All proposed works for dwellings, units, flats, other residential buildings and associated outbuildings must be designed and constructed to reduce the risk of ignition from a bushfire while the fire front passes.

Australian Standard AS 3959-2018 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas includes provision for classifying the level of bushfire attack and defines the required construction for each level.

For further information and to determine if your property is in a Bushfire Prone Area, visit the Land Victoria website.

Application preparation - Bushfire Attack Level (BAL)

When building in a designated bushfire prone area, a Bushfire Assessment Level (BAL) Report must be prepared to determine the bushfire risk and minimum construction requirements in accordance with AS3959 - 2018.

It is recommended that you engage an appropriately qualified and experienced person to prepare the BAL report.  The relevant building surveyor will then assess the BAL report for accuracy and suitability.

It should be noted that where a property is assessed as a BAL - Low the building must be constructed to the standard applicable (BAL - 12.5).

Bushfire area requirements - Wildfire Management Overlay

For properties located in a Wildfire Management Overlay under the Town Planning Scheme, there are further specific requirements.

Contact our Statutory Planning Unit on 03 5272 5272 for further information.

Private bushfire shelters

Regulations have been in place since 11 November 2009, requiring all Private Bushfire Shelters to have a building permit.  A private bushfire shelter is a Class 10c building associated with Class 1 dwelling.  Construction requirements can be found in Regulation 163-166 and performance requirement P.2.3.5 of Volume Two of the BCA.

References

• AS 3959 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas
  Available from SAI Global
• Bushfire Attack Level Assessment Report
  Available on the Victorian Building Authority - bushfires page
• Community Information Sheet - Bushfire bunkers
  Available on the Victorian Building Authority - bushfires page
• Building Regulations 2018 and amendments
  Available on the Victorian Building Authority - Building Regulations 2018 page
• Learn more about building in bushfire prone areas
  Available from the Planning Victoria page.