Information for Land Use Planning Practitioners

With many parts of Queensland experiencing more frequent and severe fire weather, the potential impact of bushfires is of growing concern. 

The potential risk of bushfires varies according to a number of factors including the potential intensity of bushfires, the proximity and exposure to hazardous vegetation, and the vulnerability of different land uses to bushfire hazard. 

Land use planning decisions play a key role in ensuring that the risk of bushfires to new development is avoided or mitigated by incorporating bushfire resilient design features. Proactive and effective land use planning can also help improve community safety and minimise the burden on emergency management systems and processes.

State Planning Policy (2017)

The State’s Interest in natural hazards, risk and resilience seeks to ensure that natural hazards such as bushfire, are considered in land use planning provisions including local and regional plans. The SPP 2017 applies when state or local government/s:

  • make or amend planning instruments
  • determine locations for and designing infrastructure (including state funded infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and emergency service facilities)
  • assess a development application, if the planning scheme has not appropriately integrated the relevant SPP state interest policies or
  • an assessment manager or referral agency other than a local government is assessing a development application.

When a local government is making or amending a local planning instrument, they are required to consider all State Interests in the SPP and to appropriately integrate these interests into the instrument which are applicable to a local area. 

Guidance for the integration of natural hazards, risk and resilience state interest – bushfire is available in the following documents: 

  • Integrating state interests in a planning scheme – Guidance for local governments (November 2021 – VS 1.2), and
  • Natural hazards, risk and resilience state interest – Bushfire Example planning scheme assessment benchmarks.

To access these materials see State Planning Policy | Planning  

Bushfire Prone Area Mapping

For the purpose of land use planning decisions under the State Planning Policy (2017), the Bushfire Prone Area (BPA) is defined as 

land that is potentially affected by significant bushfires, including vegetation likely to support a bushfire; and adjacent land that could be subject to impacts from a significant bushfire. 

To support implementation of the State Planning Policy (2017), matters of State Interest are spatially defined as layers included in the State Planning Policy interactive mapping system (SPP IMS). This mapping helps local government, the community and industry to understand and interpret where and how natural hazards can impact future development. 

Bushfire Prone Area mapping can be viewed via the SPP IMS Bushfire Prone Area map.

The Bushfire Prone Area map can also be viewed via the SPP Development Assessment Mapping System (SPP DAMS). The SPP DAMS also assists with identifying development assessment triggers and referrals when considering or making a development application under the Planning Regulation 2017.

The SPP DAMS is accessible here. 

Bushfire Resilient Communities 2019 Technical Reference Guide

The RFSQ Bushfire Resilient Communities (BRC) Technical Reference Guide provides background information and technical guidance on the preparation and application of BPA mapping. This guidance is used by state agencies, local governments and practitioners engaged in land use planning for bushfire hazard and development activities that may be affected by bushfire hazard. 

This technical guidance includes information on subjects including:

  • incorporating State Interests regarding bushfire hazard into state and local government planning instruments such as planning schemes or regional plans
  • designating land for community infrastructure
  • making or assessing development applications
  • the process to review the BPA mapping for the SPP Interactive Mapping System (IMS)
  • processes for undertaking a Bushfire Hazard Assessment
  • the process for calculating Asset Protection Zone-Widths (APZ)
  • preparing bushfire, vegetation and landscape management plans and other information that may inform development conditions
  • the recommended expertise required by practitioners

Download the Bushfire Resilient Communities Technical Reference Guide (2019), (PDF, 8.95 MB)

Bushfire Resilient Communities MapViewer

The Bushfire Resilient Communities MapViewer has been developed by RFSQ as an online portal to support land use planning professionals to undertake bushfire hazard assessments in accordance with Bushfire Resilient Communities Technical Reference Guide.

The BRC MapViewer can assist with;

  • Verifying BPA mapping 
  • Validating vegetation hazard classes or identifying hazardous vegetation
  • Accessing Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) information. 

From 25 January 2025, Catalyst will no longer be available. Information available through Catalyst can now be accessed through the Bushfire Resilient Communities MapViewer.

Access the Bushfire Resilient Communities MapViewer

For more support, refer to the Bushfire Resilient Communities (BRC) MapViewer User Guide (PDF, 1.9 MB).

To obtain a copy of the SPP Bushfire APZ Width Calculator, contact brc@fire.qld.gov.au

 

Last updated 29 January 2025