BAL Assessment Balnarring Mornington Peninsula

When undertaking a BAL Assessment in a Green Wedge Zone with a Bushfire Management Overlay in Balnarring, Victorian Ecosystem Services identified that the vegetation to the South of the site was ‘Modified Vegetation’ as per the the vegetation classifications in Table 2 of Clause 53.02 of the Victorian Planning Provisions.

Modified Vegetation is vegetation that doesn’t fit into the standard vegetation classification of AS3959 -2018 Construction of buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas because the vegetation has been modified. As it has been modified it therfore has a different fuel load from those assumed in the standard (AS3959). It has limited or no understorey however it is not classified as low threat vegetation as per Clause 2.2.3.2 in AS3959.

The vegetation in this case was a stand of Stringybarks adjoining a vineyard that has had all of the original under storey removed, and is now maintained as mown lawns beneath the trees. Defendable Space required on this aspect is 50 metres (or to the property boundary), and the minimum construction standard is a BAL 29.