Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC317-4070 | 10 - Infrastructure | Australian, state and territory governments should expedite the delivery of a Public Safety Mobile Broadband capability. |
REC317-4102 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | Australian, state and territory governments should review Australian Medical Assistance Team capabilities and procedures and develop necessary training, exercising and other arrangements to build capacity for domestic deployments. |
REC317-4064 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Australian, state and territory governments should work together to develop consistent data standards to measure disaster impact. |
REC317-4083 | 10 - Infrastructure | The Australian Government should work with state and territory governments and critical infrastructure operators to improve information flows during and in response to natural disasters: |
REC317-4129 | 37 - Funding | Australian, state and territory governments should create simpler Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements application processes. |
REC317-4055 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Australian Government should revise the COMDISPLAN thresholds to provide that a request for Australian Government assistance, including Defence assistance, is able to be made by a state or territory government when: |
REC317-4082 | 10 - Infrastructure | The Australian Government, working with state and territory governments and critical infrastructure operators, should lead a process to: |
REC317-4074 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The Australian Government should review the content of the Defence Assistance to the Civil Community manual to ensure consistency of language and application with a revised COMDISPLAN. |
REC317-4128 | 37 - Funding | Australian, state and territory governments should broaden Category D of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements to encompass funding for recovery measures that are focused on resilience, including in circumstances which are not ‘exceptional’. |
REC317-4072 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Australian Government should consider whether employment protections under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) are sufficient to ensure that fire and emergency services volunteers will not be discriminated against, disadvantaged or dismissed for reasons associated with their volunteer service during natural disasters. |
REC317-4125 | 37 - Funding | Australian, state and territory and local governments should develop greater consistency in the financial support provided to individuals, small businesses and primary producers under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC181-0182 | 10 - Infrastructure | The State (through Energy Safe Victoria) require distribution businesses to do the following: ■ disable the reclose function on the automatic circuit reclosers on all SWER lines for the six weeks of greatest risk in every fire season; ■ adjust the reclose function on the automatic circuit reclosers on all 22-kilovolt feeders on all total fire ban days to permit only one reclose attempt before lockout. |
REC181-0209 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Department of Sustainability and Environment amend the Code of Practice for Fire Management on Public Land in order to achieve the following: ■ provide a clear statement of objectives, expressed as measurable outcomes; ■ include an explicit risk-analysis model for more objective and transparent resolution of competing objectives, where human life is the highest priority; ■ specify the characteristics of fire management zones—including burn size, percentage area burnt within the prescribed burn, and residual fuel loading; ■ adopt the use of the term ‘bushfire’ rather than ‘wildfire’. |
REC181-0170 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment amend their policies on aerial preparedness and standby arrangements, their dispatch protocols and the management of aircraft in order to do the following: ■ require that at locations that attract the risk assessment or preparedness level A on code red days all personnel needed for air operations must be on standby by 10.00 am; ■ establish a system that enables the dispatch of aircraft to fires in high-risk areas without requiring a request from an Incident Controller or the State Duty Officer. |
REC181-0180 | 10 - Infrastructure | The State amend the regulatory framework for electricity safety to require that distribution businesses adopt, as part of their management plans, measures to reduce the risks posed by hazard trees—that is, trees that are outside the clearance zone but that could come into contact with an electric power line having regard to foreseeable local conditions. |
REC181-0207 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | The Department of Sustainability and Environment report annually on prescribed burning outcomes in a manner that meets public accountability objectives, including publishing details of targets, area burnt, funds expended on the program, and impacts on biodiversity. |
REC181-0164 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Victorian fire agencies amend the AIIMS framework before the 2010–11 fire season in order to do the following: ■ designate the Information Unit as a separate section reporting directly to the Incident Controller and require that the Information Unit contain a dedicated Public Information Officer whenever a full incident management team is required; ■ specify a set of functions in relation to which the Deputy Incident Controller for a level 3 incident will have oversight, which may be adjustable for a particular incident by agreement between the Incident Controller and the Deputy Incident Controller; ■ ensure that an individual with local knowledge is incorporated in an incident management team |
REC181-0217 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The State consider the development of legislation for the conduct of inquiries in Victoria —in particular, the conduct of royal commissions. |
REC181-0179 | 10 - Infrastructure | The State (through Energy Safe Victoria) require distribution businesses to review and modify their current practices, standards and procedures for the training and auditing of asset inspectors to ensure that registered training organisations provide adequate theoretical and practical training for asset inspectors. |
REC181-0206 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | The State fund and commit to implementing a long-term program of prescribed burning based on an annual rolling target of 5 per cent minimum of public land. |
REC181-0163 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State consider amending the Emergency Management Act 1986 to introduce a graded scale of emergency declarations short of a state of disaster. |
REC181-0216 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The State appoint an independent monitor or the Victorian Auditor-General to assess progress with implementing the Commission’s recommendations and report to the Parliament and the people of Victoria by 31 July 2012. |
REC181-0158 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment amend their procedures to require the following: ■ that at locations that attract preparedness levels A or B there be a full incident management team under the leadership of an accredited level 3 Incident Controller in position by 10.00 am on days of code red fire danger and a core incident management team (eight personnel) under the leadership of an accredited level 3 Incident Controller in position by 10.00 am on days of extreme fire danger; ■ that at locations that attract preparedness levels A or B there be a full incident management team under the leadership of an accredited level 3 Incident Controller in position by 10.00 am on days of code red fire danger and a core incident management team (eight personnel) under the leadership of an accredited level 3 Incident Controller in position by 10.00 am on days of extreme fire danger. |
REC181-0178 | 10 - Infrastructure | The State (through Energy Safe Victoria) require distribution businesses to change their asset inspection standards and procedures to require that all SWER lines and all 22-kilovolt feeders in areas of high bushfire risk are inspected at least every three years. |
REC181-0184 | 10 - Infrastructure | The State amend the regulatory framework for electricity safety to strengthen Energy Safe Victoria’s mandate in relation to the prevention and mitigation of electricity-caused bushfires and to require it to fulfil that mandate. |
REC181-0162 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State consider either amending the Emergency Management Act 1986 or adopting a standing practice to require the Minister for Police and Emergency Services or the Chief Commissioner of Police to consult the Premier about the possibility of declaring a state of disaster for all of or any part of Victoria whenever the Minister or the Chief Commissioner of Police becomes aware of circumstances that make it a reasonable possibility that the criteria for making such a declaration will be satisfied. |
REC181-0214 | 37 - Funding | The State replace the Fire Services Levy with a property-based levy and introduce concessions for low-income earners. |
REC181-0177 | 10 - Infrastructure | The State amend the Regulations under Victoria’s Electricity Safety Act 1998 and otherwise take such steps as may be required to give effect to the following: ■ the progressive replacement of all SWER (single-wire earth return) power lines in Victoria with aerial bundled cable, underground cabling or other technology that delivers greatly reduced bushfire risk. The replacement program should be completed in the areas of highest bushfire risk within 10 years and should continue in areas of lower bushfire risk as the lines reach the end of their engineering lives; ■ the progressive replacement of all 22-kilovolt distribution feeders with aerial bundled cable, underground cabling or other technology that delivers greatly reduced bushfire risk as the feeders reach the end of their engineering lives. Priority should be given to distribution feeders in the areas of highest bushfire risk. |
REC181-0183 | 10 - Infrastructure | The State (through Energy Safe Victoria) require distribution businesses to do the following: ■ fit spreaders to any lines with a history of clashing or the potential to do so; ■ fit or retrofit all spans that are more than 300 metres long with vibration dampers as soon as is reasonably practicable. |
REC181-0161 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State consider amending the Emergency Management Act 1986 and the Emergency Management Manual Victoria in order to achieve the following: ■ remove the title of Coordinator in Chief of Emergency Management from the Minister for Police and Emergency Services; ■ clarify the function and powers of the Minister; ■ designate the Chief Commissioner of Police as Coordinator in Chief of Emergency Management, who would have primary responsibility for keeping the Minister informed during an emergency. |
REC181-0213 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State enact legislation designed to achieve two specific ends: ■ appoint a Fire Commissioner as an independent statutory officer responsible to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services and as the senior operational firefighter in Victoria; ■ make the Chief Fire Officer of the Department of Sustainability and Environment a statutory appointment. The Fire Commissioner should have responsibility for the following: ■ promoting and directing reform aimed at increasing the operational capability, interoperability and resilience of Victoria’s fire services; ■ developing and building operational capacity to prepare for the days of highest bushfire risk and exercising control over level 3 fires as the permanent State Controller; ■ providing to government periodic advice on the metropolitan fire district boundary on the basis of triggers, frequency and criteria approved by government; ■ representing Victorian interests on operational matters in national committees. |
REC181-0171 | 17 - Assets and technology | The State, in conjunction with Emergency Management Australia and the Department of Defence, develop an agreement that allows Commonwealth aerial resources that are suitable for firefighting and support activities to be incorporated in preparedness plans and used on days of high fire risk. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC148-3171 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the operating procedures require that there be identified a person who has overall responsibility for the various clearance procedures and biosecurity tasks to be performed in the course of unloading horses at an airport and transferring them to a quarantine station. |
REC148-3153 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That premises be used for pre-export quarantine only if they have been approved by the officer responsible for the importation of horses and only if they have adequate biosecurity precautions that are the subject of documented procedures that can be audited. The import conditions for horses shall include a requirement that pre-export quarantine premises have been so approved. |
REC148-3176 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That there be prepared operating procedures or a manual that: |
REC148-3158 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the import conditions for horses specify, based on advice from Biosecurity Australia that is reviewed at least annually, the vaccines for equine influenza to be administered to horses before they are exported, taking account of the countries or regions from which the horses are exported. If there are commercially available vaccines that contain representatives of currently circulating strains, the import conditions should specify that the horses be vaccinated using that vaccine or one of those vaccines. Otherwise, the conditions should specify the vaccine or vaccines that may be used, based on the advice of Biosecurity Australia. |
REC148-3184 | 37 - Funding | That the fees charged in relation to the importation and quarantining of horses be reviewed and fixed without delay having regard to the following factors: |
REC148-3170 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That the officer responsible for the importation of horses arrange for Biosecurity Australia to conduct within six months, an inspection and review of the process of horse importation from the time horses arrive in Australia until the completion of their post-arrival quarantine in order to: |
REC148-3150 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the position of Inspector General of Horse Importation: |
REC148-3175 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That the officer responsible for the importation of horses arrange for Biosecurity Australia to review, at least once every two years, the operating procedures to ensure that they adequately identify and manage the risk of entry and spread of equine influenza associated with the importation of horses into Australia. The outcome of each such review should be the subject of a written report and recommendations to the person responsible for the importation of horses and the Executive Director of AQIS. A determination should then be made as to whether any, and if so what, changes should be made to the operating procedures. |
REC148-3157 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the import conditions for horses include that the operations and procedures at the pre-export quarantine premises may from time to time, be inspected and audited by or on behalf of the Australian Government. |
REC148-3183 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Quarantine Act 1908 be reviewed in order to identify amendments necessary to ensure that the Act clearly and adequately confers all relevant powers to ensure the biosecurity of horse importation and quarantine and to give effect to these recommendations. |
REC148-3169 | 37 - Funding | That the budgets for airport reception of horses and government controlled and operated quarantine stations be determined so as to be sufficient to fund the operations of the Quarantine Stations in accordance with these recommendations and any further procedures and requirements that are laid down from time to time. |
REC148-3174 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the operating procedures require, as a condition of entry for all non- AQIS personnel to a quarantine station, that each person report any suspected breach (by that or any other person) of quarantine procedures in the quarantine station and that a person may be excluded from entry to a quarantine station in the event of a breach of such procedures by that person or in the event of a failure of that person to report any suspected breach. |
REC148-3156 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the import conditions for horses include that the horse be tested for equine influenza at a time as close as practicable to the end of the pre- export quarantine period. Until more sensitive and specific detection tests become available, an agent test for influenza A—either a quantitative PCR or an antigen-capture ELISA test—should be used. |
REC148-3182 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That Biosecurity Australia review that formal import risk analysis at least once every two years to take into account any relevant developments in scientific knowledge—specifically testing methods, vaccines, vaccination procedures and other matters that affect biosecurity. Reports on the reviews should be provided to the officer responsible for the importation of horses and should contain recommendations for any necessary changes to policies for importation. |
REC148-3167 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That the facilities at Eastern Creek and Spotswood Quarantine Stations be reviewed by AQIS in consultation with experts in biosecurity and interested parties including state and territory governments, import agents, veterinarians, farriers, operators of private quarantine stations, and representatives of horse owners, horse racing organisations and equestrian organisations. There should in any event be constructed without delay, an adequate supply of hygienic, modern showering facilities and places of entry and exit to the stations and the horse sections of them that can be supervised and monitored continually. There should also be provided at those stations as soon as is practicable suitable means of electronic surveillance, including closed-circuit television; a secure place to store chemicals, drugs, instruments and equipment for use by people attending the quarantined horses, and a set of horse stalls and yards separate from the main stalls and yards to enable isolation of horses suffering from contagious or infectious diseases. These reviews should also consider the desirability of separate areas in quarantine stations to hold horses forming part of a single quarantine intake but that have been imported from different regions or have undergone pre-export quarantine in different places. The reviews should be carried out without delay, and the two quarantine stations should be upgraded in accordance with the recommendations of the reviews. |
REC148-3173 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the operating procedures require that the duties of any people responsible for maintaining 24 hour security at a quarantine station (whether they be AQIS officers or private contractors) are recorded in writing and that those people have received training in relation to biosecurity risks sufficient to instil an appreciation of such acts or circumstances as might give rise to biosecurity risks. |
REC148-3155 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the import conditions for horses include that a blood sample be taken while a horse is in pre-export quarantine. Part of the sample is to be retained in the country of export and another part of that sample is to be transported to Australia, preferably with the horse. Both parts are to be retained for at least three months. |
REC148-3180 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the import conditions for horses include that each horse be tested for equine influenza as close as practicable before the end of the quarantine period and that a negative result for that test be available before the horse may be released from quarantine. Until more sensitive and specific detection tests become available, an agent detection test for influenza A - either a quantitative PCR test or an antigen-capture ELISA test - should be used for that purpose. |
REC148-3160 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That, before a horse is loaded on to an aircraft or vessel for carriage to Australia, AQIS verify that there exists such certification as is required by its import conditions up to the time the horse arrives at the airport of departure and that the horse complies with those conditions. This could be done by facsimile or electronic communication with AQIS officers in Australia. |
REC148-3172 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the operating procedures require that the manager of a quarantine station be responsible for ensuring that a written report on compliance with procedures is prepared and reviewed daily and that any non-compliance and corrective action are recorded. |
REC148-3154 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That the officer responsible for the importation of horses arrange for Biosecurity Australia or another qualified body to inspect and review the activities and events that occur from the time horses enter pre-export quarantine until the time they arrive at an airport in Australia, in order to identify any biosecurity risks and recommend any necessary changes to import conditions or other requirements. This inspection and review shall be performed without delay for each country or region from which horses are imported to Australia, and it should take account of my other recommendations and comments in this report. |
REC148-3179 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the import conditions for horses include that the nasopharyngeal swabs taken within 24 hours of arrival and five days after the last horse arrives in post-arrival quarantine be divided and the swabs made subject to a quantitative PCR test and a ‘rapid’ immuno-assay test to detect influenza A. The operating procedures should also require that these additional tests be conducted. |
REC148-3159 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the import conditions for horses specify that there be available for inspection at the port of loading and produced on the horse’s arrival in Australia, certification (including in electronic form) that the horse has been vaccinated, has had a blood sample taken during pre-export quarantine, and has passed a suitable detection test, currently either a quantitative PCR or an antigen-capture ELISA test for influenza A. |
REC148-3185 | 37 - Funding | That, until the review of those fees has been completed, the fee charged by the government controlled and operated quarantine stations for thoroughbred stallions temporarily imported into Australia be not be less than $165.00 plus GST a day and the fee for all other horses be not less than $65.00 plus GST a day. No discount is to be allowed for the number of horses in a consignment. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC019-4143 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | It be made clear to all fire control officers that the conditions for burning prescribed in the Bush Fires Act are minimal only, and that it is their duty to prescribe such further conditions as will ensure that should unfavourable weather conditions un-expectedly develop a situation would not arise which the local bush fire control organisation could not reasonably be expected to handle. |
REC019-4153 | 17 - Assets and technology | No opportunity be lost by the Forests Department to improve the efficiency of their fire fighting gangs, radio and other equipment in the light of the latest practical and scientific developments. |
REC019-4142 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | Landowners desiring to carry out developmental burns be required to inform the local authority sufficiently early to enable that body to direct them or request the local bush fire brigade to carry out protective burning around the area before the prohibited season starts. |
REC019-4152 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | The Forests Department make every endeavour to improve and extend the practice of control burning to ensure that the forests receive the maximum protection practicable consistent with silvicultural requirements. |
REC019-4149 | 10 - Infrastructure | A sub-committee of telecommunication officers and representatives of the Bush Fires Board be appointed to investigate and encourage the development of a modern system of radio equipment for bush fire brigades. |
REC019-4148 | 10 - Infrastructure | The Commonwealth Government be asked to complete as far as practicable, the connection of telephones to outlying country centres before the end of 1961. |
REC019-4145 | 37 - Funding | A fund be established to subsidise the purchase of equipment for bush fire brigades but that the granting of subsidies depend upon a certificate being received from the Bush Fires Board that the brigade in question is of a standard that will be available at all times for effective use and that adequate facilities are available for its storage and maintenance at a centre suitable for the brigade. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC016_3951 | 10 - Infrastructure | It is recommended that the State Electricity Commission adopt a policy of conciliation and good will towards its closer neighbours. It is not suggested that its policy has been essentially otherwise. In future that policy can best be assured of success by time conferring of material benefit upon its neighbours at some monetary cost to the Commission. It is suggested, with conviction, that it would prove to be of great advantage to time Commission if it were to take an active part in the clearing and bettering of its neighbours’ scrub and timber country at time cost of the Commission. The settler whose land is fully cleared and in production, or who knows that his land will be cleared for him, has no incentive to burn illegally or carelessly. If this suggestion should he adopted, it would be necessary that it should be carried out in all cases in accordance with the settler’s convenience, that he himself should take an active part in the operations, and that he should be left, not with a financial obligation, but with a definite material advantage. |
REC016_3949 | 17 - Assets and technology | It is recommended that the A.R.P. dams or earth tanks be kept filled during possible danger periods. |
REC016_3944 | 10 - Infrastructure | It is recommended that the water pressure be improved so that a greater volume and jet may be available for the suppression of fires on the faces and also for the purpose of wetting the berms more widely and thoroughly when necessary. It is suggested that there should be variable control of the pressure so that production need not be adversely affected in times of normal danger. |
REC016_3943 | 10 - Infrastructure | It is recommended that a more constant, running revision of the main and sprinkler system be maintained in future so that the service which it is intended to convey shall be closely and efficiently available to all parts of the berms and faces. It is emphasized that the reticulation system in the berms is fixed and stationary, whereas the faces are continually receding as their surfaces are scraped away by the dredges. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC015_3959 | 37 - Funding | It is recommended that an annual grant be made to the Association for distribution among the brigades for the purposes of purchase of equipment of which the brigades are in urgent need. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC013_3979 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That burning off by "occupiers" on any lands be regulated by permit or by regulation. |
REC013_3975 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | To burn, where necessary, at least 33 feet where there is a risk of fire, on the outside of the railway fence, in conjunction with the railway employees. |