Red dog
bushfire assessors
Providing a fast and reliable bushfire assessment and reporting service throughout Tasmania.
Working in line with current requirements and regulations. Including;
- Bushfire Site Assessments (BAL Reports)
- Bushfire Hazard Management Plans
- Action and Emergency Plans for Short Term Accommodation
ABOUT US
In 2012 the Tasmanian Government introduced new requirements for building in bushfire-prone areas to help reduce the vulnerability of new buildings in the event of a bushfire.
Red Dog Bushfire work throughout Tasmania and are fully accredited bushfire practitioners who can carry out site assessments, Bushfire Alert Level (BAL) reports and bushfire hazard management plans in line with the requirements. We can also provide bushfire action and emergency plans for short term accommodation and other uses.
Jason Van Zetten (Director and Assessor) has around 30 years of experience in the Tasmanian building industry and was one of the first to receive their bushfire practitioner accreditation when the regulations were first introduced in 2012.
Jason’s focus is BAL assessments for new builds, extensions and additions, and given these keep him pretty busy, he does not work on subdivisions.
Red Dog’s name is inspired by our Australian Red Kelpie, Ellie, who loves to come along on site inspections as our trusty assistant! Ellie is a bundle of energy and her adventurous nature certainly keeps us on our toes whilst we travel the state inspecting sites.
Use our knowledge and expertise to get your project underway sooner...
Contact Us
Do I need a bushfire report?
If you are building or extending in a bushfire prone area then your site will need to be assessed.
In recent years, most Tasmanian councils have adopted bushfire prone area mapping which can be viewed as a planning overlay. This will show whether a bushfire assessment by an authorised consultant is required before developing the land.
Areas that are known to be bushfire prone include land within 100 metres of bushfire-prone vegetation. Bushfire-prone vegetation includes areas of vegetation larger than 1 hectare such as forests, shrubs and grassland (excluding maintained lands, parks and orchards or horticultural land).
Many people assume their suburban block would not need assessing however this is often not the case with so many reserves, grass paddocks and parcels of vacant lands scattered around Tasmania.
It is best to know early on in the design and build process whether your site will need to be assessed as this can affect where you can build on your site. Knowing early will save time and costs later so chat to your building designer, local council or the friendly Red Dog Bushfire team.
More information can be found on the Tasmanian Fire Service Website.
my site is bushfire-prone, what does that mean?
If your site is within 100 metres of bushfire-prone vegetation then you will need a bushfire assessment to determine the BAL rating (bushfire attack level). This rating will be higher based on your proximity and orientation to the bushfire prone vegetation, the slope of your site and the type of vegetation nearby and how it is maintained. The assessment also looks at water supply, access for for fire trucks and the likely direction of a bushfire attack.
Most sites Red Dog Bushfire assess will be BAL LOW, BAL 12.5, BAL 19 or BAL 29 with the higher the rating the greater the requirements for construction.
If your BAL rating is 12.5 or higher then you will also require a bushfire hazard management plan which is a site plan detailing the area that must be maintained around your dwelling as well as other requirements.
The bushfire assessment and hazard management plan will need to be submitted to your building surveyor or council with your plans and other documentation.
Red Dog Bushfire are fully accredited and able to supply both the assessment report and hazard management plan.
SHORT TERM ACCOMMODATION
There are requirements in Tasmania with regards to property being used as short term accommodation. These may include but not be limited to:
– Bushfire emergency and action plans (for approval by Tas Fire Service)
– Bushfire hazard management plans
– Fire exit plans
Red Dog Bushfire are able to provide these documents and discuss the requirements with you
how do i
get started?
Call or email us for a quote based on your requirements.
When you are ready to proceed we will ask you to provide a copy of your site plan, title (folio plan) and any information we may need for our site visit. We will inspect the site as soon as we can and start preparing your report. Our general time frame to completion is 1-2 weeks.
Mailing Address
PO Box 7647
Launceston, Tas, 7250
Studio
Launceston Studio (consultations by appointment)
Phone
0429 199 934