Client
Confidential
Location
Rural residential area in Australia
Area captured
Variety of landcover including Woody Vegetation, Cleared/Grassland and Residential
Satellites
WorldView-2
Services provided
Acquisition of 8-band multispectral imagery, Digital Surface Model (DSM), Fire Hazard Layer, Classification
Client
The project supported stakeholders involved in land development and regional planning, including land developers, local councils and state government agencies. These groups required reliable and spatially detailed data to inform planning decisions in areas vulnerable to bushfire hazards, particularly in rural residential zones across Australia.
Challenge
Bushfires are a persistent and growing threat across many parts of Australia, particularly where rural residential developments meet natural vegetation. The complexity of this environment presented several challenges, including the need to map diverse landcover types such as woody vegetation, grassland, and residential zones across an area with varied topography. Assessing how features like slope and aspect influence fire behavior was essential, as was identifying which areas were most combustible. Importantly, the data had to be detailed enough to support local decision making, yet generalised enough to filter out the noise often present in high resolution satellite imagery.
Solution
To meet these challenges, 8-band multispectral imagery was collected using the WorldView-2 satellite in stereo mode, allowing for the creation of a 5 metre resolution Digital Surface Model (DSM). This DSM was used to derive key terrain characteristics, including elevation, slope, and aspect, which are all critical factors in understanding and predicting fire spread.
Through Geographic Object Based Image Analysis (GeOBIA), landcover was classified according to combustibility, creating a clear distinction between high risk and low risk areas. These layers were combined to produce a comprehensive fire hazard Layer, which was further analysed and summarised by cadastral parcel, enabling precise, property level fire risk assessments.
Outcomes
The final outputs offered a clear, spatially refined understanding of fire risk across the study area. The integration of terrain modelling and landcover classification enabled the development of a hazard map that could be interpreted at multiple scales, from individual properties to broader municipal zones.
Fire risk was localised and quantified in a way that could be directly applied to planning and policy, providing a vital evidence base for decision making. This approach ensured that the results were not only technically robust but also accessible and relevant to the end users.
Benefits
By delivering bushfire risk information at the cadastral parcel level, the project empowered stakeholders with the ability to make informed, site specific decisions. Land developers could assess the viability of new projects with a clearer understanding of potential fire hazards, while local councils and state planners gained a valuable tool for reviewing proposals and prioritising risk mitigation. The methodology offered a scalable and repeatable solution that could be applied to other regions, supporting broader efforts to build bushfire resilience across vulnerable Australian landscapes.
Contact Us
To learn more about how Geoimage supports bushfire risk assessment and environmental resilience through advanced satellite imaging and spatial analysis, visit our page on environmental and fire management solutions.
If you'd like to discuss how satellite-derived data can support your planning or hazard mitigation project, call us on 1300 143 530 or get in touch via our contact form.