Is Your Home Bushfire-Ready? A Practical App for Homeowners
- Paul Dolphin
- Jan 14
- 2 min read
As building designers, we often talk about making homes beautiful, functional, and energy-efficient—however increasingly, resilience is becoming just as important. In Australia, natural disasters are very real challenges that affect our homes and communities, and most properties aren’t as prepared as they could be.
The Resilient Building Council (RBC) was founded to reduce risk to households, communities, governments, and industry, with a focus on bushfire resilience.
Their mission? To adapt 2 million Australian homes for climate and disaster resilience by 2030.
Their research estimates that 90% of Australian homes are currently not disaster-resilient or climate-adapted, highlighting how valuable work like this is.
Check Your Home’s Fire Readiness with the Bushfire Resilience Rating App
One of RBC’s standout initiatives is the Bushfire Resilience Rating home self-assessment app. It allows homeowners check how their house might perform in a bushfire and provides guidance on practical steps to improve safety. Developed in response to the 2020 Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, it puts decades of bushfire science directly into your hands in order to:
Check Your Home: See how your property might perform in a bushfire.
Get a Personalised Plan: From maintenance steps, small landscaping tweaks to bigger building changes, know exactly what actions matter.
Watch Your Progress: Complete tasks and see your home’s Resilience Rating update in real time.
If you’re planning a build or renovation, it’s worth being aware that tools like this exist, as thinking about resilience early can save potential disaster down the track.
For a bit more insight, we’ll be chatting about this on ABC Radio South East tomorrow (Wednesday 15th Jan 2026), discussing the app and how homeowners can make practical, measurable improvements to bushfire safety. Tune in or catch the recording if you’re curious!
Comments