Bushfire Management Overlay

Changes to the Bushfire Management Overlay

The Victorian Government has reviewed mapping for the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), and the South Gippsland Planning Scheme maps have now been updated to include more properties in the overlay.

The mapping was reviewed as part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to implement all of the recommendations of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and were developed in partnership with the CFA and CSIRO.

What is the BMO?

The Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) applies to land that may be significantly affected by a bushfire.

The BMO triggers the need for a planning permit for certain uses, developments and subdivision, and requires appropriate bushfire protection measures.

Is my property affected by the BMO?

The BMO is extensively applied across the Shire. It is applied to native and non native vegetation stands, many small isolated vegetation stands (e.g. clusters of trees in a field) and it affects both rural and urban areas. Many coastal settlements are within the BMO.

You can check if your property is affected by the BMO using the State Government's Planning Maps Online tool.

More information

To learn more about the BMO and the recent updates, visit www.planning.vic.gov.au/bmo. A Frequently Asked Questions can be viewed here.

To find out about how inclusion in the BMO might affect your property, contact the Shire's Planning Department on (03) 5662 9200.