Bushfire overlay: what the BMO means for your property
In Victoria, the bushfire overlay is the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), Clause 44.06 of every planning scheme. It covers land that could be significantly affected by extreme bushfire. If your property is in it, you'll usually need a planning permit to build a home or subdivide, and that permit sets your Bushfire Attack Level along with other protection measures.
You can check whether your land is in the BMO for free in VicPlan. Before you spend money on consultants, BAL Buddy gives you an indicative BAL so you know whether you're more likely facing BAL-12.5 or BAL-40.
What is the Bushfire Management Overlay?
The BMO is a planning control. It doesn't ban building, but you have to show that bushfire risk has been dealt with before a permit is granted. It works with Clause 53.02 (Bushfire Planning), which sets the protection measures an application has to meet, and the state bushfire planning policy, which puts protecting human life first.
All land in the BMO is also a designated bushfire prone area, so building rules apply on top of the planning ones. Some councils add a schedule to the BMO that changes the requirements in their area, for example by setting the measures for single dwellings in advance. The bushfire provisions were last updated by Amendment VC248 on 5 May 2026.
How to check if your property is in the bushfire overlay
- Open VicPlan, the state's free online planning map, and search your address.
- Create a Planning Property Report.
- Look under planning overlays for the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO). A schedule shows as BMO1, BMO2 and so on.
- Check the bushfire prone area section too. Land outside the BMO can still be bushfire prone.
- Look at the map, not just the report. The overlay can cover only part of a lot. If your building site is near the edge, ask the council how it applies.
Planning Victoria's building in bushfire prone areas guide explains both layers. If you're buying, run your own check rather than relying on the vendor's documents.
What the overlay means for building
When you need a planning permit
In the BMO you generally need a planning permit to build a new house, and always to subdivide. Your council can tell you which application pathway applies.
Common exemptions
You may not need a BMO permit for some smaller works, such as a modest extension to an existing dwelling or a small shed that isn't used for accommodation. A schedule can add exemptions, and another part of the planning scheme may still require a permit. Check with your council before you assume you're exempt.
What you'll need to lodge
Depending on the pathway, a BMO application usually includes some or all of:
- a bushfire hazard site assessment, looking at vegetation and slope on and around the site, out to 150 metres
- a bushfire hazard landscape assessment, looking much further out at how a fire could approach
- a bushfire management statement, explaining how the proposal responds to the assessments
- a bushfire management plan, an annotated site plan showing the BAL, defendable space, water supply and access
Single dwellings in areas with a BMO schedule often need only the bushfire management plan. Subdivisions need all four.
Who prepares it
You can prepare the bushfire management statement yourself, but the Victorian Government suggests a suitably qualified consultant, especially for complex applications. Many use BPAD-accredited practitioners.
Need a bushfire practitioner?
FPA Australia keeps a public register of BPAD-accredited practitioners, searchable by state and accreditation level: BPAD practitioner register. If you're not sure who to call, email me and I'll point you in the right direction. I don't take referral fees.
How the overlay relates to your BAL
The overlay doesn't give your property a BAL. In the BMO, the BAL is set through the planning permit, using the Clause 53.02 measures and the site assessment, and recorded in the bushfire management plan. Your building surveyor then builds to it.
Two differences from a standard AS 3959 assessment matter:
- The site assessment looks further out, up to 150 metres rather than 100.
- The BMO weighs more than the BAL. Defendable space, access and water are considered together, so the construction standard a permit sets can differ from what a plain AS 3959 assessment of the same site would give.
So treat a BAL Buddy result in the BMO as an early guide to where you're likely to land, not a prediction of what the permit will set.
Outside the BMO
Most of Victoria's bushfire prone land isn't in the BMO. There, no bushfire planning permit is needed, but a new home still has to be built to its BAL. Since 1 May 2026, a site assessed as BAL-LOW no longer has to be built to BAL-12.5. See the Victoria page.
Bushfire overlays in other states
- South Australia uses Hazards (Bushfire) overlays in the Planning and Design Code. See the SA page.
- Queensland councils use bushfire hazard overlays in their planning schemes. See the Queensland page.
- NSW uses bush fire prone land mapping. See the NSW page.
BAL Buddy gives an indicative Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) only. It isn't a determination under any Act, and no council or building surveyor has to accept it. For a BAL you can rely on, use an accredited bushfire practitioner.
Questions people ask
What does a bushfire overlay mean?
In Victoria, it means the land is in the Bushfire Management Overlay, so you'll usually need a planning permit to build a home or subdivide, and the permit sets bushfire protection measures including the BAL.
How do I check if my property is in the bushfire overlay?
Create a free Planning Property Report in VicPlan and look for the BMO under planning overlays. Check the map too, as the overlay can cover part of a lot.
Does the bushfire overlay stop me building?
No, but it adds a planning permit and can mean a higher construction standard, defendable space to maintain, and water and access requirements.
Is the BMO the same as a bushfire prone area?
No. All BMO land is bushfire prone, but most bushfire prone land isn't in the BMO. The BMO is the higher-risk planning layer.
Can I build an extension in the BMO without a permit?
Sometimes. Modest extensions to an existing dwelling can be exempt. Check the current exemptions and any schedule with your council.