Dural’s acreage blocks bring a different set of build conditions to the rest of the Hills District — larger lots, more established vegetation, and in many cases, a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating that changes both construction requirements and mechanical services specification.
How BAL ratings change the build
A higher BAL rating affects everything from external cladding and window glazing to where outdoor AC condenser units can be positioned relative to vegetation and property boundaries — this isn’t just a construction-materials issue, it flows directly into mechanical services planning. Site clearing and vegetation management also need to be handled correctly under any applicable tree preservation or bushfire-clearing provisions — see our piece on tree preservation and site clearing for how that process should be sequenced.
Acreage-specific due diligence
BAL assessment should be part of due diligence before a Dural block is purchased, not discovered during design — our piece on due diligence before committing to a block covers this in more depth. For clients considering acreage as an investment or lifestyle purchase, we’ve seen useful input from both Strike Property and Liviti on assessing acreage blocks against build and holding costs.
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