PLANNING BRAD ARMITAGE Assistant Director Planning & Building NSW PLANNING FOR BUSHFIRE PROTECTION 2018 Are you familiar with the Planning for Bushfire Protection development standards? Planning for Bushfire Protection maps to the Commissioner of the NSW reduce flame contact and embers. is a planning document which RFS who may certify the land is BFPL. • Roads and access must be designed contains development standards for The commissioner may make changes to to allow adequate access for planning and building on bushfire BFPL maps at any time. emergency vehicles. prone land in NSW. It is referenced by the • Under s.4.14 of the EP& A Act all • Services including water, electricity and Environmental Planning and Assessment development on land identified as gas must be in accordance with the Act 1979 and therefore must be considered bushfire prone must comply with PBP. tables in chapter 5. when planning or building on bushfire prone • Complying Development may be 6. Special Fire Protection land in NSW. undertaken on land rated up Bushfire Purpose Developments The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has Attack Level BAL-29. A Special Fire Protection Purpose (SFPP) conducted an extensive review of Planning • All development must also comply development is one that is occupied by for Bushfire Protection 2006 (PBP 06), and with the National Construction Code people who are identified as at-risk members after industry consultation has released (NCC). PBP 18 varies the construction of the community. Examples of SFPP Planning for Bushfire Protection 2018 requirements found in the Acceptable developments include schools, hospitals, (PBP 18) (as a pre-release version). Construction Manual AS 3959 called up nursing homes and tourist accommodation. The provisions of PBP 18 will in volumes one and two of the Building Key points: commence in conjunction with the adoption Code of Australia (BCA). • APZ’s are larger for these developments of NCC 2019 (1 May 2019). Until then PBP 3. Bushfire Protection with a max 10KW per square metre 06 remains in force. In the meantime PBP Measures permitted for areas around the building 18 may be used as part of a performance This chapter does not contain any that emergency services will need to solution, in consultation with NSW RFS. requirements, it simply provides descriptions utilise during firefighting and emergency PBP 18 is divided into 8 chapters. of the main bushfire protection measures management. A description of each chapter and the key (BPM) contained in PBP 18. They are: • There are some exceptions such as bed points for HIA members to take note of are Asset Protection Zones (APZ), building and and breakfasts and manufactured home provided below. construction design, access arrangements, estates which are permitted max 29KW 1. Introduction water supply and utilities, emergency per square metre. This chapter sets out the main objectives management arrangements 7. Residential Infill of the document, the first being to ‘afford and landscaping. Development buildings and their occupants protection 4. Strategic Planning This chapter contains the BPM’s which from exposure to a bushfire’. The chapter This chapter outlines the principles that appyo te construction, alteration or also contains a flow chart outlining how should be applied when developing regional addition of a dwelling on BFPL. to use the document throughout the strategies and pas, ocal environment Key Points: planning process. plans and development control plans. • Contains requirement for APZ’s, 2. Framework 5. Residential and Rural access, water supply, construction This chapter provides an outline of the Subdivisions standards, landscaping and emergency legal framework surrounding PBP 18. The This chapter provides the requirements, or management. document outlines that PBP 18 should be BPMs that must be implemented for land • Emergency management plans considered at both the strategic planning subdivisions on BFPL. are required for short-term rental phase and development assessment phase. Key points: accommodation and home-based Key points: • APZ’s must be provided so that all child care. • Under s.10.3 of the Environmental building footprints in a subdivision will not • This chapter also contains the Planning & Assessment Act (EP&A Act), be rated higher than BAL-29 (29KW per construction requirements which bushfire-prone land (BFPL) must be square metre). differ from Australian Standard 3959 mapped. Local councils will provide the • Landscaping must be managed to – Construction of buildings in bushfire P14 BUILDING NEWS ISSUE 1/2019