Bushfire Management Planning

Bushfire Management Planning Overview

Important Update: The Independent Review into the 2019/2020 SA Bushfires has just been released with a number of key recommendations for improvements to bushfire management planning processes.  CFS will be working with government on ways to implement any changes that flow from the recommendations.  Further details will be provided when available.

Bushfire is a natural part of the South Australian landscape.

South Australia experiences bushfires every fire season. A serious destructive fire will occur somewhere in the State in 6 or 7 years out of every 10.

A bushfire can cause injury and loss of human life. It can damage or destroy property if it is able to flare up and travel through the landscape.

Understanding bushfire risk to people and property means you can take appropriate actions to prevent damage.

The State Bushfire Co-ordination Committee (SBCC) is responsible for bushfire management planning in SA. The Committee has divided the State into 9 Bushfire Management Areas. There is a sub-Committee, Bushfire Management Committee (BMC), for each area. The BMC will prepare a Bushfire Management Area Plan (BMAP) for its area.

Bushfire Management Area Plans identify the risks and actions individuals organisations can take to reduce bushfire risk.  

These plans were developed as part of a project funded by the Natural Disaster Resilience Program in partnership with the Commonwealth and State Government of South Australia. 

The 9 Bushfire Management Areas are:

Note: The maps that form part of each BMAP do not show building planning zones. Please refer to Building or developing in bushfire prone areas and use the Property Location Browser.

If you have any questions about the Bushfire Management Area Plan for your area or you would like to be added to the list for future public consultations contact the Bushfire Management Planning Unit.

More information

Contact

Bushfire Management Planning Unit
Phone: (08) 8115 3370
Email: CFS.BushfireManagementPlanning@sa.gov.au

Related Information

The State Bushfire Management Plan

The Fire and Emergency Services Act 2005 (SA) Section 73 requires the State Bushfire Coordination Committee to prepare a State Bushfire Management Plan.

This is a strategic level document designed to provide policy direction for fire, emergency and land management agencies and Bushfire Management Committees.

It is not a document providing guidance to the public.

The South Australian State Bushfire Management Plan (2010) includes:

The State Bushfire Coordination Committee is currently reviewing this plan.

Bushfire Management Area Plan Handbook (2018)

The BMAP Handbook details the procedure for the preparation of Bushfire Management Area Plans.  This is version 2 of the document and reflects current process.  Bushfire management planning is very dynamic and this document is likely to required fairly frequent updating.  A formal review date is set for February 2019 however any updates prior to this will be tabled with State Bushfire Coordination Committee for guidance regarding consultation requirements.

Download the BMAP Handbook.

Fire Management Zone Standard and Guidance for Use 2.0

This document defines the standards for the establishment of Fire Management Zones and guidance for use within Bushfire Management Area Plans in South Australia.

This Standard has been prepared by the Ecological Technical Reference Group (ETRG) on behalf of the State Bushfire Coordination Committee.  Version 2.0 was officially approved on 14 February 2020.

Download the document here.

Standard for the risk assessment of environmental assets from bushfire

This document defines the standards for the identification and risk assessment of South Australian environmental assets from bushfire.

This Standard has been prepared by the Ecological Technical Reference Group (ETRG) on behalf of the State Bushfire Coordination Committee. It was officially approved on 13 December 2017.

Download the document here.

Rural Fire Hazard State Risk Assessment Report

The State Emergency Management Committee has assigned the role of Rural Fire Hazard Leader for South Australia to the SA CFS. Under the State Emergency Management Plan, Hazard Leaders work with advisory groups and functional services to ensure a coordinated State approach to major hazards.

In 2013, the Rural Fire Hazard Leader undertook a risk assessment for the Rural Fire hazard in South Australia using the National Emergency Risk Assessment Guidelines (NERAG) as part of the State Emergency Risk Assessment System (SERAS). The State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) gave delivery of the SERAS project to the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM).

Read the Rural State Risk Assessment Report.

National Strategy for Disaster Resilience

The Council of Australian Governments endorsed the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience in February 2011. The purpose of the Strategy is to provide high-level guidance on disaster management to federal, state and local governments, business and community leaders and the not-for-profit sector.

National Emergency Risk Assessment Guidelines

Aligned to the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience was the adoption of the National Emergency Risk Assessment Guidelines (NERAG). The NERAG were prepared to improve emergency risk assessments, increase the quality of information on risk and improve the national evidence-base on emergency risks in Australia.

Under the National Partnership Agreement, South Australia has to provide NERAG compliant state risk assessments to the Federal Attorney General's Department.

Bushfire is one of South Australia's top 10 priority hazards.

We have started compliance for bushfire with a series of risk assessment workshops. This process will provide information for the State Bushfire Hazard Plan and the State Bushfire Management Plan.

Other Relevant Agency Plans