BAL WHAT WE NEED TO DO - Express Permits

DETERMINE WHAT BAL AFFECTS YOUR LAND

https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/

https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/building-planning-regulations/planning-controls/bushfire-management-overlay-schedules

Determining the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL)
In accordance with Australian Standard AS 3959-2009

The Victorian Government introduced bushfire regulations on 8 September 2011 which designated 84% of the State as
bushfire prone and called up the 2009 edition of Australian Standard 3959-2009 – Building in bushfire prone
areas as the new construction standard.

If your property is in a designated Bushfire Prone Area, a site assessment is required to be carried out for all
building permit applications for both new homes and renovations to existing homes,
regardless of whether or not vegetation is present on or adjacent to the site.

The reason for this is that the relevant building surveyor (RBS) issuing the building permit will need to be satisfied
that the correct level of construction has been applied to the building as per the new Standard.

A BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) is a means of measuring a building’s potential exposure to ember attack,
radiant heat and direct flame contact, in a bushfire event. It is a basis for establishing the requirements for
construction to improve protection of building elements from attack by bushfire.

Note that under the Building Amendment (Bushfire Construction) Regulations 2011 which came into effect on
8 September 2011, in designated bushfire prone areas a minimum construction standard of BAL-12.5
for ember protection now applies.

Measuring the distance from vegetation that may pose a threat is most important and the Standard requires that
measurements are taken horizontally from vegetation to the external wall of the proposed building,
or for parts of the building that do not have external walls
(including carports, verandas, decks, landings, steps and ramps), to the supporting posts or columns.

The following parts of the building are excluded when determining the distance to vegetation:
>> Eaves and roof overhangs.
>> Rainwater and domestic fuel tanks.
>> Chimneys, pipes, cooling or heating appliances or other services.
>> Unroofed pergolas.
>>Sun blinds.
>> Landings, terraces, steps and ramps, not more than 1 m in height. Determining the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL)
In accordance with Australian Standard AS 3959-2009

Ideally what our Assessors need to undertake a BAL assessment:

(1) Dimensioned Site Plan showing footprint of proposed building works and other structures with dimesions to boundaries. An electronic copy is required.

(2) External footprint and other structures should be pegged or marked-out.

(3) Site address and basic access directions sufficient to accurately locate the property.

(4) Contact details including; mobile number, email address,

(5) Postal address.

(6) Can we get 2 Wheel Drive all-weather access to the site at any time? Are gates locked – animals on the property etc?

Bushfire Management Statement (BMS)

The Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) was previously called the Wildfire Management Overlay (WMO)

If your property is in a Bushfire Management Overlay area you will need to have prepared a
Bushfire Management Statement to meet the objectives, requirements and standards of
clauses 13.05, 44.06 and 52.47 of the Victorian Planning Provisions.

We can undertake your BMO site and Vegetation assessment and
address all three Application Requirements of cl. 52.47 being:
A Bushfire Hazard Site Assessment
A Bushfire Hazard Landscape Assessment
A Bushfire Management Statement (BMS)
and also include:
A Bushfire Management Plan (BMP)

An application must demonstrate, amongst other things, that all fire protection requirements for:
“Defendable Space & Vegetation Management”
“Constructions Standards”
“Water Supply”
“Access”
have been considered and incorporated.

In undertaking an assessment in accordance with the Victorian Planning Provisions
it is important to establish if you can meet your “defendable space” requirments on your own land.

All written reports will include photos and be suitable for lodging with your Planning Permit.

Note: The BAL rating sets minimum standards for design and construction.
However we would always recommend that you should
endeavor to comply with higher levels of protection.
Ember protection should always be a priority.

Determining the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL)
In accordance with Australian Standard AS 3959-2009

Methodolgy:
The determination of “classifiable” vegetation and in-particular the “edge” of classifiable vegetation under
AS3959-2009 is still somewhat subjective when just Method 1 under AS3559-2009 is taken in isolation.
However when taking into account an understanding of AS3959-2009 Appendix B, the complex Method 2, and other
industry publications we find that we can bring science into play, most notably with the measurement of the
surface fine fuel hazard.

In assessing classifiable vegetation and in-particular the edge of classifiable vegetation, account is taken of the
Overall Fuel Hazard = (the sum of the influences of) Bark Hazard + Elevated Fuel Hazard + Surface Fine Fuel Hazard
and the Fuel Continuity, both Horizontal and Vertical ie Density, Canopy, Understorey and Litter-Bed build up.

In some cases the edge of the classifiable vegetation can be some distance from the first vegetation (including trees)
encountered, when taking into account the Overall Fuel Hazard and Fuel Continuity.

There are a number of exclusions to classifiable vegetation (clause 2.2.3.2), perhaps the most significant is
“Low threat vegetation, including managed …., maintained .…”. This is taken to include areas of minimal surface
fine fuel hazard as assessed by litter-bed height.

As such areas of trees with low density, minimal understory and sparse litter-bed build up are often considered to
be low threat vegetation and may be excludable from the assessment.

Trees on managed residential blocks as well as isolated trees are also generally considered to be
low threat vegetation and may be excludable from the assessment.

Areas of Fire Damaged / Fire Killed vegetation are more difficult to assess. Fundamental questions are:
i) “Is it likely this area will ever return to a steady state fuel load typical of its pre-fire vegetation classification
within say the next 10 years?” (project Vesta demonstrated that the majority of fuel load had returned and a
significant leveling off occurs after 10 years)
ii) “If not, why not??”
iii) “If not, what steady state fuel load is it likely to return to?”.

The majority of publicly available aerial photos including Google etc are greater than 5 years old and in a lot of
cases they bear little semblance to the current situation.
It should be noted that even our own photos taken at the site have a compressing effect and do not accurately show
the distance to and the density of the vegetation.