Driveway Gates on Bush Fire Prone Land on the Central Coast

The Central Coast is surrounded by bush. National parks and state forests run along the escarpment and through the hinterland, and many suburbs, from the Gosford ridges to the edges of Wamberal, Erina Heights, Kincumber and the northern valleys, back directly onto it. If your property is mapped as bush fire prone, that affects more than the house. It also affects what your front fence and driveway gate can be made of, and how the gate behaves in an emergency.

This guide is general information, not advice for your specific property. Bush fire rules are detailed and change from time to time, so always confirm with Central Coast Council, the NSW Rural Fire Service or a qualified bush fire consultant before you build.

Step one: check whether your land is bush fire prone

Central Coast Council publishes bush fire prone land mapping that you can look up online, and bush fire is noted on a property's planning certificate. If you bought recently, your contract of sale should include a planning certificate that says whether the land is bush fire prone.

If it is, the rules below are likely to apply. If it is not, it is still sensible to think about materials and access if you are near bushland, because fire does not read maps.

What NSW rules say about fences and gates

Two sets of rules are relevant.

Exempt development. Many front fences and gates in NSW can be built without a development application if they meet the conditions in the state's exempt development rules. According to the NSW Planning Portal's summary of those rules, fences on bush fire prone land must be made of non-combustible material or hardwood to qualify, and gates must not open outward. Front fences on a road boundary also generally need to stay at or under 1.2 metres.

Planning for Bush Fire Protection. For new development on bush fire prone land, NSW uses a document called Planning for Bush Fire Protection, published by the NSW RFS. Council and RFS guidance under it indicates that new fences and gates close to a building, and within an asset protection zone, should be non-combustible. The detail depends on your site and the development, which is why a bush fire assessment matters if you are building more than a simple gate.

The practical point is the same either way: if you are on bush fire prone land, assume your gate and fence should be non-combustible unless you have confirmed otherwise.

What non-combustible means for a gate

In practice, that steers you toward:

• Aluminium or steel frames and infill
• Masonry or steel posts and pillars
• Metal slats or sheet rather than timber battens

Softwood timber gates and fences are the main thing to avoid. Some hardwood may be allowed under the exempt rules, but timber close to a house is a known path for fire to reach a building, and the Planning for Bush Fire Protection guidance points toward non-combustible materials near buildings.

Watch the details too. A metal gate with a timber cap rail, timber infill or plastic trim may not meet the intent. Ask your installer what every part is made of.

Gate motors and power in a fire

A gate that cannot open when the power goes out is a real hazard during a bushfire. Before fire season, think about:

• Manual release: everyone in the house should know how to open the gate by hand, and the release key should not be stored somewhere you cannot reach when the power is out.
• Battery backup: a backup battery keeps a mains gate working through outages. See solar and battery backup.
• Fire services access: consider how fire trucks would get through. Some owners choose to leave the gate open when a fire threatens.
• Width: if you are building a new driveway entrance on a rural property, think about whether a large vehicle can get through.

Clearing around the gate

Leaf litter, mulch and dry vegetation around a gate and fence line can carry fire along the boundary. Keep the area around the motor housing, posts and the base of the gate clear, and do not let shrubs grow through the gate or over the safety beams. That also helps the gate run reliably year round.

Rural and acreage gates

On larger properties in Matcham, Holgate, Kulnura and the valleys, the driveway gate may be hundreds of metres from the house. Solar automation and a GSM intercom are common, and in a fire, mobile networks and power can both be disrupted. Make sure everyone knows how to open the gate by hand. Our guide to long acreage driveways covers this further.

Electrical work

Any mains wiring to a gate motor is electrical wiring work, which in NSW must be done by a licensed electrician. That matters even more on bush fire prone land, where a poorly installed cable or connection near dry vegetation is the last thing you want.

Getting it right from the start

If you are on bush fire prone land, mention it when you enquire. An installer who knows the property is mapped can suggest suitable materials from the start rather than redesigning later. For gate types, see sliding gates and swing gates.

Tell us about your property and we will connect you with a local installer.