Bushfire Protection Areas

Important note: For additional information regarding bushfire protection, including preparing your own Bushfire Action Plan, please visit the SA Country Fire Service website (external link).

In late 2006 and 2007, changes were made to the planning and building requirements for new dwellings to be built in certain identified bushfire risk areas of South Australia.

The changes affected 39 councils located throughout SA, including Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, the South-East, the Riverland, Murray Bridge, mid-North, Mt Lofty Ranges and parts of the Metropolitan Adelaide region.  The councils affected are listed below.

Under the changes, parts of these councils have now been designated as Bushfire Protection Areas. Each of these Areas has been thoroughly assessed and categorised into one of three bushfire risk levels – high bushfire risk, medium bushfire risk or general bushfire risk. There are also areas which are ‘excluded’.

Different planning and building requirements now apply depending on the designated level of bushfire risk. These requirements are explained on each of the pages listed here:

The requirements may include features such as having dedicated water supplies for fire fighting; buffer zones between homes and flammable or combustible vegetation; appropriate access roads; and building features which increase bushfire protection (eg spark and ember protection).

The Minister's Code - Undertaking Development in Bushfire Protection Areas (February, as amended December 2009) [PDF 508KB] has been adopted to assist applicants seeking to undertake development in bushfire protection areas, and the professionals who assess development applications.

In addition to the information provided in the Bushfire Code for guidance purposes, there are a number of bushfire protection measures, which are required to be assessed as part of the development application (Develeopment Plan Consent), including: 

  • public road design in respect to a land division proposal
  • the location and design of private roads and driveways
  • access to dedicated water supplies
  • the location of buildings away from existing and proposed trees and vegetation.  

 

Online Search Tool

The Department of Planning and Local Government has prepared an online search tool to assist people in identifying whether a particular property:

  • is located within a Bushfire Protection Area;
  • the property's assigned level of bushfire risk (high, medium or general risk); and
  • what minimum bushfire-related planning and building requirements may apply.

The development of this online tool was funded under the Natural Disaster Mitigation Programme and has received Australian and State Government financial support.

Council Areas Covered by designated Bushfire Protection Areas

The following councils have Bushfire Protection Areas:

  • Eyre Peninsula Councils: Lower Eyre Peninsula (DC), Port Lincoln (City), Tumby Bay (DC), Streaky Bay (DC), Elliston (DC)
  • South East Councils: Robe (DC), Naracoorte Lucindale Council, Grant (DC), Tatiara (DC), Kingston (DC), Wattle Range Council, Mt Gambier (City)
  • Yorke Peninsula Councils: Yorke Peninsula (DC)
  • Kangaroo Island Councils: Kangaroo Island Council
  • Mid-North Councils: Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council, Mt Remarkable (DC), Northern Areas Council, Port Pirie (RC), Wakefield Regional Council, Light Regional Council, Mallala (DC)
  • Riverland Councils: Berri Barmera Council, Renmark Paringa (DC)
  • Murray Bridge: Murray Bridge (RC)
  • Mt Lofty Ranges: Adelaide Hills Council, Alexandrina Council, The Barossa Council, Mid Murray Council, Mount Barker (DC), Victor Harbor (DC), Yankalilla (DC)
  • Metropolitan Councils: Burnside (City), Campbelltown (City), Gawler (CT), Mitcham (City), Onkaparinga (City), Playford (City), Salisbury (City), Tea Tree Gully (City)
  • Out of Councils: Land Not Within A Council Area (Coastal Waters)