Bushfire Planning
What is the Difference Between a BAL Assessment and a Bushfire Management Statement?
This is one of the most common questions we get. In simple terms:
A BAL assessment is for your building permit. It determines the construction standard your building needs to meet.
A BMS is for your planning permit. It's a more comprehensive assessment that addresses the broader question of whether your development is appropriate in a bushfire-prone location.
The good thing is that should you have already gone through a planning process and a BMS has been prepared and approved, in accordance with the Victorian Building Regulations, the relevant building surveyor must accept bushfire attack level detailed within the Bushfire Management Plan endorsed as part of your planning permit.
Not sure which you need? Give us a call and we'll check your property's overlays and let you know exactly what's required.
Bushfire Management Statements (BMS) and Bushfire Management Plans (BMP)
Bushfire Management Statements
A bushfire management statement is a detailed written assessment required for planning applications in the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO). If your property is in the BMO and you need a planning permit to build or subdivide, you'll need a BMS prepared by an accredited bushfire consultant.
A BMS addresses the three application requirements of Clauses 44.06 and 53.02 of the Victorian Planning Scheme:
Bushfire Hazard Site Assessment - an assessment of the bushfire hazard on and around your property
Bushfire Hazard Landscape Assessment - a broader assessment of the bushfire risk in the surrounding landscape
Bushfire Management Statement - a written statement demonstrating how your proposal responds to the identified bushfire risk
Bushfire Management Plan
A bushfire management plan is a scaled site plan that accompanies the BMS and visually shows how the bushfire protection measures will be implemented on your property. This includes defendable space, vegetation management zones, access arrangements, water supply locations, and construction requirements.
