Retrofitting Your Home for Better Bushfire Resilience

Community workshop organised by Resilient KV and Upper Kangaroo River Progress Association

10.00am - 12.00 noon, Saturday 8th February 2025 - Upper River Hall, 1009 Upper Kangaroo River Rd

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Becoming better-prepared for a future bushfire involves many factors – but two of the most important are:

Develop a well thought out (and written out) Bushfire Survival Plan; and
Improve the resilience of our homes and property to bushfire attack.

This workshop will cover many of the ways you can retrofit your home to increase its bushfire resilience.

Ember attack is the most common way that buildings ignite during bushfires - but there many relatively simple ember protection retrofits you can make to your home. In 2023, the Upper Kangaroo River (UKR) Progress Association undertook a major bushfire retrofit of the Upper River Hall as an example of what can be done to make small buildings more resilient to bushfire ember attacks. Many members of the UKR and wider KV community provided time and funds to bring this project to fruition. As the key organiser of this effort, Gary Moore will make a presentation on these retrofits. You will also be able to see samples of the fire-retardant materials used and take an in-person close-up look at the upgrades made to the Hall – which will hopefully inspire you to make similar upgrades to your own home.

Paul Cooper of the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) at the University of Wollongong will provide practical advice on other retrofits to reduce the risk of damage from radiant heat, flying debris, etc – and on bushfire sprinkler systems, which he has been researching and testing for over 10 years.

The workshop is free – but attendees are encouraged to bring a small note/gold coin donation to help UKR Progress Association continue the upkeep of the Community Hall. Please also BYO cup. Doors open for tea, coffee & bikkies at 9.30am.

Time	Topic	Presenter
9.30am	Arrival – tea, coffee & bikkies available	Please bring your own cup
10:00	Introduction to the workshop	Cathy Gorman, President, Resilient KV
10.05	Developing your Bushfire Survival Plan	Senior Member of the KV Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade
10.20	Bushfire ember attack retrofits to the Upper River Hall	Gary Moore, President, Upper Kangaroo River Progress Association
11.00	Other Home Retrofits and the Principles, and Practice of Bushfire Sprinkler Systems	Paul Cooper, UOW Sustainable Buildings Research Centre, and member of Resilient KV Committee
11.30	Question and Answer session	All
12:00	Workshop close, followed by an opportunity for a close-up look at Hall bushfire retrofits