Building in the bushfire management overlay

A bushfire hazard landscape assessment provides information on:

• the bushfire hazard (vegetation extent and slope) - between 150 metres to 75 kilometres away
• potential bushfire behaviour and relevant strategic considerations in the landscape that are likely to affect a given location
• key features of the general locality, to better understand the protection provided by the location, including town centres, main roads, and community safer places
• other contextual information including, local bushfire history, landscape type, possible fire runs, wind direction, and any other significant landscape features that need to be considered.

It provides a better understanding of the bushfire risk and informs decisions about whether development should proceed and whether bushfire protection measures are satisfactory.

It is crucial to consider and integrate the bushfire hazard landscape assessment into all stages of preparing your application, to ensure that your design response or strategic planning proposal adequately responds to the bushfire risk beyond the site.

The bushfire hazard site assessment provides information on the bushfire hazard on and near to a site. The assessment:

• provides information on the bushfire hazard (vegetation classifications and slope)
• informs defendable space requirements and construction requirements.

It helps to build a better understanding of the bushfire risk at a location and to help make informed decisions about whether development should proceed and whether bushfire protection measures are satisfactory.

The bushfire management statement is prepared by the permit applicant or by a specialist on behalf of the permit applicant. It is a report that:

• explains how a proposal has responded to the bushfire hazard site assessment
• documents how approved measures have been applied
• shows how a proposal has responded to the relevant decision guidelines
• demonstrates to the council that a planning permit should be granted.

The bushfire management plan is an annotated map that shows the protection measures (standard planning permit conditions) adopted by the development proposal to address bushfire risk. The bushfire management plan provides information on:

• construction standard (BAL)
• defendable space and vegetation management requirements
• on-site water supply
• emergency services vehicle access.

On approval of the planning permit, the bushfire management plan is endorsed and must be adhered to as part of the planning permit.

The bushfire management overlay includes planning permit exemptions.

The most common exemptions are for:

• An alteration or extension to an existing building used for a dependent person’s unit that is less than 50 per cent of the gross floor area of the existing building.
• 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.
• A building or works with a floor area of less than 100 square metres not used for accommodation and ancillary to a dwelling.
• A building or works consistent with a section 173 agreement and planning permit as required by clause 44.06-5 bushfire management overlay - mandatory condition of your local planning scheme.

If a BMO schedule applies, it may also include planning permit exemptions. Other parts of the planning scheme may also require a planning permit.

Buildings and works such as decks, pergolas and pools may or may not require a planning permit, depending on the extent of the works.

You can explore the categories above or speak to your local council about permit requirements.