Enhancing Community Resilience through Appropriate Planning and Building Mechanisms

Lew ShortGroup Manager Community Resilience

• property owners will not voluntarily include appropriate levels of bushfire protection and survival measures in new buildings in bushfire prone areas.

• Insufficient information, “bounded rationality” and perception of risk

• Split incentives for developers(ie lowest cost = > profit)

Market Failures

“due to the imperfect responses and a range of market

failures it is unlikely that in the absence of regulation,

householders would voluntarily, or have the knowledge to,

include appropriate levels of bushfire protection and

survival measures in new buildings in BPAs.

This is likely to result in increased risks associated with

death, injuries and damage costs to property.

Therefore, Government intervention is justified on the

grounds that it could deliver a more efficient outcome for

society.”

• Redefining from reactive fire fighting role into a community

safety focus

• Pro-actively addressing known problems at the planning and

building stages of development.

• Policy and legislation at the planning stage to leverage

advantage for fire fighting.

• Ultimately improving the capacity of our community for self

reliance – move from active to passive protection

• And giving fire fighters increased ability to defend life and

property

Are things that don’t always

sit easily or well

Time

Quality$$$

• Not an easy path

• Complex organisational issues

• Changes risk profile of the

organisation

BUT

• Good decision making

• Risk based

• sustainable

Why Regulate?

Planning and Building• At the Zoning/ Planning Stage

– Local Plans: ensure new zonings and land-uses take account of bushfire protection issues up front

• At the Sub-division– Clear integration of bushfire issues into planning legislation– Ensure adequate setbacks, access, water supplies

• At the Building Stage– Often existing pattern of development– Ensure building materials meet applicable building standards– Outcome focussed but must not increase risk, potential for

engineered solutions

• Primary role in providing protection to life,

property and the environment from bush fires

• Legislative controls – Aug 2002

• Improving the capacity of our community for self

reliance – move from active to passive fire fighting.

• In NSW there are:

– 1.2 million bush fire prone properties;

– 300,000km of urban/bushland interface;

– 20/78 million Ha of bush fire prone land

NSW Applications 2010 - 2011

Type of Development # Assessed

Complying Development

10

Part 3A

55

Planning Instruments

59

S.100B

1,881

S.79BA

5,245

S.79C

73

SEPP Infrastructure 2007

45

TOTAL 7,368

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Aim and Objectives of PBP

To provide for the protection of human life (including firefighters) and to minimise impacts on property from the threat of bush fire, while having due regard to development potential, on-site amenity and protection of the environment.

15

• Policy and legislation at the planning stage to leverage

advantage for fire fighting (short, medium & long term

outlook).

• Ultimately improving the capacity of our community for

self reliance – move from active to passive fire fighting

• Giving fire fighters increased ability to defend life and

property

• This is where the planning and development controls

focus

Ta much

Lew.short@rfs.nsw.gov.auLew Short lewshort14