any questions about subdividing in bushfire prone areas and how it may affect your project, we will be happy to assist. Please call Vision Surveys Consulting, Perth’s subdivision specialists on (08) 6144 0000 or email info@visionsc.com.au