Every private bushfire shelter in NSW is measured against one national document: the Performance Standard for Private Bushfire Shelters, published by the ABCB (Australian Building Codes Board). Our guide explains, in plain terms, how it fits with the building code and what it asks a design to prove. A shelter remains a last resort; nothing here changes that.
How the standard links to the building code
The National Construction Code (NCC) classes a private bushfire shelter as a Class 10c building. NCC Volume Two holds a performance requirement for Class 10c (clause H7P6 in NCC 2022) that says, in short, the shelter must give its occupants a tenable environment. "Tenable" means conditions a person can survive: breathable air, bearable heat and no direct exposure to flame.
The NCC offers no deemed-to-satisfy provisions for that requirement. So each shelter needs a performance solution, normally prepared by a fire engineer. The ABCB standard is the tool designers use to build that case. It was written after the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, and the current edition is dated 2014.
Two cautions from the standard itself. It is not a deemed-to-satisfy pathway, and using it doesn't automatically show the design complies with the NCC. State approval rules still apply on top.
NSW currently applies NCC 2022 and is due to switch to NCC 2025 from 1 May 2027. If your project spans that date, read our guide on NCC 2025 arrives in NSW on 1 May 2027: what changes.
What a design has to address
The standard's performance requirement lists the matters a shelter must be designed around. Put simply:
- where it sits relative to vegetation, the house, other structures and boundaries;
- how many people will use it and who they are;
- the bushfire attack level (BAL), which rates how much radiant heat, ember attack and flame the site could face;
- fire from nearby buildings and other fuel;
- a quick route in from the house, and a safe exit once the fire has passed;
- survivable conditions for the longest expected stay;
- materials that will not give off dangerous smoke or gases;
- structural loads, including wind and falling branches;
- signs outside showing where it is, and signs inside showing capacity and safe duration;
- a way for occupants to judge conditions outside, plus ongoing maintenance.
Examples from the acceptance criteria
A designer can work from first principles, or combine fire engineering with a table of acceptance criteria in the standard. A few examples from that table show the level of detail:
- Separation: at least 6 m from the dwelling, or 1.5 times the dwelling's height if that is greater, plus a minimum of 6 m from the allotment boundary and from other fuel sources.
- Access: a maximum 20 m of travel from the house, along a non-combustible path at least 1 m wide.
- Duration and space: tenable for a minimum of 60 minutes, with at least 0.75 m² of floor area and 1.2 m³ of volume per person, and a ceiling at least 1.9 m high.
- Air inside: limits on air temperature, hot surfaces and toxic gases such as carbon monoxide.
- Construction: an envelope of concrete or solid masonry with a set fire-resistance level, and doors or hatches that latch and can be opened from inside.
- Upkeep: a maintenance manual kept inside the shelter.
These figures come from the 2014 edition. Your fire engineer will confirm which criteria apply to your design.
What the standard does not cover
- Cellars and safe rooms inside a house, which the ABCB advises against as refuges.
- Shared or community shelters.
- The design of the house itself on bush fire prone land.
- Approval paperwork, which is left to each state.
It also says compliance cannot reduce risk to zero. The remaining risk can stay high, especially at BAL-FZ (flame zone), where direct flame contact is expected.
Putting it into practice
Bring in a fire engineer before you settle on a product or location. Then ask a certifier to look over the performance solution early, so gaps are found before you lodge. CertifiBuild certifies Class 10 structures including private bushfire shelters, and our plan assessment service can review the design package. You can also request a quote for the construction certificate and inspections.
Local help across NSW
CertifiBuild certifies Class 1 and Class 10 work in 39 council areas. Local rules on these council pages are a good place to start: Randwick City Council, Hunter’s Hill Council, Ku-ring-gai Council, Lane Cove Council, Shellharbour City Council, Blue Mountains City Council.
Suburb pages with local planning notes: Chifley, Huntleys Cove, Killara, Lane Cove North, Lane Cove West, Linley Point, Macquarie Pass, Megalong Valley, Middle Cove, Mittagong. You can also browse every service area.
Sources
- Private bushfire shelters performance standard, ABCB
- Performance Standard for Private Bushfire Shelters, 2014 edition (PDF), ABCB
- Part H7 ancillary provisions, NCC 2022 Volume Two, ABCB