Bushfire Management Plan (BMP)
A BMP is the site-specific bushfire plan covering defendable space, water supply, access, vegetation. Required by VIC BMO and NSW bushfire-prone land assessments.
Ask Chalkline about this →A Bushfire Management Plan (BMP) is a site-specific planning and design document prepared by an accredited bushfire consultant for builds on land subject to bushfire planning controls. It is the document that translates the lot’s bushfire risk assessment into specific design and management requirements: which face of the building gets which BAL rating, where the defendable space must be cleared, what water supply is required, what access width the fire truck needs.
What a BMP covers:
- BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) rating for each face of the dwelling (typically 12.5, 19, 29, 40, or FZ).
- Defendable space (also called Asset Protection Zone or APZ): the cleared distance around the building, vegetation management within that zone, fuel-load limits.
- Construction requirements: BAL-rated wall systems, ember-proof eaves, roof and wall openings, glazing, decking and deck framing.
- Water supply: typically 5,000 L static in a dedicated bushfire-rated tank with a 38 mm or 50 mm Storz fitting accessible to fire-truck pumps. Some councils require gravity-fed; some allow pumped.
- Access: driveway width, gradient, passing bays, turning circles for fire trucks (typically 4 m clear width minimum, 14% gradient maximum).
- Vegetation management: ongoing pruning, replanting, weed control requirements.
Where a BMP is required:
- VIC: under Planning Provisions Clause 53.02 (Bushfire Planning Provisions), in the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO). The BMP is part of the planning permit application.
- NSW: under the EP&A Act and Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019, on land mapped as bushfire-prone. The BMP supports the DA or CDC.
- Other states: similar regimes exist (SA Bushfire Planning, WA Bushfire Prone Areas) with state-specific document names; the BMP concept is similar across all states.
Section 173 agreements (VIC) and similar. A BMP for high-BAL or high-risk sites is often locked to the title via a Section 173 agreement (VIC) or equivalent legal mechanism in other states. This means the BMP runs with the land and binds future owners: they cannot let the defendable space revegetate, cannot remove the water tank, cannot fence off the fire-truck access. The Section 173 agreement is registered on title and shows on a Section 32 vendor statement.
Who prepares the BMP.
- VIC: an accredited Bushfire Planning and Design (BPAD) practitioner.
- NSW: a Bushfire Planning and Design Practitioner (BPAD).
- The practitioner conducts a site visit, reviews vegetation classes within 150 m, calculates BAL ratings per face, and drafts the plan.
For builders.
- Engage the bushfire consultant early. Their findings can change the building envelope, the orientation, or the construction spec. Late discovery = redesign cost.
- Build the BMP requirements into the construction quote. BAL-29 glazing alone can add $5,000 to $15,000 over BAL-12.5; BAL-40 and FZ add substantially more.
- Hand over the BMP to the client at completion. They are responsible for ongoing maintenance of defendable space, water supply, and access. Failure to maintain can void insurance and trigger council enforcement.
Also known as: BMP, Bushfire Management Statement (BMS, NSW term), BAL report (informal).
Category: Approvals / planning / bushfire.
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Last updated: 2026-05-14. Verified: 2026-05-14.