HIA Media Release 3 March 2020
As of 1 March 2020, any application made for a Development Approval (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC) must comply with Planning for Bushfire Protection 2019 (PBP) and AS 3959:2018.
This means that any project documentation for development on bushfire prone land which is ready to be submitted to the relevant consent authority will need to be amended to confirm that it complies with PBP ’19 and the latest version of AS 3959 before being submitted.
If you have an existing Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Certificate that was assessed using the assessment methodology outlined in PBP’06 you will likely need to have the site reassessed according to PBP ’19. If you are unsure if your BAL Certificate complies with PBP ’06 or ’19, HIA recommends that you speak with your certifier or local council for further information.
If you had made an application for a CDC prior to 1 March 2020, this change will not affect you and the project will still need to comply with PBP ’06 and AS 3959:2009.
If you have any questions in relation to this update, please do not hesitate to contact the HIA's Brad Armitage on 9978 3333 or nsw_technical@hia.com.au