Reference Document - 152000.200053.3 - Bushfire Fire Risk Assessment (As Published)

Bushfire Risk Assessment v3                                                         NCES REF: J001433
Select Areas of Noosa Springs Residential Estate, Noosa Heads



1    INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background
North Coast Environmental Services (NCES) have been engaged to provide a Bushfire Risk
Assessment for select areas within the Noosa Springs residential estate. The purpose of the
Assessment was to confirm the current bushfire risk associated with the selected bushland areas
and the impact such risk may have on adjacent properties. This report represents an update to the
risk assessment completed by NCES in December 2019. The areas targeted for the risk assessment
are shown in Plate 1.


                                                         1




                                                   4



                                                         2




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                                              Plate 1 – Areas to be assessed

The level of risk has bene confirmed by undertaking a bushfire hazard assessment consistent with
the methodology detailed in:
    •    Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning’s Natural Hazards, Risk and
         Resilience –– Bushfire (December 2019) State Planning Policy – state interest guidance
         material; and
    •    Queensland Fire and Emergency Services - (2019) Planning for Bushfire Resilient
         Communities.
It is noted the previous 2019 assessment utilised an earlier iteration of the SPP methodology and
some key changes have occurred which have affected the assessment results including values
related to Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI), VHC fuel loads, and slope inputs for flat land.
The risk has been further assessed by carrying out a Method 2 Bushfire Attack Level Assessment
to identify the extent of separation required to achieve <29 kW/m² radiant heat flux exposure at any
point on the buildings. The <29 kW/m² radiant heat flux level represents the threshold set for non-
vulnerable uses (i.e. residential) in Assessment Benchmark 4 of the State Planning Policy Natural
hazards, risks and resilience – December 2019. Assessment Benchmark 4 is typically adopted by
NSC and other local authorities as the governing minimum benchmark to be achieved when
designing new developments in bushfire prone areas. It can therefore be used as a surrogate
benchmark to ascertain whether the current separation circumstances are ‘fit for purpose’ with



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