Tourism in bushfire prone areas

Overview

We are seeking your comment on a draft Position Statement: Tourism Land Uses in Bushfire Prone Areas. A Position Statement sets out the policy position of the Western Australian Planning Commission on a particular planning practice or matter.

The draft Position Statement aims to facilitate tourism land uses that are consistent with local planning strategies and provide a decision-making framework to ensure consideration of bushfire risk that is appropriate to and cognisant of the use.

Why your views matter

Many tourism uses cannot comply with State Planning Policy 3.7: Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas (SPP3.7) or the Guidelines for Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas, as they are often located within vegetation with an extreme hazard rating and are often serviced by only one access road. Removal of vegetation to ensure full compliance is often inconsistent with the intent of the tourism development.