The Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas 2016 (the Map) will be available from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) website from noon tomorrow.

The Map will be given effect by the accompanying Fire and Emergency Services (Bush Fire Prone Areas) Order 2016 which will be published in tomorrow’s Government Gazette.  The designation of bush fire prone areas, as shown on the Map, comes into effect on 21 May 2016.

The 2016 edition of the Map will show both ‘new’ bush fire prone areas and those ‘continuing’ from the first edition of the map released in December 2015.  All designated bush fire prone areas will be coloured pink on the Map, with ‘new’ designated bush fire prone areas identified on the Map by a blue cross-hatched overlay. 

The Building Regulations 2012 provides a four-month transition before the bush fire construction requirements of the Building Code of Australia (BCA) are triggered for areas that are newly identified as being bush fire prone. 

This transition means that the bush fire construction requirements of the BCA will not apply in ‘new’ designated bush fire prone areas until Wednesday 21 September 2016.  The four month transition is not available in ‘continuing’ bush fire prone areas.

To view the Map, or for further information regarding it, please visit the DFES website: www.dfes.wa.gov.au/bushfireproneareas 

The next edition of the map is expected to be released in May 2017.