BAL Reports and Bushfire Hazard Management Plans
Service Areas – North East region of Tasmania Scottsdale, Derby, Pioneer, Gladstone, Musselroe Bay, Anson’s Bay, Bridport, Tomahawk, St Helens, Binalong Bay, Swansea, Scamander, St Mary’s, Pyengana and surrounding areas including George Town and Launceston.
I am currently doing my Tasfire Mentoring to become an accredited Bushfire Hazard Practitioner.
What I do -
Conduct a detailed site assessment;
Assess the property and its surrounding landscape in accordance with AS 3959-2018 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas.
Analyse the bushfire risk to the proposed development using Method 1 of AS 3959-2018.
What you get -
A BAL report and Bushfire Hazard Management Plan (with options for lowering the BAL if appropriate).
Size of development - I can provide you with a BAL report if you are looking to:
Build a single residential dwelling;
Extend an existing residential dwelling;
Build a shed, carport or deck;
Plan to build an auxiliary dwelling e.g. Granny Flat or Home Office;
I cannot provide BAL reports for Units, Subdivisions or Commercial projects.
How long will it take to receive my report?
Every report is reviewed by Tasmania Fire Service before it's issued, so please allow up to 6 weeks.
How much will it cost?
Fees depend on the size and location of your project. Send me your address and a short description of what you're planning, and I'll give you a quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about BAL reports and Bushfire Hazard Management Plans for building in North East Tasmania.
A BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) report measures how much ember attack, radiant heat and flame your building could be exposed to in a bushfire. The result, from BAL-LOW to BAL-FZ, sets the construction standard for your build.
If your property is in a bushfire-prone area, you'll usually need one for a new home, an extension, a shed or a granny flat. You can check your property on the PlanBuild Tasmania portal, or contact me and I'll check it for you.
A Bushfire Hazard Management Plan (BHMP) is a site plan that shows what's needed to protect your building: the managed area around it, access for fire trucks, and a firefighting water supply. Your building surveyor needs it with your BAL report.
Please allow up to 6 weeks. As a provisionally accredited practitioner, each report I prepare is reviewed by Tasmania Fire Service before it's issued.
North East Tasmania, including Scottsdale, St Helens, Bridport, Gladstone, Derby, Tomahawk, Binalong Bay, Scamander, St Marys and surrounding areas including George Town and Launceston.
To get started, please send me:
The property address (and PID if you have it), with directions if the site is hard to find
A site plan showing where the building will go, with distances to the boundaries (a PDF is ideal)
Your title documents, including the Folio Text and Folio Plan, and any easements, covenants or agreements on the title
Any earlier bushfire report or council approval for the lot, if there is one
Your contact details: postal address, mobile and email
It also helps if the building corners are pegged or marked out before my site visit. Please let me know if gates are locked, if there are dogs or stock on the property, or if the site needs 4WD access.
If your site plan isn't ready yet, that's fine. I can still assess the site and show a building area on the Bushfire Hazard Management Plan instead.