Bushfire
In April 2016, the West Australian state government introduced an amendment to the Building Regulations 2012 requiring certain buildings to now be designed and constructed to reduce the risk of ignition from a bushfire. The applicable building standard – National Construction Code Volume One & Two – has contained provisions for Bushfire Attack Level assessment & construction in bushfire prone areas for some time, however, prior to April 2016 bushfire prone area land was never designated under a power of legislation in Western Australia.
Where land has been designated as bushfire prone by the Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner (Map of Bushfire Prone Area), the designation triggers the need for a Bushfire Attack Level Assessment (otherwise known as a BAL Report) to be completed by a suitably accredited assessor. The BAL Report assesses the potential for ignition caused by burning embers, radiant heat or flame generated by a bushfire and the intensity of the bushfire attack on the building. It then allocates an attack level in accordance with the determination criteria of AS 3959. Each attack level contains specific construction requirements to assist in improving the buildings ability to withstand attack from bushfire and provide some protection to the building occupants.
Specialised Building Solutions offers the below Bushfire Assessment services from a Level 1 accredited Bushfire Planning & Design assessor with Fire Protection Australia;
- Bushfire Attack Level Assessments & Reports (BPAD Accredited)
- Bushfire Prone Area Consulting
- AS3959 Construction Compliance Audits
- Pre-Bushfire Management Plan Assessments
Our accredited bushfire assessors are committed to offering the highest quality of service, therefore by engaging us to complete your next bushfire assessment we guarantee…
- We will provide preliminary advice on whether your property is located within a Bushfire Prone Area and whether the project is permitted to be exempt in accordance with the Building Regulations 2012.
- We will provide advice on how to lower your Bushfire Attack Level risk and design feedback on how to reduce costs on construction.
- Site specific construction specification is included in our BAL assessment.
- We will never raise an issue without offering a solution!
If you would like more information on our Bushfire Assessment services, please see the below Frequently Asked Questions pages or give our Bushfire Assessors a call today on 08 6209 4130
