❓ The Minister for Planning outlines the process of developing the State-wide Bushfire Prone Area map and associated regulations, including interagency collaboration and the upcoming Fire and Emergency Services Amendment Bill 2015. Details of legal advice and Cabinet proceedings are withheld.
AnsweredQoN 3986Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Can the Minister advise when interagency discussions occurred on the need for statutory power to trigger mandatory use of AS3959 building standards, when advice was sought on the same from the State Solicitor and has Cabinet been briefed on the State-wide Bushfire Prone Area map, and if so, when?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
20 May 2015
Responded by
Minister for Planning
Response time
29 days
In August 2011, the Government established the Bushfire Review Implementation Group (BRIG) to consider and oversee the implementation of the recommendations made by Mr Mick Keelty AO in "A Shared Responsibility: The Report of the Perth Hills Bushfire February 2011". The BRIG comprised membership of relevant government agencies, as well as local government and volunteer representatives, and met regularly until June 2014. During this time, regular progress updates were provided to stakeholders as well as being made publicly available on the Department of the Premier and Cabinet website.
The mapping and designation of bushfire prone areas was one of the projects considered by the BRIG. Since the BRIG's disbanding in 2014, the Department of Planning has become the lead agency for coordinating a program of cross government bushfire reforms, working closely with the Departments of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) and Commerce (Building Commission) and the Office of Bushfire Risk Management. This work has culminated in the Fire and Emergency Services Amendment Bill 2015 (the Bill) to enable the DFES Commissioner to have the power to designate bushfire-prone areas across the State.
The map provides the trigger for further land use planning and building controls to be applied in bushfire-prone areas. This includes the application of draft
State Planning Policy 3.7: Planning for Bushfire Risk Management
and associated Guidelines, and the implementation of
Australian Standard 3959: Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas
as referenced in the Building Code of Australia.
The map, building regulation amendments and
Planning and Development (Bushfire Risk Management) Regulations
(2015) will be gazetted shortly after the Bill is passed and assented to.
Consistent with longstanding principles, it is not appropriate to disclose details about legal advice provided or the proceedings of Cabinet.
The mapping and designation of bushfire prone areas was one of the projects considered by the BRIG. Since the BRIG's disbanding in 2014, the Department of Planning has become the lead agency for coordinating a program of cross government bushfire reforms, working closely with the Departments of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) and Commerce (Building Commission) and the Office of Bushfire Risk Management. This work has culminated in the Fire and Emergency Services Amendment Bill 2015 (the Bill) to enable the DFES Commissioner to have the power to designate bushfire-prone areas across the State.
The map provides the trigger for further land use planning and building controls to be applied in bushfire-prone areas. This includes the application of draft
State Planning Policy 3.7: Planning for Bushfire Risk Management
and associated Guidelines, and the implementation of
Australian Standard 3959: Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas
as referenced in the Building Code of Australia.
The map, building regulation amendments and
Planning and Development (Bushfire Risk Management) Regulations
(2015) will be gazetted shortly after the Bill is passed and assented to.
Consistent with longstanding principles, it is not appropriate to disclose details about legal advice provided or the proceedings of Cabinet.
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