Environmental Resilience has over 25 years of knowledge and experience in bushfire response, incident management, risk assessment, and bushfire mitigation and has accredited practitioners who can assist you with your BAL Assessment requirements.
We pride ourselves in delivering customised quality BAL Assessment reports and working with clients to achieve the best possible outcome, including minimising your environmental impact and identifying risk reduction measures for the safety of your family.
If you are considering purchasing vacant land in a bushfire prone area and would like to know your development options, we can also provide an assessment of your indicative BAL rating.
Feel free to make contact with our accredited professionals to discuss your questions or request a quote.
Environmental Resilience will provide the following:
- BPAD accredited assessors
- Professional advice and liaison with property owners
- Field assessments aligned to AS3959:2018
- Mitigation options in line with environmental and cultural legislation
- Practical and cost effective works plan to reduce your BAL rating if applicable
- Clear mapping products using latest aerial imagery
- Detailed reports meeting local and state level requirements
If you plan to construct a new structure or make additions to an existing home within a bushfire prone area you will be required to obtain a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Assessment to gain local government approval.
BAL assessments will determine what level of construction is required in accordance with Australian Standards AS3959:2018 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas by providing a BAL rating.
Check if you are in a Bushfire Prone Area here
BAL ratings are a value that represents the potential radiant heat exposure a structure will receive from a bushfire, measured in kW/m2. Building in BAL-40 or BAL-FZ are generally not recommended.
| BAL | Predicted Bushfire Attack Levels of Exposure (Source:AS3959:2018 Table 3.1) |
| BAL-LOW | There is insufficient risk to warrant specific construction requirements, but there is still some risk. |
| BAL-12.5 | There is a risk of ember attack. The construction elements are expected to be exposed to a heat flux not greater than 12.5kW/m2 |
| BAL-19 | Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux. The construction elements are expected to be exposed to a heat flux not greater than 19kW/m2 |
| BAL-29 | Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux. The construction elements are expected to be exposed to a heat flux not greater than 29kW/m2 |
| BAL-40 | Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux with the increased likelihood of direct contact with flames. The construction elements are expected to be exposed to a heat flux not greater than 40kW/m2. |
| BAL-Flame Zone (FZ) | Direct exposure to flames from fire front in addition to heat flux and ember attack. The construction elements are expected to be exposed to a heat flux greater than 40kW/m2. |
- Properties outside a bushfire prone area;
- Anyone planning to build a single house on a lot less than 1,100m2, even if you are constructing in a bushfire prone area; and
- If you are in an area where the local planning scheme does not apply, you may also not require a BAL assessment.
The building or planning approval process however, may still require a BAL assessment in some instances. For further information contact your local government building or planning department.
Bushfire Management Plans (BMP) are required to accompany strategic planning proposals, subdivision and development applications. A BMP identifies possible issues that may arise from an unplanned bushfire and outlines short, medium and long term strategies necessary to reduce the threat of fire to a development in perpetuity.
Performance based criteria as outlined in the Guidelines for Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas are assessed to demonstrate compliance. The bushfire protection performance based criteria are:
- Location
- Siting and design of development
- Vehicle access
- Water
- Vulnerable tourism land use (where applicable)
A Bushfire Hazard Level (BHL) assessment provides a means of determining the likely intensity of a bushfire and the possible level of bushfire attack. The BHL assessment is a decision making tool used pre-development to inform the suitability of future subdivision or development proposals. It enables developers to design subdivisions and address the performance based criteria so that habitable buildings are situated away from extreme bush fire risk areas.
BAL contour maps are a scaled representation of potential radiant heat impact and associated indicative BAL ratings in a series of graduated contours in reference to classified vegetation within 100 metres of a development.
BAL contour maps are beneficial for:
- Guiding the risk assessment process
- Determining the best building locations on a lot
- Subdivision plans
- Strategic planning proposals
Did you know?
If you fall in a bushfire prone area, the DFES Bushfire Risk Treatment Standards allow property owners whose building was approved for construction prior to 8 December 2015 to clear certain vegetation up to 20m from the building without requiring a permit. This is subject to environmental and heritage legislation that may be relevant on your land. Contact Environmental Resilience if you require assistance in implementing these standards at your property.