Bushfire Assessment Reports

BAL or Bushfire Attack Level is a scaled measure used to determine the amount of exposure the building will have to a bushfire. The BAL takes into consideration the potential exposure of a building to radiant heat, ember attack and direct flame contact from the existing bushfire hazard.

BAL Assessments take our office approximately 2 weeks on average, to complete from the initial lodgement of enquiry.

Lot and DP number of the property, known siting location and layouts of the building if it is a new build or addition & any relevant communications / correspondences with the local council or RFS. We can help with this.

Some council’s will accept a self-assessed BAL rating from the landowner, some councils will require a certified bushfire consultant to provide the BAL ratings. Beyond the building approvals process, insurance companies may be reluctant to accept self-assessed bushfire ratings for a building which may lead to non payment of an insurance claim, which could be devastating after a bushfire disaster.

BAL ratings are radiant heat and bushfire attack exposure measures which are presented in kilowatts per square metre of radiant heat exposure the building may experience during bushfire conditions.
The lower the BAL rating exposure for a building the less bushfire attack exposure the asset is predicted to receive under bushfire conditions.

BAL Ratings Table – Table A1.7 Source Planning for Bushfire Protection 2019 page 93.

BAL ratings in the higher end of the scale being BAL 29- 40 and BAL Flame Zone significantly increase the cost of construction due to the need for superior building performance to withstand the increased bushfire attack exposure predicted at a location. Higher BAL ratings will require improved materials and building products such as fire retardant cladding, heat resistant external facades, doors and windows and alternative design to protect the building from failure under greater bushfire attack exposures.

Getting a BAL certificate completed prior to purchase would give you a clear understanding of site limitations under bushfire conditions and present definite construction standards for a building thus giving you a clearer understanding of risk and budget costs for your build or renovation project. Our BAL assessments and advice will improve house design, reduce potential build costs and increase safety to our clients.

A bushfire assessment report is a planning document that aids in the decision of the siting and layout of your house to reduce the amount of exposure to your bushfire risk. Once a landscape risk for bushfire is determined, the report will identify and document what bushfire protection measures can be deployed in project design in order to achieve a desired BAL rating and comply with building code and regulations.

A bushfire assessment report also helps determine your project design, possible construction materials, firefighting measures and access, evacuation strategies for the site under a bushfire event. The assessment process gives a clearer indication of your overall site risks and potential costs of construction.

Bushfire Assessment Reports generally take around 3 weeks on average for our consultants to prepare from engagement to completion.

You will need to provide your Lot and DP number and a designated building envelope location provided by your local council for a new build. Known siting location, layouts and plans of the building if it is a new build or addition & any relevant communications / correspondences with the local council or RFS.
We can help with this.

A bushfire hazard reduction certificate is a letter of approval granted by the NSW Rural Fire Service to undertake bushfire hazard reduction works on private or public land (based on land holder approvals also). These hazard reduction works may include vegetation thinning and clearances to produce a reduction of the potential fuel loads around your building or even controlled backburning to reduce vegetation fuels.

An application will need to be submitted to your local Rural Fire Service Officer. If there is no endangered or threatened species flora or fauna on your proposed area of hazard reduction and no complex elements to undertaking the work, the NSW RFS usually have the certificate back within 3-4 weeks.

You will need to provide a detailed map of the area you wish to undertake the works in and a methodology of how you propose to do the work. We can help with this. The RFS may then send an officer to inspect the site and process the application.

An Asset Protection Zone or ‘APZ’ is an area surrounding your house or asset that has a reduced fire fuel load through the clearing of vegetation. This clearing separation essentially works as a buffer between the bushfire hazard and your house or buildings.

An Asset Protection Zone or ‘APZ’ may be needed if you are undertaking a new build, you may have received a letter from the RFS requesting that you maintain an existing APZ, or you may be simply increasing your own fire protection methods for an existing house or asset that is in bush fire prone land.

The amount of clearing needed to instate your APZ and the proposed clearing methods will determine how long it will take to complete. If you have simple scrub and grass surrounding vegetation type, then it could take our team a day to complete clearing works. If you have a large forest some approvals may be required and it could take several weeks. Give us a call to discuss.

You will need to provide approval from your local council &/or NSW RFS office, to implement an APZ. We can help with this.