Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Assessments
Do you need a BAL assessment for your Development Application (DA) or Building Approval? We provide quotes and preliminary advice at no cost to you.
We have a professional, experienced and friendly team throughout the southwest of WA who specialise in these. We can help save you stress and hassle, because we understand the regulations.
Ready to discuss or obtain a free quote?
BAL ratings
BAL ratings are based on vegetation classification, an assessment of effective slopes and the likely separation distances between the proposed habitable building and the various vegetation plots. Buildings will not gain approval where BAL ratings are above BAL-29.
Vegetation Classification
Vegetation assessment and classification including slope analysis as per AS3959. Incorporating building envelopes and clearing restrictions as required.
Environmental Issues
A vital part of bushfire planning and design is responding to policy requirements for biodiversity conservation such as, matters of national biodiversity significance, local declared, rare or threatened fauna and flora and threatened ecological communities.
Bushfire Management Plans (BMPs) specialising in subdivisions
We prepare Bushfire Management Plans led by our Level 2 practitioner, David Deeley, who is highly experienced in all subdivisional work from 2 lot to 20,000 lot developments.
Feel free to contact us for a discussion on what you might need. We know the constantly changing regulations and requirements can sometimes be challenging to understand and we are more than happy to help you get your head around them.
A BMP describes bushfire risks and the factors contributing to them, and various techniques for mitigating the identified risks. Implementation and compliance schedules identify those parties responsible for implementing the control measures as well as those responsible for auditing the actions.
Vegetation classification
Vegetation assessment and classification including slope analysis as per AS3959. Vegetation needs to be classified as its probable mature status. Vegetation classification for BHL assessments (35 classes) is more detailed than that required for BAL contours (8 classes). This analysis needs to incorporate building envelopes and clearing restrictions as required.
Bushfire Hazard Level Assessment
BHL assessments are normally undertaken earlier in the planning cycle before lot layouts and suburb design have been finalised. This assessment identifies regional-scale bushfire risks and potential strategies to be considered during the process of land rezoning.
BAL Contours
BAL contours are normally prepared for areas already zoned for residential development eg. traditional small-lot urban development or certain special rural zones. BAL contours identify site-specific bushfire risks and the separation distances between vegetation plots and any proposed habitable buildings.
Ready to discuss or obtain a quote?
Bushfire Risk Management Audits
Auditing LGA risk management plans prepared using the DFES Bushfire Risk Management Systems (BRMS) methodology.
As part of their due diligence, LGAs often require independent auditing of their BRMPs. We have experience at the whole of Shire level in reviewing fuel loads in the field, classifications and prioritisation of mitigation actions, and in reviewing the range of treatment options being considered.
LGA executive teams have been reassured by these independent audits and as a result are more likely to support their staff’s recommended actions during review and decision making by elected councellors.
Mapped Bushfire Risk
Joondalup International
Golf Course in Perth
City of Cockburn
City of Armadale
These images show mapped bushfire risk. They include considerations of property values, vegetation type and fuel load, effective slope, separation distance, prevailing winds by season, fire run potential and fire containment potential.