Appendix D - Bushfire Assessment · RAL26/0026

4.0       BUSHFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT
4.1       GENERAL

A bushfire risk assessment for the proposed development has been prepared generally in accordance with
the SPP Bushfire (2019) and AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018 – Risk Management Methodology.
The bushfire risk assessment details the likelihood that new built infrastructure to be constructed within
Lot 2 will be exposed to radiant heat impact from the confirmed Medium Potential Bushfire Intensity
areas depicted on Figure 3.
According to AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018, a ‘hazard’ is defined as a source of potential harm or a situation
with a potential to cause loss, whereas a ‘risk’ is the chance of something happening that will have an
impact on objectives measured in terms of consequences and likelihood. The SPP Bushfire (2019) refers
to ‘acceptable risk’, ‘tolerable risk’, and ‘intolerable risk’ which are defined below.
         Acceptable risk
A risk that, following an understanding of the likelihood and consequences, is sufficiently low to require
no new treatments or actions to reduce risk further. Individuals and society can live with this risk without
feeling the necessity to reduce the risks any further.
         Tolerable risk
A risk that, following an understanding of the likelihood and consequences, is low enough to allow the
exposure to continue, and at the same time high enough to require new treatments or actions to reduce
risk. Society can live with this risk but believe that as much as is reasonably practical should be done to
reduce the risks further.
         Intolerable risk
A risk that, following an understanding of the likelihood and consequences, is so high that it requires
actions to avoid or reduce the risk. Individuals and society will not accept this risk, and measures are to
be put in place to reduce risks to at least a tolerable level.
AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018 defines ‘Likelihood’ as the chance that something might happen. Likelihood can
be defined, determined, or measured objectively or subjectively and can be expressed either qualitatively
or quantitatively (using mathematics). The following ‘likelihood’ categories for the probability of the
assessed bushfire attack mechanisms impacting the assessment area have been adopted within this
assessment:
         Likely - Will probably occur
         Unlikely - Could occur but doubtful

4.2       SEASONAL FIRE WEATHER – SOUTH-EAST QUEENSLAND
South-east Queensland has a subtropical climate with warm humid summers and mild winters and is
subject to influence from monsoonal climate systems and easterly troughs. Seasonality is not pronounced;
however, the ‘wet’ season generally occurs during the December – April period. The fire danger season
usually occurs from spring to mid-summer (August/September to December) with the greatest danger
after a dry winter and spring and when deep, low-pressure systems near Tasmania bring strong, hot and
dry westerly winds to the coastal districts (BOM, 2023). Severe bushfire weather is characterised by days
with high temperatures over 35 degrees, low relative humidity and winds from the north to north-west.

AUGUST 2026                     BUSHFIRE HAZARD ASSESSMENT & MANAGEMENT PLAN                        Page: 18
                                        380 MCKINNON DRIVE, COOROIBAH