BUSHFIRE PRONE AREAS

It’s important to understand the risk of the place you live or plan to live. Find out if your property is located in a bushfire prone area and view the planning requirements below.

Identifying at-risk land

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.

Planning and building requirements

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.

For specific requirements and for more information:

Map of Bushfire Prone Areas

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.

View map

Tip: If the map appears blank, you may need to clear the cache in your browser. Alternatively, check for mapping outages here.

Review of the Map of Bushfire Prone Areas

The Map of Bushfire Prone Areas is currently under review to better represent bushfire risk across Western Australia.

A draft Map has been released to support the 2023 Review of the Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas. Consultation on the Map has commenced and will remain open until close of business on 15 December 2023.

The draft Map can be accessed here.

DFES welcomes feedback on the draft Map and your feedback can be provided here.

More information about the review

Land use in bushfire prone areas

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.

The key bodies who make decisions about land use in Western Australia are:

Unexploded ordnance (UXO)

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

My land is bushfire prone on the Map of Bushfire Prone Areas. What does this mean?
Can I meet with DFES before I lodge my planning proposal to discuss bushfire issues?
When are planning applications within bushfire prone areas referred to DFES?
I’d like to talk to someone about compliance with SPP 3.7 and how this applies in my scenario. Can I discuss this with DFES?
Do I have to use an accredited bushfire consultant?
What is a Bushfire Management Plan (BMP) and who can prepare one?
Is there a standard format required for Bushfire Management Plans (BMPs)?

Resources

View all DFES publications

Have a question?

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.

More Information

Total fire ban

A Total Fire Ban is declared when a fire is likely to spread rapidly.

Learn more

Planned burning

The process of planning and applying fire to a predetermined area.

Learn more

Rural and farm fire

Bushfire risk when you live in a rural or farming area.

Learn more

Support for at risk communities

Ensure the safety of direct care workers, staff, and in-home clients.

Learn more

Bushfire publications

View and download bushfire manuals, guides and publications.

Learn more

Bushfire overview

To survive a bushfire you must be prepared to make your own decisions.

Learn more

Prepare for a bushfire

Having a bushfire plan in place will help you make better decisions.

Learn more

During a bushfire

If a bushfire has started, then you need to monitor official warnings.

Learn more

Recovering from a bushfire

In the wake of a bushfire, it can be incredibly daunting to return home.

Learn more

Bushfire Centre of Excellence

An education hub where bushfire management personnel can come together for training and learning.

Learn more