BAL requirements have been in place since 2009 for the construction of buildings in bush fire prone areas. Although the requirements have been in place since this time, they have only recently been adopted and enforced by local councils. This means that most new homes constructed today require a BAL assessment which is indicative of the level or risk from ember attack and heat flux. All homes which are to be constructed with a BAL rating of 12.5 and over require specific construction methods which comply with the legislative requirements. It is important to identify if the building components you are required to have installed have indeed been installed in accordance with legislation. Not having properly installed or adequate building components can have serious consequenses for your home in the event of a bushfire.
There are a range of bushfire attack levels that increase with the severity of the impact of bushfire. The location of the building and proximity to bush, topography and land slope are used to assessed the risk.
Striving to keep your home bush fire safe can come at a cost because the higher the rating the more complex the construction. Metal windows, gauze flyscreens, and enclosing exposed timbers can represent a cost of several thousand dollars on top of the existing building costs.
