A decade after experts gathered in response to the devastating 2013 bushfires in the Blue Mountains, the 10th Australian Bushfire Building Conference will celebrate 10 years of learning how to prepare buildings to withstand bushfire.
Presented by Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise (BMEE) in partnership with Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC), the conference will be held at the Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains in Leura from September 11 to 13.
It is Australia’s premier event for professionals involved in the planning, designing, building, consulting, regulating, and certifying buildings in bushfire-prone areas and aims to build partnerships for change and bring stronger innovation to urban planning regarding new buildings as well as how best to retrofit existing ones. There will also be discussion about how governments of all levels will regulate the planning around building on bushfire prone lands.
The conference focuses on collaboration across the sector to discuss and solve problems around bushfire control measures, regulations, planning, design, construction, resilience and recovery, and material innovation.
This year’s theme, in line with the council’s focus on leading a Sustainable Blue Mountains, is “Sustainable Solutions, enduring legacy: Australian Bushfire Building Conference celebrates a decade of learning”.
The keynote speaker will be Professor Peter Christoff, a political scientist, a senior research fellow with the Melbourne Climate Futures Initiative, and an honorary associate professor with the School of Geography, Atmospheric and Earth Sciences at the University of Melbourne.
He has written several books, including The Fires Next Time, which he will talk about at the conference.
The conference has again partnered with the NSW Rural Fire Service.
RFS Built & Natural Environment director Assistant Commissioner Mathew Smith said: “While there is still so much to learn, this past decade of conferences has provided immensely valuable insights and opportunities for the industry.
“As communities across Australia continue to expand and bushfire seasons grow longer and more intense, we must ensure land and urban management, preparedness, and loss prevention are at the forefront of what we do.
“The work of protecting communities from the threat of fire begins long before flames are at the door, with a plan for you and your family and a well-maintained property a great first step.”
The two-day program will feature renowned national speakers and bring thought-leaders and industry professionals together to discuss research, case studies and best practices for building in bushfire prone areas.
The event will leverage the industry community for improved outcomes in the way communities can build on land that has a high bushfire risk (like the Blue Mountains).
Platinum sponsor AWS Australia (Architectural Window Systems) regional manager Matthew Finnie said: “AWS Australia is unwavering in its commitment to rigorous product testing, enabling us to support architects and designers building on bushfire-prone land.
“Our robust product development program, informed by shared learning, focuses on bushfire preparedness through technology, systems, regulations, and material application. We are thrilled to participate in this forum to enhance our collective preparedness.”
BMEE (funded by Blue Mountains City Council) organised the first Bushfire Building Conference in 2015 in response to devastating bushfires throughout New South Wales in 2013, during which more than 200 homes were lost in the Blue Mountains alone.
In 2016, the regional economic development agency was awarded the NSW Resilient Australia Award by the NSW Government and won the Economic Development Australia Award for its work on the Australian Bushfire Building Conference.
The conference was held as a hybrid event after the 2019-20 bushfires. It was the first of many virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 conference will be entirely in-person so delegates, exhibitors, sponsors and speakers can fully engage with networking, discussions and knowledge sharing. Since its inception, the event has grown in size and focus from being Blue Mountains-centric to national.
Blue Mountains Mayor, Cr Mark Greenhill, said the event was central to developing new ideas on urban planning that will benefit communities across Australia.
“To ignore the possibility of bushfire in this era of climate change and not do anything to prepare for a devastating event is to shirk the responsibility of leadership. I’m not willing to do that.
“Events like the Australian Bushfire Building Conference are a chance for industry professionals to share ideas as we tackle these issues together – and where better than our beautiful World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains landscape.
“Blue Mountains City Council has allocated funding to ensure that the Australian Bushfire Conference has continued over the past 10 years, even during the COVID pandemic, and we are proud of the role it has played in developing new ideas that help keep our communities safe.”
The Australian Bushfire Building Conference will include two full days of presentations, demonstrations, workshops, discussions and networking opportunities.
Key dates & locations:
The 2024 Australian Bushfire Building Conference will be held on September 11 – 13, 2024, at the Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains, Leura.
Registration is $800 (early bird) or $1050 (from August 1) for the full two-day conference and networking dinner or $660 (early bird conference only) and $880 (from August 1).
Go to www.bushfireconference.com.au for more information and bookings.
Comments