Up to a million Australian homes in bushfire-prone areas have little or no fire protection

Royal commission hears it can be cheaper to knock down such properties and rebuild than upgrade them

Up to one million homes in bushfire-prone areas have little or no fire protection, but in some cases it would be cheaper to knock down and rebuild them than upgrade them, a royal commission has been told.

Ninety per cent of buildings in bushfire-prone areas were built before bushfire planning and construction regulations came in, the Bushfire Building Council noted.