The Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas 2017 (the Map) that comes into effect on Thursday 1 June 2017, is now available from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) website.

This edition of the Map will show both ‘new’ bush fire prone areas and those ‘continuing’ from earlier editions of the Map.  All bush fire prone areas will be coloured pink on the Map, with ‘new’ bush fire prone areas identified by a blue cross-hatched overlay.

The four-month transition provided in the Building Regulations 2012 means that the bush fire construction requirements of the Building Code of Australia (BCA) will not apply to those areas newly identified as being bush fire prone until Sunday 1 October 2017. The four-month transition is not available in continuing bush fire prone areas.

The release of the Map will coincide with an update to the Office of Bushfire Risk Management’s Mapping Standard for Bush Fire Prone Areas which will be revised to state that the bush fire prone areas are those shown in pink on the Map and do not include the non-pink areas within a property boundary. The revised Standard will be available at the time of the Map’s release.

A building located entirely outside of a bush fire prone area (i.e. located in a non-pink area), regardless of whether any other portion of the same lot is within a bush fire prone area:

• does not require a further assessment of bush fire risk (such as a bushfire attack level (BAL) assessment); and
• is not required to comply with the bush fire construction requirements of the BCA.

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