Your property could be in a bushfire prone area, which will impact on the requirements for new buildings, building additions or redevelopment.

Land that can support a bush fire or is likely to be subject to bushfire attack is classed as bushfire prone.

Many properties within the Central Coast have been identified by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service as bushfire prone.  However, being in a bushfire prone area does not necessarily mean that you are at significant risk from bushfire, or that Council will be doing mitigation works adjacent to your property.

Where to find out about your property

You can identify if your property is classified as bushfire prone land by:

• Checking our interactive mapping tools to find out the zoning of your property
• Requesting a copy of a 10.7 Planning Certificate from Council. This document can be ordered from Council upon completion of a Certificate Application Form

Vegetation types

The interactive mapping tools will show types of vegetation:

• “Vegetation Category 1” (coloured orange) is the most hazardous, and refers to forest, woodlands, heath and wetlands greater than one hectare in size
• “Vegetation Category 2” (coloured yellow) refers to moist forests, scrublands, open woodlands, malle, grasslands and pockets of Category 1 vegetation of less than one hectare, and
• Land that directly adjoins bushland is classified as ‘Vegetation Buffer’ (coloured red). These are areas in which developments and people are most likely to be affected by a bushfire in the adjacent area.

Building in a bushfire prone area

If you live in or are planning to build in a bush fire prone area, consult the Rural Fire Services for current information and resources.

If a property is identified as bushfire prone, habitable development proposals will need to consider mechanisms or methods to reduce fire risk for people and structures. This may include setbacks (buffers), construction methods, or a combination of both.

Recent changes in legislation have introduced a new policy known as the 10/50 Rule that may in certain situations allow some trees and vegetation to be removed without development consent. See Rural Fire Service for further information and details on Bushfire Prone Land.

Bushfire assessment report

Any proposed development involving habitable structures must be accompanied by a Bushfire Assessment Report when a Development Application is lodged at Council. In some cases, Council may not be able to issue development consent based on direction from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service due to an unacceptably high bushfire risk rating.

Asset Protection Zone

The Rural Fire Service will be able to assist you in determining the need for an Asset Protection Zone on your property. There are strict guidelines for development and maintenance of Asset Protection Zones and an environmental assessment must be completed by a suitably qualified person before removing any vegetation.