Victorian Ecosystem Services offer a range of bushfire planning services
BAL Assessments, Bushfire Management Statements and Bushfire Safety Pans
We provide high quality services based on years of experience in bushfire fire planning. BAL assessments, comprehensive Bushfire Management Statements and explaining the bushfire risk in plain English and how the bushfire risk can be managed in a time efficient and cost effective way.
Our Bushfire Planning services include:
BAL assessments.
Bushfire Management Statements.
Pre-Purchase reports.
Bushfire Safety Plans.
Project Planning & Facilitation.
Community Engagement.
Collaborative Emergency Management Plans.
BAL Assessments
Assessments of the bushfire intensity that is likely to impact on your home if a bushfire occurs close by. It is based on the fire behaviour and intensity likely given the surrounding vegetation type and extent, the topography and the distances. BAL ratings then correspond to construction level requirements under AS3959.
Building in Bushfire Risk Areas (BAL Assessments)
If you are planning to build your new home within a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA) you will need a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assesment report. All homes constructed in a BPA must be built to a minimum BAL of 12.5 to assist the structture to withstand ember attack. Higher construction levels maybe required as determined by the site BAL rating. If your land is in an area of extreme bushfire hazard it is likely that your property will be in a Bushfire Management Overlay(BMO). To build in a BMO you will need a Bushfire Management Statement.
Bushfire Management Statements
A BMS needs to accompany your planning permit application when building on land which has a Bushfire Managemetn Overlay (BMO). The BMS sets out the Bushfire Protection Measures such as the construction standards and maintainance requirements These requirements are based on your BAL assessment. The higher the bushfire attack level the more intense a bushfire your house is likely to be subject to and therefore the higher the construction level required.The BMS may also require a Bushfire Hazard Landscape assessment which takes into consideration the size a fire can grow before it impacts on the site.
Pre-Purchase Reports
If you are looking at buying a property in a bushfire area and you’re unsure what this entails we can conduct a pre-purchase inspection. We will assess the bushfire risk and what is required to comply with the Australian Standard Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone areas AS3959-2018, as well as the building regulations under the Victorian Planning Provisions. We will provide you with a written report to inform your decision making.
Community Engagement Planning & Facilitation
With Post Graduate qualifications in Regional Community Development and 25+ years practical experience in Community Engagement, we are well-placed to assist you with Community Engagement project planning and to help you understand best practice Community Engagement processes. We can work with you and your existing staff to enhance your capacity for specific projects and provide written reports to support informed decision making for your communities needs.
Collaborative Emergency Management Plans
Do you want a best practice EM plan? Then our staff trained in risk assessment ISO 31000 and extensive experience in Emergency Management Planning can assist you developing a collaborative EM plan . We will lead you through a simple stepped process identifying the hazards, understanding the risks, exploring the mitigation strategies and assigning leads in action so your team can work together efficiently. We can facilitate a collaborative approach that takes into account different views and different levels of understanding so you have a one-team approach and increased capacity to respond when an emergency occurs.
Not sure which service/s you need
We’re here to help
If you don’t know which service you need fill out the request a quote form and we can do a preliminary search of the planning schedules and confirm what overlays apply to your property and what you need for your planning permit application. Your local Government can also confirm this.