Bushfire Protection and Fire Rated Construction

The tragic events of Black Saturday on the 7 February 2009 have resulted in a number of revisions to building codes in Australia. These have obviously been implemented in an attempt to ensure the tragic loss of life and property experienced that day is never repeated.

At Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts Australia (CHH) we are endeavouring to make it as simple as possible for you to understand these new standards and the implications of them. We recognise the importance of education in this area and have compiled the following important information to assist you in identifying the accredited products you require to build safer housing in bushfire-prone areas.

The new Australian Standard AS 3959 specifically relates to the construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas and now applies in Victoria, Queensland and ACT. It is expected that other states will follow suitand adopt this standard in 2010.

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