Bushfire prone land mapping
Council’s Bush Fire Prone Land Map can be found on our Intramaps mapping website. The bush fire prone land map has been produced in accordance with the NSW RFS guidelines.
The map contains three colours:
- Red – Category 1, highest risk
- Light Orange – Category 2, lower risk than category 1 and 3
- Orange – Category 3, Medium risk
- Yellow – Buffer, the buffer distance is 100m for Category 1 and 30m for Category 2 and 3
Development type requirements for bush fire prone land
DA assessment requirements
All Development Applications (DAs) must be assessed to see whether they are located on, or close to, bush fire prone land. While the Bush Fire Prone Land Map is a helpful starting point, land outside the mapped area can still be considered at risk. In these cases, a bush fire assessment may be required and bush fire conditions may be applied to any approval.
To work out whether a proposal is affected, applicants should check:
- whether the land is mapped as bush fire prone, and
- whether any land capable of supporting a bush fire is located within 140 metres of the proposal.
If one or both of these apply, a bush fire assessment must be carried out as part of the DA. The proposal will need to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 (or any document that replaces it).
Where a bush fire assessment is required, it must be included with the DA lodgement. Appendix 1 of Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 outlines how to undertake this assessment. The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) also provides a Single Dwelling Application Kit, which may assist with certain applications.
Integrated development
Some types of development are classified as integrated development and require a Bush Fire Safety Authority (BFSA) issued by the RFS. These applications must be referred to the RFS during assessment. Details of integrated development can be found in section 100B of the Rural Fires Act 1997. Applications of this type must include a detailed bush fire assessment prepared by a suitably qualified professional.
Council may also require a bush fire assessment report for other developments that are not integrated but involve higher risk or complexity.
Bush fire consent conditions
Bush fire conditions will be included in DA consents where relevant. Applicants and property owners should carefully review their approval to ensure all conditions are understood and complied with.
CDC assessment requirements
Certain types of Complying Development Certificates (CDCs) can be carried out on bush fire prone land. It is the applicant’s responsibility to confirm whether their proposed complying development is permitted on bush fire prone land. This will also be reviewed by the certifying authority once a CDC application is submitted.
For complying development purposes, land is considered bush fire prone if the part of the lot where the development is proposed falls within the mapped area on the Bush Fire Prone Land Map.
BAL Risk Assessment applications
To obtain a CDC on bush fire prone land, you may need to confirm that the development is not located in a Bush Fire Attack Level 40 (BAL‑40) area or a Flame Zone (BAL‑FZ). This can only be confirmed if either:
- Council, or a person recognised by the NSW Rural Fire Service as a suitably qualified bush fire risk assessment consultant, determines - using the methodology in Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 - that the land is not within BAL‑40 or BAL‑FZ, or
- for development on grasslands, the proposal meets the relevant specifications and requirements in Table 7.9a of Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019.
Council offers this service through a BAL Risk Assessment Application. The cost of the application is set out in Council’s Fees and Charges.
Your BAL Risk Assessment Application must include:
- a completed Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Certificate Application Form (PDF, 200.0 KB), and
- plans prepared to the standard expected for a Development Application. These plans must show all vegetation within the required distances and include accurate measurements of slope, separation distances between the hazard and the development, and proposed Asset Protection Zone (APZ) areas.
The assessment must be undertaken in accordance with Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 (or any later version). Council may request additional information if needed.
Once the assessment is complete, Council will provide written confirmation of the BAL level. This correspondence must be lodged with your CDC application.
Bush fire consent conditions
Bush fire conditions may be applied to CDC approvals. Applicants and property owners should carefully review their consent to ensure all conditions are met.
Upgrading existing dwellings
If you would like information on voluntary upgrades of your existing dwelling to increase the level of protection for your home, we recommended that you contact your Local Rural Fire Service (RFS) Branch or visit the RFS website. The RFS website contains a best practice guide for building upgrades.