FAQs
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Frequently Asked Questions
In Victoria, there are 2 categories for properties at risk of bushfires:
- Bushfire Prone Area (BPA)
- Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO)
Most rural & urban fringe areas of Victoria are in a 'Bushfire Prone Area' (BPA), in addition the more extreme areas will also have a 'Bushfire Management Overlay' (BMO). To view a map of these areas, click here.
Your property will be in one of the following 4 groups:
1. Not in a Bushfire Prone Area.
2. In a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA).
3. In a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA) and a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO).
4. In a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA), a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), and have a schedule to the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO#).
To find out which bushfire area your property is in, click here, enter your address, and view the planning property report.
Rural & urban fringe areas of Victoria that are in a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA), are subject to or likely to be subject to bushfires.
Any new house, alterations or additions in a BPA will most likely require a 'Bushfire Attack Level' assessment, known as a 'BAL Report'.
For more information see 'What is a BAL Report?' and 'What report do you need?' below.
The Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) identifies properties in Bushfire Prone Areas (BPA) that have very high or extreme bushfire risk.
Developments within the BMO, require mandatory bushfire protection measures, including:
- Defendable space (ongoing vegetation management around the development)
- Bushfire construction (BAL construction)
- Water supply (for firefighting use)
- Access (vehicle access to water supply)
In some cases, where minor building works do not trigger the BMO, a BAL Report may only be required.
For more information see 'What is a BMO Report?' and 'What report do you need?' below.
Areas within a 'Schedule to the BMO' have predetermined bushfire protection measures in order to fast track the planning process.
Any new house, major alteration or addition in a 'Schedule to the BMO' will most likely only require a Bushfire Management Plan (BMP).
For more information see 'What is a BMP?' and 'What report do you need?' below.
Check out our 'Resources' page, we have listed many of the helpful and informative websites where you can find just about anything to do with living and building in bushfire prone areas and bushfire safety.
Bushfire areas...
- Bushfire Prone Area (BPA)
- Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO)
Reports...
- Bushfire Attack Level Assessment (BAL Report)
- Bushfire Management Plan (BMP)
- Bushfire Management Statement (BMS)
- Bushfire Management Overlay Report (BMO Report)
Government...
- Australian Standards (AS)
- Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV)
- Country Fire Authority (CFA)
- Emergency Management Victoria (EMV)
- Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic)
- Parks Victoria (PV)
- Department of Transport & Planning (DTP) formally DELWP
- Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES)
- Victorian Building Authority (VBA)
Organisations...
- Fire Protection Association Australia (FPA Australia)
- Bushfire Planning and Design accreditation (BPAD)
- Bushfire Resilience Inc (BRI)
Victorian bushfire areas
Bushfire reports can be separated into the same categories as bushfire areas for the most part.
Reports that can be required in a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA):
- Bushfire Attack Level Report (BAL Report)
Reports that can be required in a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO):
- Bushfire Management Plan (BMP)
- Bushfire Management Overlay Report (BMO Report)
For a building permit application, usually a BAL Report is needed, whereas for a planning permit application, a BMO Report and/or a BMP may be required.
Which one you need, depends on what you are building and the zones and overlays of your site.
For more information see 'What report do you need?' below.
A Bushfire Attack Level Report (BAL Report) is an assessment that measures the potential for ember attack, radiant heat and direct flame contact the building is likely to be exposed to in a bushfire event.
To determine the BAL rating, the vegetation, topography and distance to the vegetation are assessed within 100 metres of the development.
Using Australian Standard AS3959:2018, the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) is then calculated.
The BAL rating is used to specify the materials and construction requirements of the building.
For more information go to our BAL Reports page.
A Bushfire Management Overlay Report (BMO Report) is an assessment of the bushfire threat to a development. BMO Reports are sometimes just referred to as Bushfire Management Statements (BMS)
A BMO Report can include:
1. Bushfire Hazard Site Assessment:
A 150m site assessment that determines the BAL rating and corresponding Defendable Space requirements (ongoing vegetation management around the development).
2. Bushfire Hazard Landscape Assessment:
An assessment of the bushfire threat, in the broader landscape (up to 20+km) around the development, including the road networks, access to safer locations, likely bushfire scenarios and regional bushfire prevention.
3. Bushfire Management Statement (BMS):
The BMS assesses the development under Clauses 44.06 and 53.02 of the Victorian Planning scheme to determine the bushfire protection measures that must be complied with.
4. Bushfire Management Plan (BMP):
A site plan that shows: defendable space, bushfire construction, water supply & access for fire fighting authorities. The mandatory conditions of the BMP must be maintained on an ongoing basis after the works are completed.
5. Response to Clause 13.02 Bushfire Planning:
A response to the planning schemes objective to strengthen the resilience of settlements and communities to bushfire through risk-based planning that prioritises the protection of human life.
For more information go to our BMO Reports page.
You may have been told by the council or a planner that you need a "Bushfire Management Statement" or a "BMS". When someone asks for a BMS they are referring to a Bushfire Management Overlay Report (BMO Report) of which, a BMS is a component of (see 'What is a BMO Report?').
The Bushfire Management Statement (BMS) component of a BMO Report assesses the development under Clauses 44.06 and 53.02 of the Victorian Planning scheme that determine the bushfire protection measures your development will need to meet.
For more information go to our BMO Report page.
A Bushfire Management Plan (BMP) is a site plan that shows:
- Defendable Space (ongoing vegetation management around the development)
- Bushfire Construction requirements (BAL construction)
- Water Supply (for firefighting use)
- Access (vehicle access to water supply)
These bushfire protection measures will be approved and endorsed as party of the planning permit and must be maintained on an ongoing basis after the works have been completed.
A BMP is included in a BMO Report.
If the development has a Schedule to the BMO, the bushfire protection measures have been predetermined by authorities in order to fast track the planning process.
For more information go to our BMP page.
We recommend you contact us early in the concept design stage, rather than waiting until the building or planning permit stage. An early understanding of your sites possible potential and limitations avoids having to redesign further down the track, saving time and money on a proposal that may require major revision to obtain building or planning approval.
We recommend a Preliminary BAL/BMO or Pre-Purchase Assessment that will propose a BAL rating and building envelope to guide the design.
To contact us via phone or email to discuss your project, get a quote and current turnaround time, go to our contact us page.
In short, it depends on the report required. Planning controls, building controls and the proposed development, determine the type, detail and size of the report required. We aim to group site visits together to reduce travel costs to our clients.
To contact us via phone or email to discuss your project, get a quote and current turnaround time, go to our contact us page.
We aim to have BAL Reports completed within 3-7 business days, BMP's within 1-3 business days and BMO Reports between 10-20 business days depending on the development type, location and complexity.
To contact us via phone or email to discuss your project, get a quote and current turnaround time, go to our contact us page.
Bushfire report types
The type of report you need is dependent on many factors, including, the zones and overlays of your property, the existing and proposed development, its use and its size.
Below we have included many of the common questions relating to what report is needed, however, planning and building can be a complex area and sometimes there are exceptions.
Contact us for a no obligation assessment of what you will require.
If you are building a new home in a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA), and your site is not within a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you need a BAL Report.
If you're building a new home in a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you need a BMO Report, or if you are in a Schedule to the BMO, you will just need a BMP.
If you are extending or renovating your home in a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA), and your site is not within a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you may need a BAL Report.
If you are extending or renovating your home in a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you may need either a BAL Report, a BMP or a BMO Report.
If the extension or renovation is less the 50% of the gross floor area of your existing home, in most cases only a BAL Report is needed.
If the extension or renovation is more then 50% of the gross floor area of your existing home, you require a BMO Report, or if you are in a Schedule to the BMO, just a BMP is required.
If you are building a deck and/or a pergola in a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA), and your site is not within a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you need a BAL Report.
Note: a pergola is just a timber or metal overhead structure without roofing, if it has roofing, it's a verandah.
If you are building a deck and/or a pergola in a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you need a BAL Report, rather than a BMO Report or BMP in most cases.
Note: a pergola is just a timber or metal overhead structure without roofing, if it has roofing, it's a verandah.
If you are building a verandah in a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA), and your site is not within a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you need a BAL Report.
If you are building a verandah in a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you may need either a BAL Report, a BMP or a BMO Report.
If the floor area of the verandah is less than 50% of the gross floor area of your existing home, in most cases just a BAL Report is needed.
If the floor area of the verandah is more then 50% of the gross floor area of your existing home, you need a BMO Report, or if you are in a Schedule to the BMO, just a BMP is required.
If you are building a new carport, garage or shed in a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA), and your site is not within a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you may or may not need a BAL Report.
If it is located closer than 6 metres to your home, you need a BAL Report.
If it is located further than 6 meters from your home, it does not need a BAL Report or any BAL related construction.
If you are building a new carport, garage or shed in a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), you may or may not need a BAL Report, an Outbuilding BMP or BMO Report.
If it is located closer than 10 metres to your home, and it is under 100sqm in size, you need a BAL Report & an Outbuilding BMP, or if you're in a Schedule to the BMO, just an Outbuilding BMP is required.
If it is located closer than 10 metres to your home, and it is over 100sqm in size, you need a BAL Report & an Outbuilding BMP or in some cases a BMO Report, or if you are in a Schedule to the BMO, just an Outbuilding BMP is required.
If it is located further than 10 meters from your home and it is under 100sqm in size, it does not need any bushfire planning reports or any BAL related construction.
If it is located further than 10 metres from your home and it is over 100sqm in size, you need an Outbuilding BMP or in some cases a BMO Report.
Note: in some property zones, depending on the use of the shed, you may not require a report at all.
If you're planning to subdivide your land, be it into 2 lots or a thousand, contact us and we can advise what you need and provide a quote. Subdividing land can be complex navigating design, planning, zoning, CFA and councils. We work with a range of bushfire consultants, some of who specialise in large scale subdivisions, so if we can't help you, we will know who can.
Which report do you need
If your property is in a bushfire Prone Area (BPA) and not in a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), there are a couple of exemptions.
- If you are building a non habitable outbuilding (carport, garage or shed) and it's further than 6m from any dwelling, it does not require a BAL Report.
Below are some common exemptions to needing a BMO Report, however, planning and building can be a complex area and sometimes there are exceptions to these exemptions. If your development is exempt, you may require a BAL Report instead.
- An alteration or addition to an existing residence or a dependent person’s unit that is less than 50 per cent of the gross floor area of the existing building.
- An alteration or addition to any building (except a residence or dependent person’s unit) that is less than 10 per cent of the gross floor area of the existing building.
- A building or works with a floor area of less than 100 square metres not used for accommodation and ancillary to a dwelling (meaning a carport, garage or shed)
- A building or works consistent with a Section 173 agreement and planning permit as required by Clause 44.06-5 Bushfire Management Overlay - Mandatory condition of your local planning scheme.
- If you're in a BMO and also a BMO Schedule, this means you may only require a Bushfire Management Plan (BMP) as the schedule already nominates a BAL rating for your area.
Some exemptions
We work with a range of bushfire consultants all over Victoria who specialise in large scale bushfire management projects, hospitals, education, shopping centres, hotels, wind farms, solar farms and infrastructure projects . Contact us for any bushfire planning and design query you have and if we can't help you, we will know who can.
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