The Tasmania Fire Service’s chief fire officer Chris Arnol. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

RAPID growth in self-contained visitor accommodation in Tasmania has heightened the risks posed by bushfires, the state’s fire service warns.

The emergence of accommodation providers such as Airbnb and Stayz has lured many Tasmanians to join, but TFS chief officer Chris Arnol says changes to the statewide planning scheme — which allowed homeowners to cash in on the sharing economy — have been made without taking into account the deadly potential of bushfires.

The concerns of the TFS at changes to visitor accommodation rules are outlined in a submission made to a Tasmanian Planning Commission, which is holding public hearings in Hobart this week on the issue.

Other submissions include the Northern Midlands Council saying more people want to operate visitor accommodation in rural zones and the Hobart City Council and Battery Point community groups arguing the historic precinct should be exempt from the new rules.

The Mercury revealed in October that Airbnb’s submission said any changes to the “world-leading” regulations would hurt the state’s tourism industry and potentially damage iconic events.

MORE: AIRBNB SAYS REGULATIONS HELP STATE’S TOURISM INDUSTRY

But in the TFS submission, Mr Arnol said the regulations could result in a large number of residential dwellings in the state being used for visitor accommodation without being required to develop any risk mitigation measures or bushfire emergency plans.

“TFS considers visitor accommodation to be a vulnerable use, and risk management in these scenarios is often reliant on robust emergency planning,” he said.

“Of concern to TFS is that the proposed Planning Directive may allow for Class 1a [residential dwelling] buildings to be used for visitor accommodation purposes without any corresponding change in building classification.

“This would result in vulnerable uses being able to operate in bushfire-prone areas without any risk mitigation measures in place.”

Under the Bushfire Determination, Class 1b, 2 and 3 buildings — classified as visitor accommodation — will be provided with a bushfire emergency plan, hazard management areas, construction standards, access and water.

But Class 1a buildings don’t require the emergency plans.

Mr Arnol said the growth in visitor accommodation and more houses being shared out could also bring people to bushfire prone areas of the state who would not know how to respond if one broke out.

“As a general principle, visitor accommodation occupants are considered particularly vulnerable to bushfire,” he said.

“Occupants may be unfamiliar with the area of their accommodation, may have no prior knowledge or awareness of bushfire, where or how to access alert and survival information, and may not be from an English-speaking background.”

TFS sources told the Sunday Tasmanian that of particular concern could be people sharing their houses or shacks on the state’s East Coast — which is expected to experience a severe dry this summer.

The TFS has also flagged concerns about its ability to ensure the safety of places where large quantity of people gather, such as camping grounds and caravan parks.

Local Government and Planning Minister Peter Gutwein said the State Government would await the response from the TPC’s consideration of the planning directive.