Quote:
Originally Posted by Tropo-Bob
Here in the cyclone prone north, houses must be built to various categories (specifications) according to the risk. Council regulations deem that houses built on the wind-exposed, beach front need to be the strongest.
Do any Councils have anything like that for houses built in the more fire prone areas? For example, for a house in a rural setting, do they need fire resistant features like a tiled or cemented veranda rather than a wooden veranda that cinders can fall upon and set alight?
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Yes Bob, it's called the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL). It's normally part of a local authority's list of planning regulations for houses adjacent to potentially bushfire-prone areas. It ranges from a low-range ember attack to full-on direct flames. The low-range rating requires sealing of gutters/downpipes, mesh screening on windows/doors, non-combustible decking materials (or timbers that meet the BAL requirements), etc. Just complying with the low-level rating can be quite onerous and expensive - I shudder to think what the high level ratings would require.