Before you buy
Checking bushfire risk before you buy
Check the state's bushfire prone map and any bushfire planning control for the exact lot. If it is bushfire prone, building or extending comes with extra rules.
Key points
- Run the check for the exact lot, not the suburb.
- Each state keeps this information in a different place; the table below says where.
- A clear result on a register or map is not proof there is no risk.
- General information, not legal, planning or insurance advice: confirm with your conveyancer or solicitor before you sign.
The short answer
Look up whether the address is on the state's bushfire prone map, and whether a bushfire planning control applies. In Victoria these are two different things: the bushfire prone area sets a minimum construction standard for new homes, and the Bushfire Management Overlay is a planning control for land with very high and extreme bushfire hazard. (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 22 Oct 2026) In NSW, bush fire prone land is shown on the planning certificate. (NSW Rural Fire Service, verified 12 Aug 2026)
What to search in each state
Where to look for the exact address, checked against each official source on 22 October 2026. A blank on a register or map is not the same as no risk; the next section says why.
| State | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Victoria | VicPlan shows the Bushfire Management Overlay (CFA (Country Fire Authority), verified 29 Jul 2026) and whether the land is in a designated bushfire prone area. (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 22 Oct 2026) The Section 32 must say whether the land is in a bushfire-prone area. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026) |
| New South Wales | Bush Fire Prone Land maps are prepared by councils and certified by the NSW Rural Fire Service; check the RFS online tool, and the Section 10.7 planning certificate. (NSW Rural Fire Service, verified 12 Aug 2026) |
| Queensland | Each council runs its own planning scheme and property report tool. (Brisbane City Council, verified 12 Aug 2026) Not confirmed from a current official source for this guide: where Queensland maps bushfire prone areas. |
| Western Australia | Search the Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas by address; if any part of the lot is shaded pink, the whole lot is considered bushfire prone. (Consumer Protection (WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety), verified 22 Oct 2026) |
| South Australia | SAPPA shows the Planning and Design Code overlays for an address. (PlanSA (Department for Housing and Urban Development), verified 22 Oct 2026) Not confirmed from a current official source for this guide: the names of SA's current bushfire overlays. |
Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory are not covered by this guide yet.
What each result means
The land is in a bushfire prone area
In Victoria, a minimum construction standard applies to a new home, based on the six bushfire attack levels (BAL) in AS 3959. (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 22 Oct 2026) In WA, the designation may trigger a BAL assessment, which may add to the cost of development or, where the risk is extreme, restrict it. (Consumer Protection (WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety), verified 22 Oct 2026)
A bushfire planning overlay applies
In Victoria, land in the Bushfire Management Overlay may need a planning permit to develop or subdivide, with the requirements set by the local planning scheme. (CFA (Country Fire Authority), verified 29 Jul 2026)
Neither applies
These maps decide which planning and building rules apply; they are not an assessment of the fire risk to a particular house. In NSW, councils can review and amend their Bush Fire Prone Land maps at any time. (NSW Rural Fire Service, verified 12 Aug 2026)
Check a Victorian address
Delora's Address Check shows the zone and every planning overlay on a Victorian lot, grouped into flood, bushfire, heritage and contamination, with how much of the lot each one covers. It is built from Vicmap Planning, the state's planning data; confirm anything that matters with a planning property report and your conveyancer.
Common questions
What is a BAL rating?
A bushfire attack level: a measure of how exposed a building is to bushfire. In Victoria new homes in a bushfire prone area are built to one of the six levels in AS 3959.
Do I have to be told if a property is bushfire prone?
In Victoria the Section 32 must say whether the land is in a bushfire-prone area. In NSW it is shown on the planning certificate attached to the contract.
Practical checklist
Bushfire: before you sign
- Check the state bushfire map and the planning controls for the exact lot
- If the land is bushfire prone, ask whether the existing house has a BAL rating and what it is
- If you plan to build or extend, get a BAL assessment before you budget
- Get an insurance quote that names the address
Questions for a professional
- Is this lot in a bushfire prone area or a bushfire overlay, and what would that require if I rebuilt?
- What BAL rating would a new home or extension on this lot need?
Official resources
- VicPlan (Victoria)
- NSW Rural Fire Service: bush fire prone land
- Consumer Protection WA: bushfire prone areas disclosure
Important limitations: General information only, not legal, planning, environmental or insurance advice, and not a search of any property. Registers and maps change; check the official source for the exact address and ask a conveyancer, solicitor or the relevant authority before you rely on a result. Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory are not covered yet.
Sources and methodology
- Building in bushfire prone areas | Planning Victoria — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Bush fire prone land — NSW Rural Fire Service (retrieved 12 Aug 2026). Licence: NSW Government content, reproduced for research/citation purposes
- Planning and Bushfire Management Overlay — CFA (Country Fire Authority) (retrieved 29 Jul 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Conveyancing and contracts for sellers — Consumer Affairs Victoria (retrieved 30 Jul 2026, last checked 7 Aug 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
- City Plan online — Brisbane City Council (retrieved 12 Aug 2026). Licence: Government content, reproduced for research/citation purposes
- Disclosure requirements: bushfire prone areas (Real estate bulletin 129) | Consumer Protection WA — Consumer Protection (WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- South Australian Property and Planning Atlas | PlanSA — PlanSA (Department for Housing and Urban Development) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
Figures on this page are drawn from Delora's local knowledge graph, refreshed from these primary sources and checked for changes on a regular schedule. If a figure here looks out of date, the official source above is always the authority — please let us know.
Evidence record