Building for Bushfire
Protect What You Value
Bushfire-Prone Areas
Requirements for bushfire protection apply to new use and development within a designated ‘bushfire-prone area’
A ‘bushfire-prone area’ for the purposes of Tasmanian planning and building legislation includes:
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Land that is within the boundary of a bushfire-prone area shown on an overlay on a planning scheme map; or
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Where there is no overlay on a planning scheme map, land that is within 100m of an area of bushfire-prone vegetation equal to or greater than 1 hectare.
Tasmania Fire Service has worked with all 29 local councils to develop bushfire-prone areas overlays for each council area. The mapping has now been implemented State-wide through relevant planning schemes and approximately 98% of Tasmania's land area is designated as bushfire-prone.
Proposed use and development (including subdivision) within a bushfire-prone area may be required to have a bushfire hazard management plan and comply with minimum standards for construction, hazard management areas, firefighting water supplies, access and emergency planning. These requirements can influence available siting options, building design and construction and maintenance requirements and therefore should be considered early in the design process.
If a property is not within the bushfire-prone areas overlay, there are no mandatory bushfire safety requirements for planning or building compliance purposes. This does not mean that there is no risk however - TFS strongly advises all members of the community to prepare themselves and their properties for bushfire.
Where can I access the bushfire-prone areas overlay?
- 'Tasmanian Planning Scheme - Code Overlay' - for Council areas operating under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme; or
- 'Tasmanian Interim Planning Scheme Overlay' - for Council areas still operating under an interim planning scheme.
The Risk Ready website provides another way of viewing the bushfire-prone areas overlay and other natural hazard risk information. The Risk Ready website identifies:
If unsure whether your property is within a bushfire-prone area please contact either your local council or the Tasmania Fire Service (Bushfire Risk Unit) to confirm.
- Bushfire-Prone Areas – areas within which new use and development must be appropriately designed, located, serviced, and constructed to reduce the risk to life and property (this is the published overlay that forms part of the relevant planning scheme); and
- Bushfire Impact Areas – areas that may be impacted by smoke and embers but are not subject to planning or building requirements.
If unsure whether your property is within a bushfire-prone area please contact either your local council or the Tasmania Fire Service (Bushfire Risk Unit) to confirm.
