Australian Bushfire Building Conference sets stage for bushfire planning

Organised by the Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise (BMEE), the fifth Australian Bushfire Building Conference is a cutting-edge event for the building industry's architects, builders, landscapers, urban planners and engineers.

This year, the theme of 'Liveability' will be explored across the main two-day program, featuring presentations from renowned national and international experts. Discussions will focus on the latest research, updates and technologies on building in bushfire prone areas.

The highlight of this year's conference will be the opportunity to hear from US-based Dr Alexandra Syphard. Dr Syphard is Chief Scientist at Sage Underwriters and holds the position of Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University. She will be presenting her ground-breaking research on the interplay between human interaction and climate on wildfire patterns.

CEO of Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise (BMEE), Bernard Fehon, saud that each year the Australian Bushfire Building Conference is becoming bigger and better.

"It's not only a great opportunity to learn and hear from the experts in the field but also a chance to meet and influence the decision makers," said Mr Fehon.

"Being able to share and discuss ideas with researchers, academics, policymakers and practitioners is invaluable.

"Speakers will cover issues that are important to the future of the industry, potentially influencing future standards and regulations. Other speakers will provide all the updates and information industry leaders need, including discussion around the New National Construction Code (NCC2019) and AS3959 changes.

"Throughout the two-day conference, delegates will also be able to participate in interactive workshops, join a field trip to visit the 2013 Blue Mountains bushfire site and newly built bushfire-resilient homes, hear from an expert Q&A panel and visit an industry expo featuring leading suppliers of bushfire building supplies. As a bonus, they can also earn CPD points."

Director of Community Resilience for the NSW RFS, Corey Shackleton, said the conference provides a vital platform for sharing current and future trends, and issues in the bushfire protection space, with this year's theme of liveability an important one.

"It's essential that liveability is integrated with planning and building in bushfire-prone areas so that people can design homes to meet their needs," said Mr Shackleton.

"Regulatory guidelines for building development seek to find a balance between development potential, ecology, and bush fire safety requirements, while maintaining adequate levels of bushfire safety for the community. It's essential that all players involved in bushfire safety attend the conference."

The Australian Bushfire Building Conference is proud to partner with the NSW Rural Fire Service, Destination NSW, FPA Australia, and Gold Sponsors, WoodSolutions and Dincel Constructions.

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