Rebuilding and recovery
Bushfire recovery
After the 2009 fires special provisions were introduced to enable bushfire recovery, to allow for temporary accommodation and to fast track approval of a replacement house on a site affected by the bushfires.The provisions that provide for replacement of a house and the occupation of temporary accommodation have been extended to 30 April 2014. New temporary accommodation cannot be constructed without a planning permit from council.
Read the provisions at Clauses 52.38 (PDF - 24 KB) and 52.39 (PDF - 24 KB) of the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes.
Building considerations and resources
Information about post-bushfire hazards, safety considerations and temporary homes is available from the Building Commission website or phoning the Bushfire Building Advice line on 1300 360 320, which operates from 9.00am to 5.00pm on Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.Fire Recovery Unit
The Fire Recovery Unit (FRU) was established on 1 July 2011 following the closure of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (VBRRA). The FRU’s role is to assist the ongoing recovery of communities impacted by the 2009 Victorian bushfires by facilitating strong relationships and clear responses to identified community needs.
For Information about bushfire reconstruction and recovery visit the Fire Recovery Unit website or call 1800 055 714.
Rebuilding dwellings
The Government has streamlined the planning process for rebuilding dwellings, dependent person's units and buildings used for agriculture that were damaged by the 2009 bushfires through Clause 52.39 - 2009 Bushfire - Replacement buildings.
Information is available in Advisory note 20: Bushfire replacement buildings - Amendment VC57, May 2009 (PDF - 172 KB) or (DOC - 58 KB)
Changes to Building Regulations
To ensure that specific bushfire safety measures continue to be applied to dwellings being rebuilt and located in a Bushfire Management Overlay, amendments were made to the Building Regulations 2006. These amendments require the provision of dedicated on-site water supply for fire fighting purposes and access for emergency vehicles through the building permit process. See Building Amendment (Bushfire Safety) Regulations 2010 on the Building Commission website.
Information about rebuilding in areas affected by bushfire is available from the Building Commission website or phoning the Bushfire Building Advice line on 1300 360 320.
Bushfire Rebuilding Advisory Service
The Bushfire Rebuilding Advisory Service has been established to help people complete rebuilding in fire-affected areas. It provides information and assistance on all aspects of rebuilding. The service also provides repair advice for flood affected houses.
The service was established in August 2010 as part of a suite of planning and building initiatives introduced to respond to the findings of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.
It provides assistance to people impacted by the February 2009 bushfires and advice to landowners across Victoria who live in an area with a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO). It helps people to navigate the planning controls, building standards and vegetation rules now in place.
For BMO enquiries contact your local council or email stateplanning.services@dpcd.vic.gov.au or phone (03) 9098 8947.
Contact the Rebuilding Advisory Service
The Rebuilding Advisory service is located at the Kinglake Library and provides a mobile service that visits affected landowners.
Our advisors are experienced construction managers. They can be contacted as follows:
- Ken Alexander 0408 701 715 (Marysville and surrounds, Kinglake, Gippsland and flood affected areas)
- Hank Leine 0400 666 660 (Kinglake and surrounds)
Victoria's planning and building framework
Victoria has one of the highest levels of bushfire risk in the world. The planning and building systems ensure that new development is more resilient to bushfire and supports communities to be more bushfire ready.
Find out more about bushfire in Victoria and the background to the current requirements...