Bushfire Hazard Assessment and Management Plan

                                                        Bushfire Hazard Assessment and Management Plan




3       Bushfire Hazard Assessment
A site-specific bushfire hazard assessment (BHA) for the site has been undertaken in accordance with
the methodology outlined in the ‘Bushfire Resilient Communities’ (BRC) technical document (QFES,
2019). The methodology underpinning the BHA process consists of three stages:

    1. An assessment to verify the reliability of existing BPA mapping over the site and land
        surrounding the site (the ‘assessment area’).

    2. A hazard assessment involving field investigations to ground-truth the accuracy of the BPA
        mapping for the site, where required. The hazard assessment area must include the
        development area and all land within 150 metres of the development footprint.

    3. Using the results of the site-specific assessment, the asset protection zone width needed to
        achieve the requisite radiant heat flux levels is calculated using the SPP Bushfire asset
        protection zone (APZ) width calculator or Method 2 of AS3959:2018.

Where the precision and/or accuracy of BPA mapping or map input datasets are insufficient (e.g. where
there has been changes in land use and vegetation cover within the assessment area), the process
enables applicants to create a local-scale BPA map based on the results of the site investigation and to
apply modified input variables that reflect changes that have occurred over time. The BHA process
adapts the method used to generate the state-wide BPA mapping, described in Leonard et. al. (2014)
with further refinement to allow for the downgrade and/or filtering of small patches and narrow corridors
where needed in accordance with contemporary mapping rules outlined in the BRC technical guide and
Leonard and Opie (2017).

Where effective fuel loads have been reduced based on patch size and isolation in accordance with the
patch and corridor filtering rules outlined in 4.2.6 of the QFES BRC technical guide, reduced effective
fuel loads can be used as inputs into a Method 2 Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment.

The assessment has been based on vegetation existing within, adjacent and nearby to the site including
any areas subject to revegetation or regrowth, which have been assessed as if these areas have
reached their mature state.

3.1 Hazard Assessment

The following steps have been undertaken to assess spatial factors that contribute to potential bushfire
intensity for the site and surrounding land:

    •   Step 1: Identification of Fire weather severity

        Identification of all Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) values estimated at a 1:20 year (5%) Annual
        Exceedance Probability (AEP) using the Bushfire Hazard Area – Bushfire Prone Area – Inputs
        dataset from the Queensland Government data portal.

    •   Step 2: Identification of Vegetation Hazard Classes

        Assessment of vegetation communities to identify the relevant vegetation hazard classes
        (VHCs) using a combination of remnant and pre-clearing regional ecosystem maps, high-
        resolution aerial imagery and a ground-truthed assessment of vegetation present within the site
        and within the required 150 m assessment area.




                                                    PR22116_BHAMP_178 Davis Rd, Cootharaba        Page 8