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Environmental and Bushfire

Environmental

SET Consultants can assist in guiding you through the complexities of current Environmental Legislation. Our experienced and qualified environmental professionals seek to achieve the best possible use of your land while minimising environmental impact. SET Consultant’s diverse range of in-house expertise allows us to collaborate with other specialist consultants as needed to provide you with a comprehensive environmental assessment to guide your development.

Environmental Management Plans

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.
Environmental Compliance Reports

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.

Waste Management Plans

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.

Environmental Engineering Services
Environmental Planning Services

Bushfire

Assessing the impact of bushfire is an essential part of the development process within bushfire prone areas. SET Consultants is a Gold member of the Fire Protection Association Protection (FPAA) with accredited bushfire practitioners who have obtained the highest level of accreditation (Level 3).

SET Consultants is highly respected within the industry and is experienced in dealing with all forms of residential and commercial developments as well as subdivisions and special fire protection development (such as aged care facilities, hospitals, child care facilities, schools and tourist development). As accredited bushfire consultants SET are able to offer a number of services and can advocate for your development with the relevant consent authorities.

Pre-development Bushfire Assessments

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.
Complying Development

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.

Bushfire Assessments Reports

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.

Alternate Solution Reports

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.
Bushfire Emergency and Evacuation Plans

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.

Bushfire Plans

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.
Expert Bushfire Witness at Land and Environment Court (LEC)

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

Compliance Certification

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.

Tailored Environmental and Bushfire Solutions for your Project

Our broad experience in land management and environmental issues enables us to provide a holistic solution based approach to your development.

Experience. Solutions. Results.