Bushfire Hazard Management Plan OPW20-0051 3 of 3 - Copy

Bushfire Hazard Management Plan v3                                                    NCES REF: J000662
Lot 101 on SP142407, Lot 140 on MCH978, Lot 3 on RP137375,
Lot 2 on RP852009 and Lot 8 on RP160703 - 27 Wilgee Court, Cooroy



The available fire pathway length through the retained vegetation to the building envelopes is
generally relatively short (i.e. less than 100m) and therefore a bushfire in the adjacent vegetation
exhibits reduced potential of achieving maximum severity and intensity. The limited width also
infers that a fire run along the axis of the vegetation would also achieve reduced potential fireline
intensity.
Overall the limited scale and widths of the retained vegetation within the site is expected to
significantly curtail the risk associated with the vegetation. Sufficient separation is provided within
all lots between building envelopes and adjacent covenant areas to infer that the risk of direct
forest flame contact would be low. All of the retained vegetated areas represents risk of ember
attack on the site by virtue of their inherent flammability. The risk of spot fires developing within
and about the building envelopes would be considered low assuming low threat conditions are
maintained post development of the site.
The retained cleared areas within the site external of the nominated building envelopes are
anticipated to comprise grassland which may be prone to low intensity but potentially fast-moving
grass fires depending on weather conditions, grass curing and grass height.
Overall there is considered to be a tolerable level of bushfire risk associated with the vegetation
to be retained in the site post development. The risk is therefore deemed high enough to require
new treatments or actions to reduce risk.

4.3      Risk from Hazardous Vegetation External of the Site
There is limited hazardous vegetation surrounding the site inclusive of a lack of direct bushland
connectivity with the site.
The site is generally surrounded by low threat VHC 12 Mixture of rural classes – mainly grassland
and VHC 16 Mixture of urban classes vegetation units which have low and discontinuous fuel
loads and therefore exhibit very low bushfire risk. The VHC 12 vegetation to the east of the site,
beyond Lake MacDonald Drive, where left unmanaged, exhibits potential of facilitating a grassfire
toward the site, particularly under easterly winds. The fragmentation provided by Lake MacDonald
Drive would however be expected to prevent most grassfires from breaching this roadway and
entering the site.
A large unit of vegetation; approximately 34 hectares, mapped as comprising an 80/20 split of
regional ecosystem 12.3.2 flooded gum tall open forest and 12.3.1 lowland notophyll vine forest
is present to the north-west of the site (refer Plate 14). The RE 12.3.2 dominated polygon is
positioned in a high risk burn pathway toward the site where typically fire weather winds from the
north to west would be expected to drive a fire in the vegetation towards the site. This vegetation
unit exhibits an irregular footprint which is expected to suppress the potential for a fire therein to
achieve maximum full intensity. VHC 16 Mixture of urban classes separates the hazard from the
site hence a forest fire would be expected to extinguish upon interception of the VHC 16
conditions. The risk of direct flame contact with the site is therefore low.
A narrow, single tree wide tract of VHC 02 vegetation extends for approximately 125m from the
forest to the north-west to the western site boundary however would only be expected to support
a low intensity fire, if not self-extinguish, by the time a fire head impacted the site. The position
and flammability of the north-west vegetation unit infers it exhibits significant risk of imposing
ember attack on the site including advancing spotting which may ignite vegetation within the site.
Overall there is considered to be a tolerable level of bushfire risk associated with the vegetation
to the north-west of the site post development. The risk is therefore deemed high enough to
require new treatments or actions to reduce risk.




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