The Map of Bushfire Prone Areas identifies land in Western Australia that has the potential to be impacted by bushfires. This land is designated by the Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner.
Additional planning and building requirements may apply to new proposals within a bushfire prone area. A further assessment of bushfire risk may also be required to ensure future developments in bushfire prone areas are safer.
The requirements are described in State Planning Policy 3.7: Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas (SPP 3.7) and the Guidelines for Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas (Guidelines). You can find these documents at wa.gov.au.
Additional planning and building requirements may apply to developments and subdivisions within designated bushfire prone areas, in accordance with Schedule 2 Part 10A of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015, SPP-3.7, the Guidelines, and the Building Code of Australia.
If you are the proponent, you’ll be responsible for ensuring that the proposal complies with the relevant planning policies and building regulations. Certain exemptions and exclusions may apply.
View the map to see all of the bushfire prone areas in WA (marked in pink). Sites that have been in a designated bushfire prone area for less than four months may not be required to comply with building or planning requirements.
Tip: If the map appears blank, you may need to clear the cache in your browser. Alternatively, check for mapping outages here.
The Map of Bushfire Prone Areas is currently under review to better represent bushfire risk across Western Australia.
A draft indicative map has been released during Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage’s current consultation on draft State Planning Policy 3.7 Bushfire and the Planning for Bushfire Guidelines.
The draft indicative map has introduced new categories to describe bushfire risk. The categories will be Area 1 (significantly developed or built-up urban areas) and Area 2 (rest of the State).
The updated map now looks at risk a suburb scale instead of the previous approach which focussed on local government boundaries. This will improve the overall quality of the map, reducing previous confusion around status of bushfire prone areas.
DFES is committed to refining the map to ensure it continues to be a true reflection of the environment.
DFES has since invested considerable resources and effort to refine the map which has:
DFES will consult closely with local governments and other stakeholders on the map following the closure of the DPLH consultation on the draft policy and guidelines.
DFES welcomes feedback on the draft indicative map via bushfiremap@dfes.wa.gov.au
DFES has an important role to play in advising these decision makers on bushfire risk issues in accordance with SPP 3.7 and Guidelines. Decision makers can refer planning proposals in designated bushfire prone areas to our Land Use Planning team for advice.
The Land Use Planning team also provide evidence for the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) proceedings on bushfire risk, together with its consequences for planning decisions; and act as a referral agency when there is Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) contamination.
Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) refers to ammunition which has been fired but has not functioned as designed. Search and remediation conditions are placed by DFES on planning approvals, with search and remediation to be carried out by contractors approved by the Department of Defence.
UXO data for WA is owned by DFES and published by the Department of Defence.
All new planning proposals (including strategic proposals, subdivision and development applications) in designated bushfire prone areas will require decision makers to give due regard to SPP 3.7 and Guidelines.
We strongly recommend contacting the relevant decision maker to confirm what additional planning or building requirements will need to be met in relation to bushfire risk.
Requests for pre-lodgement advice can be submitted to the DFES Land Use Planning section at advice@dfes.wa.gov.au or by calling 9395 9300. Any advice provided will be general in nature, is nonbinding and does not constitute a full assessment against SPP 3.7, the Guidelines, or any other part of the framework. It is important to note that determination of a proposal and its suitability is a matter for the decision maker, and we recommend that you also seek advice from the relevant authority for your application.
All strategic level planning applications within bushfire prone areas are referred to DFES. The following instances will trigger a referral for subdivision and development applications:
The Land Use Planning section can provide general advice regarding the DFES interpretation of SPP 3.7 and the Guidelines. Requests for advice can be submitted to advice@dfes.wa.gov.au or by calling 9395 9300. While DFES provide advice regarding SPP 3.7 and the Guidelines, DFES is not a determining authority and we recommend in the first instance that you seek advice from the relevant decision maker for your application.
Additional guidance on the application of SPP 3.7 is also available on the Department of Planning, Lands & Heritage’s SPP 3.7 webpage. You may also wish to contact the Department of Mines, Industrial Regulation and Safety’s Building and Energy Division, and/or an accredited bushfire consultant.
It is strongly recommended that you use an accredited consultant for the planning proposal. This ensures your Bushfire Management Plan (BMP) can be submitted with professional and consistent advice for land use planning and building decision processes.
We also recommend asking the decision maker if you are required to use an accredited consultant. For more information on accreditation levels and service, see Section 6.14 of the Guidelines for Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas.
A BMP is an assessment of bushfire risk which identifies the extent of the bushfire hazard and its potential to affect people, property and infrastructure. It should provide an assessment against the bushfire protection criteria requirements contained within the Guidelines, as it is a key component of the strategic planning proposal, subdivision or development application approval process.
We encourage you to ensure the BMP is undertaken by an accredited Level 2 or Level 3 Bushfire Planning Practitioner. Find more on qualified bushfire consultants in WA from the Fire Protection Association of Australia.
Yes, there is correct procedure to follow when developing a BMP. Please refer to the following sections in the Guidelines for Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas for guidance.
For map and dataset queries, contact us at the Office of Bushfire Risk Management. To enquire about a referral or UXO contamination, contact the Land Use Planning team.