Recent amendments to Victoria’s planning scheme are changing how Councils assess development applications within Bushfire Prone Areas (BPAs), even where land is outside the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO).
Amendment VC248, gazetted on 5 May 2026, introduced changes to Clause 53.02 – Bushfire Planning.
Previously, applications within a BPA but outside the BMO generally involved limited bushfire consideration at the planning permit stage.
That is no longer always the case.
Clause 53.02-1 now applies to subdivision and development within a Bushfire Prone Area that is not affected by the BMO.
This means Councils must now formally assess certain proposals against bushfire planning requirements and associated decision guidelines.
Importantly, many of the practical measures now being considered at planning stage are not entirely new requirements in themselves.
Matters such as vehicle access for emergency services, defendable space, firefighting water supply and construction responses have long formed part of the Building Permit process for development within Bushfire Prone Areas.
The key change is that some of these issues are now being considered much earlier in the overall approval pathway through the planning system itself.
This has the potential to influence elements of the site layout such as access arrangements and static water supply before a Building Permit stage is reached.
Because these provisions are newly introduced, many Councils are still working through how they will apply them in practice.
For applicants affected by the changes, obtaining early advice from a town planner or bushfire consultant may help avoid delays, redesign requirements or unexpected costs later in the process.
