National Standards For Private Bushfire Shelters

National Standards for Private Bushfire Shelters


The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB)* today released for public comment a
draft national standard for the design and construction of private bushfire shelters.

Announcing the decision today, ABCB Chairman Mr Graham Huxley AM said, "The
development of this technical national standard is a significant step toward the future regulation of the private bushfire shelters."

"The 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission identified that there were no
national regulations addressing the design and construction of bushfire shelters and it recommended that a technical standard be developed."

"As the author of the Building Code of Australia, the national code for the design and construction of buildings, the ABCB is committed to the development of a new technical standard."

"The purpose of this document is to provide a platform for future decision making in regard to the regulation of private bushfire shelters."

The standard will enable building designers and approval authorities to make
informed professional judgements regarding the most appropriate means of mitigating life safety risk by the use of private shelters during the passage of a bushfire.

Mr Huxley advised that once the draft technical standard was completed, the Board would determine the scope of new technical provisions to be included in the 2011 edition of the BCA.

"If State and Territory governments wish to independently introduce new regulations for private bushfire shelters prior to 2011 they can use the document to develop there own regulations as an interim measure."

While reinforcing that the ABCB championed development of the technical standard, Mr. Huxley warned that the installation of a private bushfire shelter should not be seen as a simple solution to a very serious problem.

He stated that the ABCB endorsed the view of the Victorian Bushfire Royal
Commission that extreme caution should be taken in the use of bushfire bunkers as part of a household's fire plan and that misplaced reliance on a bunker can be life threatening.

"Therefore it should be noted that there are no guarantees that a private bushfire shelter built according to this technical standard will eliminate the threat of serious injury or fatality."

* About the ABCB and the Building Code of Australia
The ABCB is a joint initiative of all levels of government in Australia, with the building industry. Its oversees issues relating to health, safety, amenity and sustainability in building. The ABCB promotes efficiency in the design, construction and performance of buildings through the national Building Code of Australia (BCA).


For more information:
Ivan Donaldson,
General Manager,
0417 213 722

Australian Building Codes Board
Ph: 1300 134 631 Fax: 02 62137287
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.abcb.gov.au



SOURCE: Australian Building Codes Board