Admission and Unit Information - Graduate Diploma in Bushfire Protection

This unit describes the factors affecting bushfire behaviour and the models which are used to predict bushfire behaviour, the principles of fire ecology, and the assessment of bushfire hazards on property and the environment. Topics include the measurement of fuel, rates of spread and flame length equations, fire danger indices and landscape issues, topographical influences on fire behaviour, the importance of fire regimes and fire thresholds on flora and fauna, habitat and fire impacts on environmental services such as soils and water catchments. The role of fire behaviour in determining impacts on structures is also described.

This unit describes the techniques, hardware and extinguishing agents used to fight and control bushfires and focuses on the logistics involved in ensuring safe, efficient and effective control. The content includes bushfire fighting strategies in the context of rural and interface environments, hazard reduction, brigade structure and incident control arrangements. The role of planning in supporting fire fighting is also considered.

The unit introduces students to the basic principles of fire behaviour and fire safety design so that they can appreciate fire safety systems and interpret fire safety engineering design concepts. The unit covers the basics of combustion, building fire characteristics, smoke movement, responses of fire safety devices, building fire resistance, response of building occupants, fire safety engineering design and assessment methodology. The unit provides the basis for understanding fire safety engineering and the techniques and tools used in fire safety engineering.

This unit describes the basis for the design and construction of buildings to withstand bushfire attack, the measures that can be incorporated into building design to achieve this and the legislative building requirements affecting bushfire environments. The unit examines the mechanisms of bushfire attack on structures, the role of landscaping on building survival and how materials perform in the presence of a bushfire event. The unit describes the role of the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and Australian Standards in the construction of various building types and the legislative and regulatory environment in which this operates.

This unit describes the general planning issues relevant to developments in rural and urban areas. The content covers the factors important in determining the allocation and use of land and resources together with the contributions of development to the built and natural environment. Topics include: urban and rural design issues; the impact of the 3 tiers of Government process on development control, and the legal, political and technical issues relevant to impact assessments. Particular attention will be paid to the role of the private sector in developing controls, self regulation and appeal processes. Planning in both the micro and macro environments is examined in the context of sustainability, heritage values, community resources and its strategic effects on the recycling of existing land and non-renewable natural resources. Hazardous environments such as bush fires, floods, landslip and cyclone are also considered.

This unit describes the organisational and administrative arrangements for the management of emergency events in Australia, including the role of States and local government and the techniques available to develop risk management strategies in order to minimise loss of life and property arising from bushfire emergencies. The unit describes how the three tiers of Government interact during major emergency events, the role of community engagement in emergency management and the process of developing a risk management plan for bushfire emergencies. The unit also discusses the role of post-event survey and emergency and evacuation planning at the property scale.

This unit describes the processes and techniques available to develop alternative approaches and solutions to the planning and building of structures within bushfire prone areas. The course builds on other units in the course to consider the concept of measures in combination so as to reduce the effects of bushfire on life, property and the environment. It also introduces the concepts of "bushfire engineering guidelines" and processes similar to that used in developing alternative solutions under the Building Code of Australia. Students are required to develop an alternative solution for bushfire affected premises.