Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land
The Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land Map 2010 has been certified by the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Development applications lodged as of 16 February 2011 will be assessed against the certified map.
- What is Bush Fire Prone Land?
- The Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land Map
- What do the colours on the Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land Map mean?
- Building on Bush Fire Prone Land
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008
- Subdivision or Integrated Development on Bush Fire Prone Land
- Management of Bushland - Bush Fire Hazards in Warringah
What is Bush Fire Prone Land?
Bush fire prone land is land that can support a bush fire or is likely to be subject to bush fire attack. Research has shown that 85% of houses are lost in the first 100m from bushland and that embers can pose a significant threat to properties.
Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land Map 2010
On 1 August 2002, the Rural Fires Act and Environmental Assessment Legislation Amendment Act 2002 (Amendment Act) came into effect. The Act amends both the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and the Rural Fires Act 1997 to ensure that people, property and the environment are more fully protected against the dangers that may arise from bush fires.
The Amendment Act requires councils to map bush fire prone land within their local government area, which becomes the basis for planning for bush fire protection.
The Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service has certified a new Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land Map 2010 as notified in The Manly Daily on Wednesday 16 February 2011.
All development applications lodged from 16 February 2011 onwards shall be assessed against the certified Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land Map 2010. Any applications lodged prior to this date will be assessed against the previous Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land Map.
In accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 the Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land Map will be reviewed in five (5) years.
To confirm if your land is bush fire prone you can apply for a S149 Certificate.
What do the colours on the Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land Map mean?
A property is deemed to be bush fire prone land if it is wholly or partly located in the red, orange or yellow area on the Warringah Bush Fire Prone Land Map 2010.
Orange areas of bushland, classified by the Rural Fire Service and Warringah Council as 'Vegetation Category 1', are the most hazardous vegetation category.
Yellow areas of bushland classified by the Rural Fire Service and Warringah Council as 'Vegetation Category 2 are of a lesser hazard than the 'orange' vegetation category.
Red developed lands which adjoin the bushland and are classified by the Rural Fire Service and Warringah Council as 'Vegetation Buffer 100m and 30m are the areas in which developments and people are most likely to be affected by a bush fire burning in the vegetation (yellow or orange) areas. The red area extends for a distance of 100m from the 'orange' vegetation category 1 areas and for a distance of 30m from the 'yellow' vegetation category 2 areas.
Building on Bush Fire Prone Land
All development applications for development on bush fire prone land must be accompanied by a Bush Fire Hazard Assessment Report prepared by a suitably qualified consultant. The NSW Rural Fire Service website provides a list of suitably qualified consultants.
A Bush Fire Hazard Assessment Report determines the suitability of a proposal with regards to bushfire protection through consideration of the requirements contained within the Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2006 document prepared by the NSW RFS.
A Bush Fire Hazard Assessment Report is required irrespective of whether the bush fire prone land map fully or only partially covers the subject property.
State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (the Codes SEPP)
As of 25 February 2011, low risk bush fire prone land will no longer be excluded from the Codes SEPP.
The Department of Planning (DoP) and the Rural Fire Service (RFS) have worked together to introduce a new system which allows complying development on some bush fire prone land, but importantly maintains a rigorous assessment regime for managing bush fire risk.
For more information refer to:
- Fact Sheet 10 – complying development of bush fire prone land
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008
NOTE: With respect to Complying Development on Bush Fire Prone Land. An external suitably qualified consultant is required to determine the Bush Fire Affected Level (BAL). Warringah Council does not determine this in-house. A list of suitably qualified consultants can be found on the NSW Rural Fire Service website.
Subdivision or Integrated Development on Bush Fire Prone Land
With respect to development of land for ‘Subdivision’ or ‘Integrated Development’ [as defined under Section 100B of the Rural Fires Act, eg. school, nursing home, State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing for Seniors or People with a Disability) 2004], a Bush Fire Hazard Assessment Report is required to be prepared by a suitably qualified consultant and a Bush Fire Authority from the NSW Rural Fire Service is required to accompany all development applications.
Management of Bushland - Bush Fire Hazards in Warringah
Warringah Council strives to balance conservation of the natural environment and bush fire protection measures to reduce risks to life, property and the environment.
Warringah contains bushland areas that support a diverse range of ecosystems, home to a large array of plants and animals. Natural bushland is a key characteristic of Warringah and is highly valued by local residents. The fact that a number of these bushland areas are bush fire prone and in close proximity to urban areas creates management challenges for the community.
Due to the extensive amount of bushland that exists throughout the Warringah local government area, bush fire hazard management resources must be prioritised. Priority is mainly focused on managing areas classified as being of high to moderate bush fire hazard. It is of greater importance that these bushland areas be managed prevent the spread of bush fire from higher hazard areas to the lower hazard areas in the event of a bush fire.
Warringah Council recommends to the Rural Fire Service areas of Council land to be burnt as part of their hazard reduction program. Piles of woody weed material from bushland regeneration are also burnt as part of this program. These lists are submitted to the Rural Fire Service annually and are conducted when weather permits. Local residents are notified before the burns are conducted.
Warringah Council’s Bushland and Biodiversity Team have over 99 sites across Warringah with bushland regeneration companies focusing on reducing fire hazard and noxious weed problems along the urban/bushland interface. Council also assists bushland regeneration programs in a number of other reserves, such as the Friends of the Bush Program where volunteers are supported to work in bushland areas to restore biodiversity and reduce bush fire hazard by removing weeds such as woody weeds and flammable pampas grass. The Friends of the Bush work in a number of reserves in Warringah and you are encouraged to join to help conserve and restore Warringah’s natural areas.
More Information
DISCLAIMER: This information is current at the time of production on 16 February 2011. For the most current and up to date information please refer to the NSW Rural Fire Service website.
