Our state has seen significant growth in the last 10 years, due to the urban sprawl further out of the Sydney Metropolitan area. Covid-19 has also been a big influence on people searching to find a more peaceful and spacious lifestyle.

We are proud to call The Hawkesbury region our home, and love the beauty which the Blue Mountains brings to our local area. Unfortunately, with the beauty of the Blue Mountains, also comes the risk of bush fire.

We are huge advocates for providing as much protection as possible to homes and property in the unfortunate event of a bush fire. The majority of these control measures could also be applied to existing homes if you are concerned about bush fire risk.

We have lots of experience in building beautiful family homes which require specific measures for bush fire protection. Bushfire compliance can seem overwhelming and daunting, but it doesn’t have to be!!

Could my property be affected by a BAL rating?

To put it simply, any property with natural vegetation, grasslands, paddocks or bush, especially within the Hawkesbury can be subject to a BAL rating (Bushfire Attack Level rating). This is a rating which measures the risk of fire specific to your property, as well as other contributing factors such as slope.

How do I determine what the BAL rating is for my property?

Easy, we have an experienced Bush fire consultant, who can come out and conduct a BAL Assessment for you.

However, If you are at the early stages and looking at purchasing a property, we recommend asking your conveyancer to investigate the BAL rating so that you are aware what risk is imposed on the parcel of land, especially if you are thinking of building or renovating on the property.

The NSW Rural Fire Service provide the following explanation for each of the BAL ratings in their Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 report, which can be viewed on their website at https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/174272/Planning-for-Bush-Fire-Protection-2019.pdf

Being locals ourselves, we will always investigate this very early on in our discussions with our clients to ensure that this is always taken into consideration and there are no nasty surprises AFTER contract signing!

There are so many wonderful products on the market purely designed for bush fire compliance, they look wonderful and can accommodate any design style.

Our recommendations for building with bushfire & why:

Gutter Guard

Not only is it a requirement for specific BAL ratings, however gutter protection protects your gutters from leaf matter which over time builds up, breaks down and can cause rust in your gutters. Installing gutter guard also means that you are not jumping up on the roof to clean your gutters from leaves every 6-12 months - and lets face it, who has time for that!

Its important to note, that there are lots of off the shelf gutter protection products on the market, however we recommend being cautious as depending on the product you choose you need to make sure your gutters will not be obstructed as this could limit the water which flows into your gutters especially if you exclusively rely on tank water.

Water Tanks

There are a wide range of water tanks both inground and above ground, they can be made of concrete, metal and poly, and come in various shapes and sizes. Although sometimes they are not the most appealing item to have in your yard or surrounding your beautiful new home, there are some clever ways you can deal with this… why not incorporate water storage underground? Did you know you can create water storage under your driveway!? Water tanks can also be incorporated underneath decks and alfresco areas. These options are great as they are out of sight and out of mind - best thing is you'll have water storage for your gardens and to protect your property and you cannot see it! Please note - these options are always created with the consultation of a structural engineer specific to each property and need to comply with any requirements for bushfire protection. Alternatively, firepits look great on top of inground concrete water tanks!

This louvred pergola is sitting on a concrete slab, over the top of an old swimming pool which was converted to a water tank for our clients to maintain their gardens in the summer.

Alternatively, firepits look great on top of inground concrete water tanks!

Shutters

For homes which have a rating of BAL-40 & BAL-FZ shutters are a requirement, and understandably so. Thinking about this at the preliminary stage also ensures that you are not subject to a variation during construction which could blow out your budget.

DID YOU KNOW….

At the preliminary stage they can be designed to be recessed within the external walls of your home meaning that you can have the shutters without them impacting the design style you wish to achieve!

Screens

For your windows and doors we recommend metal screens as opposed to fibreglass mesh. Your BAL rating could mean you require Aluminium or Stainless Steel screens, this is because flying embers can travel a distance and create holes in your screens. Regardless, we don’t recommend fibreglass screens for any home as over time with ongoing sun exposure, the fibreglass becomes brittle and breaks.

Fire retardant plants

Obviously landscaping plays a huge part in adding visual appeal to any new home, however did you know that there are plants which are accelerants and retardants to fire? Some plants ignite with heat and others do not, in fact the retardant plants can be far more resilient to heat and ongoing dry weather.

Selecting fire retardant plants could provide an additional barrier to protect your home, and be better at surviving if subject to flying embers.

Photinia Red Robin

Image: https://evergreenhedging.com
if you’d like to read more about suitable landscaping we recommend visiting: Australian Native and Exotic Fire Resistant Trees and Plants for Fireproof Landscapes – Deep Green Permaculture

Access

Its important to consider the access in and around your property for a fire truck. The RFS need to have clear unobstructed access to be able to get to your dedicated firefighting water supply tank as well as offer their assistance in protecting your home and assets in a fire. NSW RFS require 4m wide x 4m high clear path suitable for their fire trucks. Limited access could limit their ability to protect your home.

**Our Advice…**

When you are looking at the location you wish to place your new home on your property, give some thought as to where the NSW RFS would go if they needed to protect your property.

Asset Protection Zone

The NSW Rural Fire Service strongly recommend allowing for a protection zone around your home. This is designed to provide access in the event the RFS need to attend your property to protect your home. A break from any vegetation or grassland to your home also reduces fuel for a bushfire.

Irrigation

When you think about how you want to landscape your new home we recommend thinking about how to irrigate your gardens and lawns also. Not only will this reduce the maintenance around your property for all year round care but provides a system to protect your home from flying embers in the event a fire is close by.

**Something else to keep in mind…**

It’s a great idea to have additional sprinklers and hoses on hand which can be set up in an emergency to protect your home!

Storz Fittings

Firstly, what is a storz fitting you ask? … Storz fittings are the fittings which the NSW RFS hook up to when they access your dedicated water supply tank in the event of a bush fire. In addition to the access for the RFS and dedicated water tanks its good to think about where the storz fittings on the tanks need to be placed so that the NSW RFS can easily access the fittings to connect to your onsite water storage tanks. In an emergency its really important that the NSW RFS can quickly & easily access tanks and their fittings.

**Thought at design stage…**

We can help at the design stage allow for an access plan and location of all components to be marked as part of the condition of your approval.

PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED TO DO… Prepare a Bushfire Plan!

The NSW Rural fire service have some great resources online designed to inform home owners on the best way to protect their homes. We recommend sitting down with a coffee and having a look at ways to better prepare your home for bushfire seasons, and plan for an urgent evacuation. Planning ahead provides peace of mind in an emergency. Download your bushfire survival plan here https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/resources/bush-fire-survival-plan

Visit https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/resources

We encourage you to visit their website and view all of the valuable content that they have available!

Wise words from our bushfire consultant….

All of the above measures, in combination together are the best chance of protecting your home and property, completing only a few will not provide the best protection.

Its important who ever you build with considers bushfire compliance together with other preliminary plans required for your project. Its important that all documents work in with each other to provide the best outcome for your new home!

Our team are very experienced both at the preliminary stage as well as during construction when it comes to bush fire compliance. Our services as a custom home builder ensures that we undertake a wholistic approach to your project ensuring compliance, protection and design. We welcome you to reach out to us to discuss your building project especially if you are concerned and want to ensure your new home is designed with protection measures in mind!

If you would like to know more about how we can help YOU with your new home, request your consultation here.

Disclaimer: This information is provided in good faith, and by using this information you understand that the authors who have compiled this information and original sources cannot be held liable for damage or loss incurred due to a fire.

Building with Bushfire Compliance

Could my property be affected by a BAL rating?

How do I determine what the BAL rating is for my property?

Our recommendations for building with bushfire & why:

The final result: Which one will be your next home?