ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT ACT 1979 - SECT 4.14 Consultation and development consent--certain bush fire prone land

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT ACT 1979 - SECT 4.14

4.14 Consultation and development consent--certain bush fire prone land

(cf previous s 79BA)

(1) Development consent cannot be granted for the carrying out of development for any purpose (other than a subdivision of land that could lawfully be used for residential or rural residential purposes or development for a special fire protection purpose) on bush fire prone land (being land for the time being recorded as bush fire prone land on a relevant map certified under section 10.3(2)) unless the consent authority--

(a) is satisfied that the development conforms to the specifications and requirements of the version (as prescribed by the regulations) of the document entitled Planning for Bush Fire Protection prepared by the NSW Rural Fire Service in co-operation with the Department (or, if another document is prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this paragraph, that document) that are relevant to the development (
"the relevant specifications and requirements" ), or

(b) has been provided with a certificate by a person who is recognised by the NSW Rural Fire Service as a qualified consultant in bush fire risk assessment stating that the development conforms to the relevant specifications and requirements.

(1A) If the consent authority is satisfied that the development does not conform to the relevant specifications and requirements, the consent authority may, despite subsection (1), grant consent to the carrying out of the development but only if it has consulted with the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service concerning measures to be taken with respect to the development to protect persons, property and the environment from danger that may arise from a bush fire.

(1B) This section does not apply to State significant development.

(1C) The regulations may exclude development from the application of this section subject to compliance with any requirements of the regulations. The regulations may (without limiting the requirements that may be made)--

(a) require the issue of a certificate by the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service or other qualified person in relation to the bush fire risk of the land concerned, and

(b) authorise the payment of a fee for the issue of any such certificate.

(2) In this section--


"special fire protection purpose" has the same meaning as it has in section 100B of the Rural Fires Act 1997 .