Councils will be accountable for identifying potential sites and CFA will assess them against a set of criteria that focus on measuring radiant heat impact.
Responsible staff have been briefed on the assessment criteria and have begun work, assessing potential NSPs, particularly those in the 52 communities identified for Township Protection Plans.
The assessment criteria indicate that in open spaces, where the surrounding vegetation is well treed and dense, the minimum separation distance between this hazard and the NSP will be around 310 metres or greater.
If the NSP is a building in similar circumstances, the separation distance will be a minimum of 140 metres.
Not all townships will have an identified NSP, as there may not be a building or open space that meets these requirements.
CFA continues to work with Local Government to help them establish their procedures to identify and designate NSPs.
What are Neighbourhood Safer Places?
- Neighbourhood Safer Places are a place of last resort to be at during the passage of the fire front, if a person’s personal Bushfire Survival Plan cannot be implemented or has failed.
- People using Neighbourhood Safer Places need to be self sufficient. Amenities such as food and water are not provided. There will be no facilities for pets and animals.
- People should not expect that emergency services including fire services will be present.
- They may not provide shelter from the elements, particularly flying embers.
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- It is important to understand that Neighbourhood Safer Places are not to be confused with Fire Refuges, Relief Centres, Recovery Centres, Assembly Centres, or Informal Places of Shelter each has a different and specific purpose.
The Neighbourhood Safer Places Assessment Guidelines, are now available on the CFA website. Click here to view the guidelines.
Assessment of Neighbourhood Safer Places is one of many initiatives underway to assist everyone in
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