Can a dual occupancy be built in a bushfire-prone area?
Yes, potentially. A dual occupancy can be built in a Bushfire Prone Area (BPA), but additional bushfire planning and construction requirements apply.
The ACT Bushfire Management Standards apply to all development within a mapped Bushfire Prone Area, including residential development. The proposal must respond to the site's bushfire risk and incorporate the applicable Bushfire Protection Measures, which may include building separation and defendable space, appropriate emergency access and egress, construction standards, services and vegetation/fuel management.
Being in a Bushfire Prone Area therefore does not automatically prohibit a dual occupancy, but the development must satisfy the applicable bushfire requirements.
Reference Emergencies Bushfire Management Standards 2025 (NI2025-265) – https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/View/ni/2025-265/current/html/2025-265.html
Short Answer
Yes, potentially. A dual occupancy can be built in a Bushfire Prone Area, but it must meet the applicable ACT Bushfire Management Standards and Bushfire Protection Measures.
Detailed Explanation
Yes, subject to the applicable bushfire requirements. The ACT Bushfire Management Standards 2025 apply to all development located within a mapped Bushfire Prone Area, including residential development.
Development within a BPA must satisfy the aims and objectives of the Standards and incorporate appropriate Bushfire Protection Measures according to the assessed level of bushfire risk. These measures address matters including separation from bushfire hazards, defendable space, emergency access and egress, building protection and other risk-mitigation measures.
Accordingly, location within a Bushfire Prone Area does not itself prohibit dual occupancy development, but the proposal must demonstrate compliance with the applicable bushfire standards.
No minimum block size does not remove the need for planning assessment.
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