Bushfire Prone Land
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Important Update – A newly certified Bush Fire Prone Land map is now available for Wingecarribee Shire. To check if your property is on bush fire prone land, please visit the NSW Planning Portal, Rural Fire Service (RFS) mapping tool or Council's online map.
The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has certified a new Bush Fire Prone Land Map for Wingecarribee Shire (July 2025)(PDF, 4MB). This updated map replaces the previous version Bush Fire Prone Land Map(PDF, 4MB) and reflects the most current assessment of bush fire risk in the area.
What Is Bush Fire Prone Land?
The identification of bush fire prone land in NSW is required under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (Section 10.3). This includes a requirement for the preparation of a bush fire prone land map identifying vegetation within local government areas that has the potential to support a bush fire. The methodology for preparing these maps is applied consistently across NSW. The NSW RFS determines (through the vegetation categories) which areas must be mapped, and councils are responsible for assisting in the completion and submission of the final map.
The bush fire prone land map identifies four categories of vegetation and associated buffer zones:
- Vegetation Category 1 – High Risk
- Vegetation Category 2 – Lower Risk
- Vegetation Category 3 – Medium Risk (new category)
- Vegetation Buffer
Note: The new Category 3 reflects RFS guidelines(PDF, 447KB) and now includes grasslands, pastures, freshwater wetlands, and other unmanaged grassy areas previously not mapped as fire risk zones.
Is Your Property Bush Fire Prone Land?
To check if your property is on bush fire prone land using one of the following maps:
To view the latest certified Bush Fire Prone Land Map for Wingecarribee Shire, click here(PDF, 4MB).
What to do if your property is in a bush fire prone area?
If you are located on bush fire prone land, you may need to submit additional information with your Development Application or Complying Development Certificate.
Exempt Development
A Development Application is not required as long as the development meets the development standards of exemption provided under State Environmental Planning Policy 2008. The policy will contain provisions relating to bush fire prone land, if applicable. Standards may include use of non-combustible materials or hardwood.
No additional information is required to be submitted to Council.
Complying Development
Complying development is not allowed on high-risk bush fire prone land, such as BAL-FZ or BAL-40. Complying Development on land with a Bush Fire Attack Level of BAL-29, BAL-19, BAL-12.5 or BAL-LOW will require a Bush Fire Attack Level (BAL) Certificate issued by an accredited Bush Fire Consultant.
The Certificate will state the Bush Fire Attack Level that applies to the proposed development and must be included with your Complying Development application documentation.
Development Application
Applications for a new dwelling or alterations and additions to a property with an existing dwelling on bush fire prone land must include:
Integrated Development
Integrated Development, including subdivision of bush fire prone land and development that is a Special Fire Protection Purpose (SFPP) must be accompanied by a report from an Accredited Bush Fire Consultant and will be referred to the NSW RFS. Payment of additional fees is required for integrated developments.
Planning Proposals
Planning Proposals that facilitate development on bush fire prone land must demonstrate compliance with Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 (NSW Rural Fire Service) and will, in most cases, need to be supported by a Bush Fire Assessment Report prepared in accordance with the requirements of Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 and clause 45(2)(g) of the Rural Fires Regulation 2022.
Referral to the NSW Rural Fire Service
The following development applications will be referred to the NSW Rural Fire Service for consideration as part of the assessment process:
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Land that is Bush Fire Attack Levels BAL-40 and BAL-FZ (Flame Zone);
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Applications that do not meet specific performance criteria in Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019 and rely on variations to acceptable solutions;
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Integrated Development
Planning for Bushfire Protection
The NSW Rural Fire Service document titled Planning for Bush Fire Protection (PBP) 2019 provides the framework for development located on bushfire prone land in NSW.
All development on bushfire prone land must meet the requirements of PBP 2019, unless the consent authority has consulted with the NSW Rural Fire Service. A bushfire safety authority, under section 100B of the Rural Fires Act 1997, must be obtained from the NSW Rural Fire Service for subdivision and special fire protection developments on bushfire prone land.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has changed since the Wingecarribee’s 2011 bush fire prone land map?
Since the certification of the 2011 bush fire prone land map, a new vegetation category has been incorporated, vegetation category 3. This new vegetation category reflects the bush fire risk presented by grasslands, and includes areas of unmanaged grassland, freshwater wetlands, semi-arid woodlands, alpine complex and arid shrublands.
Vegetation category 3 is considered to be medium bush fire risk vegetation. It is higher in bush fire risk than vegetation category 2 (and the excluded areas) but lower than vegetation category 1.
Some properties that were previously mapped as bush fire prone land may now be excluded, as they no longer fall within one of the vegetation categories used to define bush fire prone areas.
What do we mean by bush fire prone land?
Bush fire prone land is an area of land with vegetation that can support a bush fire or is likely to be subject to bush fire attack. The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) describes what they will designate as bush fire prone land in their Guide for Bush fire Prone Land Mapping.
What is the bush fire prone land map?
The bush fire prone land map tells us what sort of bush fire protection measures are needed for any new development.
Council will assess any proposed development on bush fire prone land in accordance with the relevant legislation. Planning for bushfire protection is a is a statutory document produced by the RFS that contains the specifications and requirements for building on bushfire prone land. The current legislated version was adopted in the Environmental Planning & Assessment Regulations on 1 March 2020 and is titled PBP 2019
All of this is done to help keep you and your property safe.
Who creates the bush fire prone land map?
Council works with the NSW RFS to create the bush fire prone land map for our local government area, the Wingecarribee Shire.
Council is required to map bush fire prone land across the Wingecarribee to comply with legislation (the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979).
The NSW RFS designates which land must be mapped, and Council is responsible for preparing the map in accordance with their guidelines. The map is then reviewed and certified by the NSW RFS Commissioner.
The NSW RFS Commissioner also has the authority to create and certify a bushfire prone land map for the Shire at any time, regardless of Council involvement.
Did Council have a role in approving the map?
Yes. Wingecarribee Shire Council endorsed the updated Bush fire Prone Land Map at its meeting on 16 April 2025, in line with its legislative obligations under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. The endorsed map was then submitted to the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) for formal certification.
The map was certified by the NSW RFS Commissioner and took effect from 15 July 2025.
What information is used to map bush fire prone land?
Council uses the NSW RFS Guide for Bush Fire Prone Land Mapping to identify which vegetation category applies to vegetated areas in the Wingecarribee and which areas are excluded.
Council and the RFS use aerial photography, vegetation mapping and management records as part of this process.
The bush fire prone land map is then reviewed and certified by the Commissioner of the NSW RFS.
How do I know if my property is on bush fire prone land?
You are responsible for checking to see if your property is bush fire prone land. You can find out if your property is bush fire prone land by using our online mapping tool.
The planning certificate for your property will also include a statement whether the land, or part of the land, is or isn’t bush fire prone.
What happens if my property is on bush fire prone land?
If your property is on bush fire prone land, it is a reminder that you need a bush fire survival plan. This means knowing your risk and having a plan for what you will do in the event of a bush fire.
Being bush fire prone does not prevent you from developing on your land. It means that in the event of any new development, including building, renovating, Council will assess whether your development plans have included enough bush fire protection measures.
Depending on the level of risk, certain measures will need to be taken to ensure your development meets bush fire safety standards. These measures may range from things like metal flyscreens and gutter guards to modifying the style, construction material or location of a building.
If my property is on bush fire prone land, will this affect my insurance premium?
Every Council in NSW is required to map bush fire prone land and it is intended only as a trigger for development assessment, not other purposes.
Councils have no control over what insurance companies charge for their premiums, however we do know that insurance premiums are based on a range of factors, including worldwide trends and cost recovery for the many and varied natural disasters we’ve seen globally over the past decade.
Who can I contact with questions?
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Council’s Planning team: