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.

A new Australian Standard AS 3959 2009 specifically relating to the construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas now applies in all parts of Australia. This guide includes amendment 1 to this standard.

NSW and South Australia have  additional requirements beyond this standard. NSW additions are included in this guide. Due to the number of additions and changes in the South Australia additional requirements, they are not included. For South Australia additional requirements refer to the Building Code of Australia.

July 2010 (2)