BAL Assessment Sorrento Mornington Peninsula November 2025
The local landscape with the Coastal Scrub of the nearby Mornington Peninsula National Park is not a low threat environment. Hence the existence of the Bushfire Management Overlay over this area. The possibility of a bushfire starting and throwing out embers onto the nearby houses, especially on areas south of Melbourne Road, is a real threat.
The construction standard of a BAL 29 ensures the building is constructed to prevent embers entering. Tea Trees, Banksias, Moonahs and Woody Weeds are highly flammable species. They are often retained for privacy purposes and can be left to grow over fences and buildings.
Maintaining the ground beneath them clear of vegetation reduces the risk of a fire starting and carrying up into the trees. It is therefore critical to consider the landscape plans for the garden surrounding the building to prevent inadvertently adding to the fuel load and /or structure.
Resources to support “Landscaping for Bushfire: Garden Design and plant selection” are available from the CFA and CSIRO websites.