Development Application part 2 Application Forms REC11/0145

              Climate change impacts

    A3.7      Climate change is expected to cause a gradual change in vegetation health and vigour, and
              some species and vegetation communities will be advantaged over others. Climate change
              impacts will be reflected over time through changes to vegetation communities and fuel
              characteristics. These changes are difficult to predict and are likely to occur very
              gradually over a long timeframe. The changes to buslifire hazard associated with climate
              change impacts will generally be outweighed by changes caused by human activity in the
              short fern. For these reasons it is not practicable to consider the impacts of climate
              change in bushfire hazard assessment studies at present.

              Methodology for assessing bushfire hazard'}

    A3.8      The methodology involves quantitative and qualitative assessments. The quantitative
              element requires an assessment of three key characteristics of land that have been found to
              be tho main determinants of the severity of bushtire hazard. These factors are vegetation
              communities, slope and aspect.
n
    A3.9      The area to he assessed should be disaggregated into sub-units according to vegetation
              communities, slope and aspect characteristics. 'Cables A3.1 to A3.3 provide the ranges
              that should be applied for the analysis of each of the three factors. These ranges will also
              help to determine the sub-units that should be used to conduct the assessment. The size of
              the sub units. at;d_ level A-11" '-woula.--v of* the                    man. may vary with
              the extent of the area being assessed, the characteristics of the land and vegetation
              communities, and the accuracy of the base information being used.

    A3.lo     Each sub-unit is allocated a score for each of the three factors. The total score for each
              sub-unit determines the severity of bushtire hazard for that sub-unit. A qualitative review
              of these findings should then be undertaken to verify the results of the quantitative
              assessment.

    A3.n      The qualitative review should consider the known bushtire behaviour.

    A3.12     Finally, a safety buffer of land in close proximity to identified bushtire hazard areas needs
              to be included within the natural hazard management area (bushfire). The safety butler is
              required because bushlires can affect unvegetated land in close proximity, particularly due
              to winds fanning flames, smoke, embers and radiant heat.

              Step 1: Assessment of vegetation communities

    A3.13     The different types of vegetation communities determine the rate at which dry fuel
              accumulates. Some vegetation communities protect fuel from drying out in all but
              extreme bushtire seasons and can then be susceptible to very destructive bushtires.
              Alternatively, vegetation communities may expose fuels to drying and therefore be
              frequently available for burning. Frequent bushtires can result in the development of
              bush fire-tolerant grassy woodlands or grasslands and less destructive bushtire behaviour.
              The characteristics of different vegetation communities are reflected in Table A3.1. This


           Alternative methodologies may also be acceptable but should be referred to the QFRS for assessment and
           approval prior to implementation.



    SPP Guideline 1/03                                                                                     June 2003
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