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Urban sprawl could be putting homes and communities in NSW bushfire zones at risk, with experts warning rebuilding in fire-affected areas could lead to future crises. University of New South Wales Urban Development and Design lecturer Benjamin Driver says many structures lost this summer may not have adhered to current building codes and may be too expensive to reinsure or rebuild. "Bushfires are changing and their ferocity has been unprecedented this season," Mr Driver told AAP on Monday. "We need to have a major review of how we build in this country." Mr Driver believes "underinsurance" - the lack of adequate insurance to cover losses or damages - could be a major issue for communities in the near future. He highlighted concerns for towns close to national parks such as the Blue Mountains or Lane Cove on Sydney's north shore. "People may get paid out by their insurer this time, but the heightened risk of bushfires in their areas may mean it won't be covered next time," he said. UNSW environmental planner Dr Scott Hawken says the convergence of bush and urban areas stems from poor planning policy. "We have areas of urban sprawl embedding into bushfire hazard areas ... and their unsuitable suburb design leaves them prone to the risk of bushfires," Dr Hawken said in a statement on Friday. "Our desire to be closer to nature means that traditional urban dwellers have moved into bushfire-risk areas, and they're not as prepared for the risks and how to manage those." Mogo resident Peter Williams lost the historic church he converted into a home and business in the south coast bushfires. With no insurance, Mr Williams says he plans to rebuild the business, but hopes to move his home somewhere safer. "It's not a priority to get the house sorted, but we need the business to get an income," Mr Williams told AAP on Monday. "I'm hoping we can rebuild same as before but it'll need to be fireproofed now." Mr Williams said fundraising support had been helpful, but he feared Mogo locals could struggle financially once the rebuilding process begins. Dr Hawken and Mr Driver said long-term planning needed to be a priority, rather than emergency reconstruction. "The individual buildings and building codes and the superficial management of vegetation ... it is all 'small picture'," Dr Hawken said. "These fires are on a previously unimaginable scale so we need a comparable large-scale response in terms of how we design our settlements, how we keep them cool and how we adapt to these extreme climate events." Mr Driver said cities and towns need to be "more resilient" and called for better accessibility, no more cul-de-sacs and improved water management. "We need to fully understand our relationship with the bush, the landscape is getting so dry," he said. "We are an incredibly wealthy country, but we don't often build things as well as we should." The bushfire royal commission will investigate and make recommendations on land-use planning, zoning and building standards, as well as the construction of public infrastructure. Australian Associated Press

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