Environmental and Bushfire

Environmental Management Plans (EMP) are site or project specific plans developed to ensure that appropriate environmental management practices are followed during a project’s construction and/or operation. EMPs may be required and prepared at different times in a project’s life. Usually, these are prepared as:

• Construction EMPs (CEMPS), which are developed to ensure that appropriate environmental management practices are followed during a project’s construction.
• Operation EMPs (OEMPs) which are developed to ensure that appropriate environmental management practices are followed during a project’s operation and decommissioning.

Some developments require compliance reports to be prepared to demonstrate that all relevant conditions have been satisfied. A compliance report identifies all relevant requirements in the conditions of consent that apply to each phase of a project and documents how they have been satisfied.

All applications for development, including demolition, construction and the ongoing use of a site/premise, must be accompanied by Site Waste Minimisation and Management Plan (SWMMP). A SWMMP outlines measures to minimise and manage waste generated during demolition, construction and ongoing use of the site/premises. Council may also condition that an Operational Waste Management Plan (OWMP) be prepared for a development. An OWMP generally addresses the collection and disposal of waste generated during the operation of the development.

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Before you purchase a property or commence work on your development, you should consider the bushfire risk. SET Consultants can assist you by undertaking:

• A constraints assessment to identify any bushfire issues associated with a site to enable you to make an informed decision about the development potential;
• A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Assessment before your building designs starts to ensure it is designed to the appropriate construction standard; and
• An assessment of your Asset Protection Zone (APZ) requirements to determine the extent of clearing which may be required.

If you are seeking to undertake a development as complying development on bushfire prone land, you will require a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) certificate prepared by an accredited Bushfire Consultant. SET Consultants can provide Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Assessments to comply with the requirements of State Environmental Planning Policy Exempt and Comply 2008.

If your certifier requires a Bushfire Compliance Assessment Report (BCAR), SET Consultants can provide a BCAR that assess the development against all the bushfire requirements outlined in the State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) Exempt and Comply 2008 to determine compliance.

All Development Applications (DA) in NSW on bushfire prone land are required to be supported by a Bushfire Assessment Report (BAR) which addresses the aims and objectives of Planning for Bushfire Protection (PBP). Under Section 100b of the Rural Fire Act 1997, this BAR will need to be referred to the RFS during the DA assessment process for certain types of applications.

SET Consultants can provide Bushfire Assessment Reports to support all forms of development applications from residential and commercial development to rural and residential subdivisions and Special Fire Protection Development.

As accredited consultants SET Consultants can offer a number of services which can assist you in achieving the best bushfire outcome for your development. Alternate solution reports can be prepared to achieve a better bushfire outcome or to address non-compliances with Planning for Bushfire Protection or AS3959. Alternate Solutions can be tailored to your development and site constraints and include a combination of the following:

• Slope Analysis to determine the most accurate slope for the bushfire run being assessed;
• Bushfire Modelling in accordance with Appendix B of AS 3959;
• Modelling the reduction in radiant heat resulting from a radiant heat barrier;
• A Short Fire Run Assessment; and
• Performance-based justification for non-compliant access requirements.

Special Fire Protection Development generally requires the preparation of a Bushfire Emergency and Evacuation Plan as a condition of consent. The preparation of a Bushfire Emergency Plan aims at improving the preparedness of vulnerable developments and clearly identifies the steps to be followed in the event of a bushfire. As accredited consultants, SET can work with your management team and the relevant stakeholders to prepare the Bushfire Emergency and Evacuation Plan.

SET can offer a number of services which can assist you in preparing a specialist bushfire plan to suit your purposes. These plans can include:

• BAL plans for sales purposes; and
• Post lodgement BAL Plans for Urban Release Areas.

Given our experience, we are well placed to provide expert Bushfire Planning evidence in the Land and Environment Court.

Council’s might condition that certain aspects of your development be certified by a suitably qualified Bushfire Consultant. As accredited consultants, SET can work with your Principal Certifier to certify compliance with the bushfire conditions.