Subdivisions
Fire assessment service for subdivisions
At Control Line Consulting we offer fire assessment services for new and existing subdivisions to confirm and assist with planning and legislative compliance. New subdivisions are required to meet a specific set of performance criteria as set out in Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 including;
- access and egress within the developable land and along the adjoining public road system shall include safety provisions for attending emergency service vehicles and evacuating residents, including road widths and management of vegetation along road verges. Clearing or modifying vegetation in roadside verges of existing road reserves may not be permitted;
- subdivision design shall include perimeter roads separating developable lots from hazardous bushland areas. The objective of perimeter roads is to not only provide a fuel free area adjacent to the hazard but to also ensure suitable unrestricted access for firefighting and fire management purposes.
- Maintenance of perimeter roads shall be the responsibility of the cluster community;
- access for maintenance of APZ and other fuel management activities;
- larger APZs outside of the range prescribed in PBP and increased Bush Fire Attack Level (BAL) to proposed buildings to create a safer area for occupants and firefighters remaining on site; and
- firefighting water supply and associated firefighting equipment (i.e. pump and hose) for each dwelling in addition to any reticulated water supplies.
“A Bush Fire Safety Authority (BFSA) is required from the NSW RFS for subdivision on bush fire prone land (BFPL) under Rural Fires Act.
Subdivision can occur across a range of different forms such as residential, rural-residential and rural. Certain subdivisions may pose significant challenges from a planning and/or bush fire risk perspective and may require additional considerations.
The subdivision stage of land development provides an opportunity for early consideration of siting and access and for the incorporation of the appropriate combination of bush fire protection measures (BPMs.)”