THE Millicent Golf Course, Southend bush camping areas and Brae’s Country Fire Service station are among a number of assets considered at “extreme” risk from bushfire within the Wattle Range Council area.
The region’s bushfire “hot spots” have been revealed ahead of State Government planning reforms seeking to restrict development in designated bushfire risk areas.
While Wattle Range is among 39 of the state’s 68 councils with bushfire protection areas, moves are afoot by the planning department to update fire maps used by local government to approve developments across South Australia.
Currently, a majority of the Millicent township is excluded as bushfire protection area, meaning developments within these areas are not subject to bushfire-related planning and building requirements.
However, Millicent High School and the former Tafe SA campus, Sutherland Road and Commercial Avenue, are considered as areas of high risk, triggering additional planning and construction requirements.
The town’s two caravan parks and houses within the Grosser and Brennan Street area also fall under the risk categorisation.
Within the council area, 11 assets are considered as extreme risks in a bushfire, including the Forestry SA Nursery, Mount Burr Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Mount Burr communication tower.
Country Fire Service regional prevention officer Paul Dickson said while it was incumbent on individuals to identify and manage their risk level, assets on the higher end of the classification spectrum attracted a stronger focus on fire prevention and suppression.
“We develop strategies around how to protect those assets, whether it means building to a higher standard or reducing fuel loads around the property,” he said.
“Education is a very fundamental part of what we do and whether that is trying to get an individual to identify risks and developing treatments such as fuel reduction.
“At the highest level, which is extreme, the treatments become more precise and involved.”
According to the planning department, new proposals that may trigger a CFS referral include a whether there is a dedicated water supply for fire fighting in close proximity.
Buffer zones between homes and vegetation and appropriate access roads are also taken into consideration.
Wattle Range Council planning officer Mark Thredgold estimated additional costs running in the tens of thousands of dollars for some development approvals.
“If you were trying to build a house at the back of somewhere like Nangwarry, which is a high bushfire area because it is surrounded by pine, it could add $20,000 to $50,000 to the cost of the build,” he said.
“If it was what we call a tick and flick type of house, the development is only approved by council.
“If the development was in the bushfire jurisdiction, it needs a referral to the CFS.
“They can impose things like additional pumps and vegetation clearing.
“Under the building code, you would need to have fire-rated windows or doors, you would need to have a roof that is up to code.
“The increase in cost to achieve an appropriate level becomes so high it just becomes unaffordable.”
Mr Thredgold welcomed the State Government’s review and hoped it would provide consistency and decrease wait times for some development approvals.
“We would like to see areas like Beachport, which is considered a high risk because it only has one way in and one way out, wound down a little bit as it does create extensive timeframes on approving developments,” he said.
“What the government are trying to achieve is consistency.
“We expect the new planning reforms to be in operation in late 2019.”
