Expressions of Interest (EOI) are now open for two projects aiming to better understand urban conflagration fires and improve construction standards in bushfire-prone areas.
Understanding conflagration fires is supported by the Australian Capital Territory Rural Fire Service, Country Fire Authority (Victoria), Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Fire Rescue Victoria, Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Queensland Fire Department, South Australia Metropolitan Fire Service, Tasmanian Fire Service and Department of Fire and Emergency Services (Western Australia).
The project will analyse the potential for fires to escalate into urban conflagrations in Australia to help decision makers confidently speak to the risk to affected communities.
Identifying what is known globally in relation to weather, topography, urban density and design, and the fuels that support conflagrations, the project will describe common features in relation to impacts and outcomes so that the risk is well understood.
Expressions of interest for project teams close 5:00pm AEDT, 27 March 2026.
Testing and improving bushfire-prone area construction standards is developed in partnership with the Australian Capital Territory Rural Fire Service, AFAC, Country Fire Authority (Victoria), Country Fire Service (South Australia), Department of Fire and Emergency Services (Western Australia), New South Wales Rural Fire Service and Tasmania Fire Service, to improve the safety of people in houses during a bushfire.
As populations continue to expand into higher-risk areas, coupled with pressures for more affordable building and infrastructure costs, flexible urban planning and the impacts of climate change, the Australian Standard for the Construction of Buildings in Bushfire-Prone Areas (AS3959) must be tested and improved to ensure residents are as safe as possible.
Expressions of interest for project teams close 5:00pm AEST, 10 April 2026.
An online webinar, scheduled for 2:00pm AEDT on 18 March 2026, will provide a more detailed briefing of the project and the opportunity for interested parties to pose specific questions. Register to attend here.