Building in a bushfire prone area

Australian Standard for the Construction of Buildings in Bushfire-prone Areas

In 2009, Queensland adopted the Australian Standard for the Construction of Buildings in Bushfire-prone Areas AS3959 (2009).

This standard sets out the requirements for all new buildings constructed in bushfire-prone areas.

The Australian Standard for residential buildings applies to:

• new homes or outbuildings of any type
• rebuilding of homes or outbuildings
• repairs to part of a building or outbuilding such as garage, shed or fireplace
• additions to home and outbuildings within 6m of a dwelling.

Standard for new homes

In bushfire-prone areas, the standard for new homes includes:

• a concrete slab
• exterior walls, roof, veranda or deck constructed from non-combustible materials
• sealed wall and roof joints to guard against ember attacks
• shutters made from aluminium (or other non-combustible material)
• toughened glass windows
• fire-resistant-timber door frames, with a weather strip at the base
• metal (rather than plastic) external trimmings such as vents, guttering and downpipes.

What are bushfire-prone areas?

Bushfire-prone areas are areas of land that have been designated as at risk of bushfires. Check with your local council to find out if your property is in a designated bushfire-prone area.

Protecting your home from bushfires

There is no way to completely protect your home from bushfires, but you can reduce the risk by:

• building in the safest place
• creating barriers and buffer zones around your home
• using an appropriate design, construction method and materials.

Read more about building in bushfire-prone areas.