BCA 2010 - ABCB - Australian Building Codes Board

EGULATOrY DEvELOPMENT
DrAFT STANDArD FOr
PrivATE BUSHFirE SHELTErS
Written by Ray Loveridge, Project Manager, Australian Building Codes Board
In February 2009 the Victorian
Bushfires Royal Commission (VBRC) was
established to investigate the causes
and responses to a series of devastating
bushfires that resulted in the tragic loss
of one hundred and seventy-three lives.
The VBRC delivered Interim Reports in
August and November 2009 and a Final
Report is expected in July 2010.
The ABCB has monitored evidence
tendered during the VBRC hearings,
particularly evidence relating to
buildings and building matters and
the performance of various structures
used to shelter from the bushfires. The
capacity of some of these structures,
commonly called ‘bunkers’, varied
considerably and it was reported that
seven people died while sheltering
in bunkers during the Black Saturday
bushfires.
At its September 2009 meeting the
Board determined that work would
begin immediately on development of
a national Technical Standard for private
bushfire shelters.
In response to the Board’s decision an
ABCB Reference Group was established
comprising individuals with expertise
in a variety of relevant fields including
building in bushfire prone areas,
building materials science, fire safety
engineering and building control
administration. The Reference Group
held its initial meeting in October and
discussed an array of topics related to
the development of a draft ‘bunker
standard’.
The new standard will be presented
as a performance-based document
that will contain a fundamental
Performance Requirement supported
by a combination of qualitative and
quantitative design criteria that will
enable designers to make informed
decisions regarding the development of
designs for private bushfire shelters.
To-date, a draft framework for the
document has been developed,
including the proposed Performance
Requirement, as well as a model process
for application of the document.
Development of supporting quantitative
and qualitative design data for specific
components of the design process will
be an ongoing task.
The ABCB expects the standard to be
available for use before the end of
April 2010.
An essential step for application of
the standard will be the classification
of a structure in accordance with
relevant provisions of the BCA. State
and Territory administrations recently
agreed that a ‘private bushfire shelter’
would be a Class 10c building for the
purposes of their respective building
control systems.
While the new standard will establish
design requirements for bushfire
shelters, it is critical for the preservation
of life safety that property owners
comprehend that a shelter should only
be considered to be a last resort means
of defence against the life threatening
risk of bushfire attack. Bushfire shelters
may not prevent loss of life or serious
injury; however they may provide a
limited level of protection when no
viable alternative measures are available.
The occupation of a private bushfire
shelter is at best the least preferable
measure of a broad suite of measures
to mitigate risk to life safety, including
sound urban planning and fuel
management strategies, education of
home owners, effective coordination of
efforts by authorities and communities,
prediction of bushfire spread and clarity
in community notification procedures.
As the VBRC heard in evidence, even the
best prepared still lost their lives in
some instances.
Nevertheless, a bushfire can be an
extremely unpredictable event and
assistance from a bushfire defence effort
may not be available at a time of need.
30 • Australian Building Regulation Bulletin