7. Attachment F - Bushfire Hazard Assessment

                                                         Bushfire Hazard Assessment and Management Plan




6     Conclusion
This report has been prepared to provide a site-specific bushfire hazard assessment and management
plan for a proposed new residential hospice building at 199 Beddington Road, Doonan (Katie Rose
Cottage Hospice). The bushfire assessment has been undertaken in accordance with a contemporary
methodology i.e. the methodology outlined in the QFES Bushfire Resilient Communities Technical
Reference Guide (QFES, 2019) and utilises QFES-published inputs (FFDI and fuel loads) for hazardous
vegetation classified in accordance with the QFES vegetation hazard classification system.

The results of the assessment show that vegetation associated with the Wet Eucalypt Forest (VHC 8.1)
to the east, south-east, north-east and south-west of site has a potential bushfire hazard class of ‘high’
or ‘very high’. All other vegetation within 150 m of the development site is not classified as bushfire-
prone and therefore, calculation of radiant heat flux/bushfire attack level (BAL) is not applicable.

The QFES Bushfire Resilient Communities document states that vulnerable uses (such as residential
hospices) are to be sited so they achieve a radiant heat flux of no more than 10 kW/m 2. The proposed
new hospice building complies with this requirement. A bushfire Asset Protection Zone (APZ) has been
proposed on the property to achieve this outcome. Regular fuel maintenance within the APZ will be
required by the occupants of the dwelling to ensure ongoing protection of the dwelling. Most of the
understory vegetation within the APZ is already cleared and managed on a regular basis, so the impact
on ecological values from the APZ construction and maintenance will be minimal.

The site directly adjoins Beddington Rd and easy access is provided to the rear of the property via
the proposed vehicle driveways and manoeuvring areas. Direct access to the new building is provided
via a driveway along the western boundary of the site to Beddington Road. This driveway will provide
for the safe egress of residents in the event of an approaching bushfire. The driveway surface is
capable of supporting Rural Fire Service 4WD vehicles, and the longitudinal gradient of the driveway
does not exceed 12.5%. The rear of the lot contains an appropriately sized fire break between the
hazardous vegetation and the maintained gardens and lawns of the hospice.

The site does not have access to a reticulated water supply. The proposed building will have the required
minimum level of stored, dedicated, on-site water supply for fire-fighting purposes. The site has access
to a 48,000-litre drinking water supply and an additional two (2) 5,000 litre water tanks used for gardens,
and a 50,000-litre swimming pool, therefore complying with AO3.2 of the Noosa Plan 2020 Bushfire
Hazard Overlay Code.

The adjoining property to the south contains mostly non-bushfire prone vegetation (landscaped gardens
and lawns) along with some small patches of native vegetation. The proposed development is still
subject to bushfire risk by virtue of being located in a bushfire hazard area, but these risks will be
mitigated by the management plan in section 5 of this report and internal documents from Katie Rose
Cottage Hospice (KRCH) that illustrate the operational procedures for bushfire emergencies (KRCH
Bushfire Survival Plan, Emergency Evacuation Plan; and Bushfire Risk Management Plan). The
proposed development complies with State Planning Policy 2017 Natural Hazards, Risk and Resilience
Assessment Benchmarks and the Noosa Plan 2020 Bushfire Hazard Overlay Code.




                                               PR22428_BHAMP_199 Beddington Road, Doonan           Page 31