Building Permits in Bushfire Prone Areas

Bushfire Prone Areas (BPA) are designated under the Building Act to all land where a bushfire could occur, including grasslands and other vegetation types. It includes most of Victoria except some urban areas. Building permits are required for the construction of buildings in BPAs.  

We can advise whether your land is in a BPA, or you can search your address in the Victorian Government’s online mapping system, VicPlan https://mapshare.vic.gov.au/vicplan/ 

A building permit, usually obtained through a private building surveyor, is required for most new buildings constructed in BPAs. This includes: 

• Dwellings
• Residential buildings
• Schools
• Childcare centres
• Hospitals
• Aged care facilities
• Shed, garage, carport, and decks constructed less than 6 metres from the above buildings

Australian Standard AS3959:2018 provides construction standards to improve a building’s resistance to bushfire attack from embers, radiant heat, and flame contact by reducing the risk of ignition while the fire front passes. 

There are six Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) construction standards:

• BAL-Low
• BAL-12.5
• BAL-19
• BAL-29
• BAL-40
• BAL-FZ (Flame Zone)

New buildings must be constructed to a minimum BAL-12.5 in BPAs. 

Building costs increase with each BAL due to specific building materials and construction methodology required to meet each standard.