Eurobodalla Council and the NSW Rural Fire Service have updated mapping of bush fire prone land in Eurobodalla.
Every Council in NSW is required by legislation to map bush fire prone land according to conditions set by the RFS in its Guide for Bush Fire Prone Land Mapping.
The map, reviewed and certified by the NSW RFS Commissioner, is used as a trigger to ensure new developments have adequate protection from bush fire. Depending on the level of risk, mitigation measures may need to be incorporated into development, ranging from things like metal flyscreens and gutter guards, to modifying the style, construction material or location of a building.
The new mapping is not a result of the 19/20 fires – it is a legislative requirement and was already being reviewed before the fires.
Eurobodalla Council's planning director Lindsay Usher said that land being mapped as bush fire prone did not prevent development from happening, and existing buildings would not require retrospective modifications simply because they were now mapped.
"The new mapping will only affect you if you are planning a new development on your property, such as building, renovating or starting a home-based business. It is, however, a timely reminder for all property owners to ensure they have a bush fire survival plan," he said.
Most land in Eurobodalla is considered bush fire prone, with pockets of urban land in and around Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma not considered at risk.
Mr Usher said the RFS had recently updated its guidelines since the last map to recognise the risk of grasslands, resulting in a lot of Eurobodalla's farmland being newly mapped.
"About an additional 18,400 hectares of land have now been designated as bush fire prone land in the new map. The vast majority of these, 639 properties, are on rural RU1 land," he said.
