Interim Report 2 – Priorities for Building in Bushfire Prone Areas

The 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission released its second Interim Report, “Interim Report 2 – Priorities for Building in Bushfire Prone Areas”, on 24 November 2009. The report made seven recommendations which deal with the need for a national standard for bushfire bunkers and urgent changes to building standards for building in bushfire areas. The report can be downloaded from the Royal Commission website.

On the issues of bunkers, the Interim Report supports AFAC’s statements on the complexity of bunkers laid out in the discussion paper Bushfire Bunkers for Residential Homes.

“The positions of AFAC and the State are consistent with the evidence of a number of witnesses who gave evidence before the Commission.  The Commission accepts and adopts this as a sound approach.”

The Commission supports the development of a national standard and the interim recommendations include:
•    The Australian Building Codes Board to develop a standard for bushfire bunkers
•    The Building Code of Australia to be amended to include bunkers in classes of buildings.
•    The Commonwealth to encourage jurisdictions to adopt the standard

AFAC’s concerns regarding the exclusion of grassland fuels from AS3959 2009 has been addressed with a recommendation for amendments (completed before March 31 2010) to AS3959 to include grassland fuels.  The use of sarking as an ember protection measure, and its required fire resistance will also be addressed by an amendment to AS3959 before March 31 2010.

The Commission also recommended improvements to ember protection at lower BAL levels (BAL 12.5 BAL 19), in particular the sub-floor requirements and materials prescribed for doors, windows and wall barriers.

These recommendations are in line with AFAC’s response to Counsel Assisting’s recommendations to which AFAC provided a written response.

Further proposed recommendations not covered in Interim Report 2 have been circulated to all parties for comment.  While AFAC is not in a position to circulate these proposed recommendations widely it's response to the Commission on the proposal will be supportive of their recommendations.