Review of Bushfire Prone Land Mapping Notification
The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) and the Rural Fires Act 1997 (RFS Act) contain requirements to ensure that public, property, and the environment are better protected against the dangers that arise from bush fires.
The Bush Fire Prone Land (BFPL) map provides a trigger, to ensure that, development applications that include residential building/s and/or residential subdivisions located within mapped bush fire prone areas, include appropriate bush fire safety requirements in accordance with the NSW RFS document Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 and AS3959-2019. These requirements are included in the development approval’s conditions of consent.
Additionally, Council is required, under section 10.7 (formerly s149) of the EP&A Act to include advice, relating to any relevant matters affecting a parcel of land, in planning certificates. This includes Bush Fire Prone Land as specified in Schedule 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulations 2000 (EP&A Reg).
The council is required to review the BFPL at least once every five years in accordance with s10.3 (formerly s146) of the EP&A Act. The Rural Fire Service, in association with Council, has produced the attached reviewed Draft BFPL map.
The review Draft BFPL map was presented to Council at the ordinary meeting held on the 26 September 2023 where Council resolved to endorse the reviewed draft BFPL map. As a part of Council resolution, the endorsed reviewed draft BFPL map is to be placed on public exhibition for 30 days. It was also resolved that once the 30-day exhibition period has expired, and upon no submissions being received, the review draft BFPL map will be submitted to the Commissioner of the Rural Fire Service for approval.
Once the attached Draft BFPL map has been approved it will replace the current BFLP map (also attached) being used by Council to identify areas within the shire that are required to provide a Bushfire Assessment Report for Development Application submitted to Council seeking approval for the installation or erection of all types of residential accommodation and for subdivision that will result in allotments that can be used for residential purposes.
