Usually the first point of call of developing a location with the new bushfire planning reforms is to get a BAL Assessment, however sometimes further risk mitigation documents will be requested and required.
These are higher more complex documents that are required to gain development approval if the risk of bushfire is higher than moderate, the development is of a larger scale with multiple lots and roads getting designed and created, planning approval can be required for re-zoning, modification to existing envelopes or many other reasons. The decision maker is the local government and they can request a BMP to be provided with a development approval.
A BMP/S may be required for a single lot development for a single house where the risk of bushfire has triggered the need for it. It could be a single lot with a commercial building being proposed.
BMPs are there to provide the bushfire risk mitigation measures to the landowner/developer and make them accountable for the continual maintenance. This is in a simple document that covers the required information without complexity, this information includes but is not limited to:
Location of the structure, Design of the site to include Asset Protections Zone with the appropriate clearance of high threat vegetation to maintain a suitable BAL level of BAL-29 or below , Access and egress ,Driveways, Clearances for fire vehicles, Emergency water supplies and many other factors.
Not all local government councils accept Bushfire management statements, the Shire of Mundaring is one that does use these and some of the Perth local hills and surrounds have different requirements for their APZ’s to comply. All this information will be inside the (LGA) Local Government Area fuel and firebreak notices.
The BMP Simple should be required where the LGA does not accept BMS’s for the types of smaller developments that this relates to.
An idea of the BMP/S documents have been requested for are but not limited to:
A normal BMP may be required for planning approval for a development of a multi lot site, with new roads, environmental issues, clearance or modification of vegetation, revegetation, landscaping, bushfire hazards, management strategies and responsibilities.
The Same as the BMP/S above except much more in depth and detail is required.
These documents can be forever changing as the development does over time.
When you decide to develop and with the proposed intensification of land use you may get a request for a BMP, there are really two types of these Bushfire Management Plans and for the first type the individual lot layout is not known.
We provide a BMP Bushfire Hazard Level Assessment of the area up to 150m from the boundary taking in consideration the vegetation inside and outside the lot. This is a “pre-development tool” using a broad brush to help determine the best possible solution considering the bushfire threat pre and post development.
From there we can be confident to add lot layout knowing that we have considered all possible issues. Some of the issues that can arise are Bush forever sites, Local protected flora and fauna, hydrant access and pressures, public road compliance, emergency access ways and many more.
The second type is a BMP BAL Contour Map that requires the Lot layout to be known, this document will give indicative BAL ratings for each proposed lot after the works, clearing and landscaping has been completed.
BMP BAL Contours can also be used for smaller developments to provide information fast to potential buyers in a document that they are often able to use for development approval at a later stage.
BMP BAL Contours are mostly used for subdivisions.
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