Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC316-4047 | 37 - Funding | Government consider an alternative funding arrangement for extraordinary costs borne by Government agencies in combating emergencies such as bushfires. |
REC316-4018 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The five year review of the Emergencies Act examine amendments to better define the rationale for a State of Alert / State of Emergency whilst ensuring that the relevant Minister / Chief Minister still has sufficient discretion to make a declaration based on advice from relevant Government officials and committees. |
REC316-4046 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Emergency Plan and Recovery sub-plans should be amended to better define recovery mechanisms and responsibilities, including hand over points to recovery authorities and community engagement for the delivery of long term recovery mechanisms. |
REC316-4014 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That Justice and Community Safety Directorate (JACS) lead a working group from across relevant organisations to undertake the five year review of the Emergencies Act in conjunction with a wholistic review of the Emergency Plan and relevant sub-plans; and recommendations from this review, to the extent they are accepted by Government. Bringing together a small Taskforce of staff from across government for a set period would assist the working group in delivering the work needed to address these and other recommendations. |
REC316-4042 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | ACT Government undertake a detailed legislative review to ensure that information regarding vulnerable community members can be appropriately accessed, provided and used during an emergency event. |
REC316-4038 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The CCIP be reviewed in conjunction with the review of the Emergency Plan and the two synchronised. A workable approach to delivering operational emergency communications and strategic WhoG communications is developed with simple and clear reporting arrangements. |
REC316-4033 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The BFC Terms of Reference be reviewed to ensure they are contemporary and reflect learnings from this and recent bushfire seasons. |
REC316-4048 | 37 - Funding | Government consider adopting a similar model to NSW for the management of emergency costs and reimbursements within ACT Government agencies. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC315-3809 | 37 - Funding | That Government work with other Australian governments to provide long-term funding certainty to AFAC, including the National Resource Sharing Centre (NRSC) and the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC). |
REC315-3853 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That, in order to ensure the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) can maintain communications during emergencies, the Government provide the SEOC with independent Public Safety Network functionality. |
REC315-3860 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That, in order to ensure the guiding principles and approval processes are contemporary, streamlined and more flexible, the NSW and Commonwealth Governments review the Defence Assistance to the Civil Community (DACC) arrangements. This review should include the circumstances in which the State can request Commonwealth assistance, and the level of information provided by the ADF to the State on available resources and capabilities. |
REC315-3798 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That, in order to ensure recommendations accepted by the Government are implemented in a timely and transparent manner, Government establish a central accountability mechanism to track implementation of recommendations from bush fire-related reviews and inquiries and consider expanding this to other policy areas. |
REC315-3852 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That, in order to improve fireground communications between NSW agencies and interstate personnel: a) Government ensure all NSW fire authority personnel and vehicles can access and utilise the Public Safety Network (PSN). This should include access to NSW RFS Private Mobile Radio networks where PSN coverage is not yet available. |
REC315-3859 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That, in order to ensure State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) interoperability during all natural disasters, Resilience NSW review the current SEOC arrangements and location including responsibilities for ongoing resourcing and maintenance. |
REC315-3817 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That Government, noting that hazard reduction targeted in proximity to assets is on balance more likely to provide help than hinder, should: |
REC315-3858 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That, in order to improve cross-agency communication and coordination during bush fires, the NSW RFS review Fire Control Centres (FCCs) in areas that were heavily affected by fire. The results should be combined with the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Facilities Review to identify areas that would benefit from a purpose-built FCC, enabling co-location with the EOC. |
REC315-3816 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That Government re-commit to the current, regionally based approach to planning and coordinating hazard reduction activities across all tenures through Bush Fire Management Committees but ensure that it is actually being implemented at a high-level of quality across NSW. Getting it to a high-level of quality requires: |
REC315-3855 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That, in order to ensure all agencies have a clear understanding of cross-border communication channels during bush fires, all MoUs between state or territory agencies include an agreed protocol about how agencies will communicate across borders and that these are reflected in Incident Action Plans. |
REC315-3873 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That Resilience NSW review existing functional area arrangements to ensure they are closely aligned to agencies responsible for direct service delivery. |
REC315-3812 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That Government commit to: |
REC315-3854 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That, in order to ensure emergency response agencies can communicate across state and territory borders, the Commonwealth Government allocate 10 + 10 MHz as a dedicated spectrum for Public Safety Mobile Broadband (PSMB) at no cost to states and territories. |
REC315-3868 | 33 - Relief and recovery | That, in order to ensure people only need to tell their story once to access government agency support following an emergency, Resilience NSW and Service NSW jointly design an inclusive, person-centred approach to information collection at evacuation centres. This should be supported by an opt-in scheme enabling personal information to be shared between NSW government agencies, local councils and non-governmental organisations administering support services for disaster-affected people. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC299-1347 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | In order to manage a reduced time window available to undertake the current types of planned burns, alternative methods, including the indigenous mosaic ‘cool’ burns, should be examined and trialled as they may extend the period in which planned burns can be undertaken while reducing overall risk and fuel loads. |
REC299-1344 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That a review of the cross‑tenure approach be undertaken to determine its effectiveness and to address issues that arise in fire prevention on private and public land. |
REC299-1343 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That the Government conduct a review of fire prevention |
REC299-1341 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That in conjunction with a risk‑based approach, a minimum hectare target is also maintained that can be measured and compared. This minimum target should not be below the 5% target established by the Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC280-1388 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That the NSW Rural Fire Service: |
REC280-1378 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the NSW Rural Fire Service: -improve accountability in relation to the implementation of bush fire risk management plans as a means of delivering more hazard reduction. |
REC280-1377 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the NSW Rural Fire Service, in collaboration with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, review and improve the system of bush fire management zones to ensure that greater priority is given to hazard reduction on land classified within land management zones. |
REC280-1376 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service establish a regime of frequent mosaic burning within the Warrumbungle National Park, where conditions permit, to be monitored and evaluated via a formal fully funded research program. This program should then inform the Service’s approach to the wider national park estate. |
REC280-1375 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the NSW Government commit to and fund a long term program of prescribed burning based on the recommendation of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission of an annual rolling target of a minimum of five per cent of public land per year, and that the NSW Government commit to extending the funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service five year hazard reduction program past 2016. |
REC280-1396 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That the Minister for Police and Emergency Services review the communications technologies used by the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Forestry NSW during fire fighting operations, to ensure that systems are standardised and effective. Within this context, the potential value of satellite phone technology should be investigated. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC261-1505 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That the NSW Rural Fire Service: |
REC261-1495 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the NSW Rural Fire Service: |
REC261-1493 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service establish a regime of frequent mosaic burning within the Warrumbungle National Park, where conditions permit, to be monitored and evaluated via a formal fully funded research program. This program should then inform the Service’s approach to the wider national park estate. |
REC261-1492 | 37 - Funding | That the NSW Government commit to and fund a long term program of prescribed burning based on the recommendation of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission of an annual rolling target of a minimum of five per cent of public land per year, and that the NSW Government commit to extending the funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service five year hazard reduction program past 2016. |
REC261-1520 | 33 - Relief and recovery | That the Ministry for Police and Emergency Services urgently review its policies for the provision of disaster welfare services to ensure that in the event of a bush fire emergency and the declaration of a fire under section 44 of the Rural Fires Act 1997, adequate funding and services, especially recovery centres and mental health services, are provided for an adequate length of time, with gradual transition to normal service delivery when those services are no longer required. |
REC261-1508 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That the NSW Rural Fire Service review its procedures, systems and infrastructure for notifying community members of bush fires, both when a fire has broken out and as it proceeds, to ensure the provision of timely and adequate information. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC241-0995 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | At the next reprint of the ‘Permit to Light Fire’ book, the requirement to notify neighbours when applying for a permit is reinstated to properly reflect the requirement under the Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990. |
REC241-1033 | 37 - Funding | When a local Rural Fire Brigade requests an equipment and maintenance levy from a local government authority, that authority will either supply the brigade’s equipment and maintenance costs or raise the requested levy. The amount to be collected is to be agreed between the local Brigade and the local government authority. |
REC241-0994 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the Rural Fire Service Queensland needs to provide greater emphasis and acknowledgement of the use of fire as a tool in sustainable land management. |
REC241-1032 | 37 - Funding | That the current Urban Fire Levy be changed to the Queensland Fire Levy. |
REC241-1030 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That Rural Fire Brigades only be required to conduct an audit of finances if the Brigades income exceeds $5,000 for a financial year. RFSQ District offices should investigate options for savings on the costs of auditing Brigades in their district through either an in-house or external provider. Legal Status of Brigades |
REC241-0997 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the electronic fire permit system used in the Mackay District be made available across the state for Fire Wardens who wish to use it. |
REC241-1035 | 37 - Funding | That the State Government contribution towards the purchase of operational vehicles is to be retained at 80 percent but that the District Inspector can recommend full Government subsidy of vehicles for Brigades experiencing financial hardship. |
REC241-0996 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That Section 66 (2) of the Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990 relating to the exemption for issuing of permits to burn in State Forests, National Parks and Reserves is withdrawn and Departments must work within the District Fire Management Plan. |
REC241-1034 | 37 - Funding | That the State Government contribution towards the construction of Brigade sheds be changed from $10,000 to a maximum of 25 percent, subject to the approval of the Deputy Chief Officer, Rural Fire Service Queensland. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC236-2808 | 38 - Agency/Department Reporting | The committee recommends that in relation to mandatory and confidential reporting, the default position should be that no identifying details should be provided or disclosed. However, if there is a clear risk to safety then the ATSB, CASA and industry representatives should develop a process that contains appropriate checks and balances. |
REC236-2795 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The committee recommends that a short inquiry be conducted by the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport into the current status of aviation regulatory reform to assess the direction, progress and resources expended to date to ensure greater visibility of the processes. |
REC236-2806 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The committee recommends that the relevant agencies investigate appropriate methods to ensure that information about the incidence of, and variable weather conditions at, Norfolk Island is available to assist flight crews and operators managing risk that may result from unforseen weather events. |
REC236-2793 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The committee recommends that CASA processes in relation to matters highlighted by this investigation be reviewed. This could involve an evaluation benchmarked against a credible peer (such as FAA or CAA) of regulation and audits with respect to: non-RPT passenger carrying operations; approach to audits; and training and standardisation of FOI across regional offices. |
REC236-2805 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The committee recommends that the relevant agencies review whether any equipment or other changes can be made to improve the weather forecasting at Norfolk Island. The review would include whether the Unicom operator should be an approved meteorological observer. |
REC236-2792 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The committee recommends that the investigation be re-opened by the ATSB with a focus on organisational, oversight and broader systemic issues. |
REC236-2801 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The committee recommends that the ATSB review its process to track the implementation of recommendations or safety actions to ensure it is an effective closed loop system. This should be made public, and provided to the Senate Regional and Rural Affairs and Transport Committee prior to each Budget Estimates. |
REC236-2791 | 37 - Funding | The committee recommends that the government develop a process by which the ATSB can request access to supplementary funding via the minister. |
REC236-2800 | 38 - Agency/Department Reporting | The committee recommends that where a safety action has not been completed before a report being issued that a recommendation should be made. If it has been completed the report should include details of the action, who was involved and how it was resolved. |
REC236-2799 | 38 - Agency/Department Reporting | The committee recommends that the ATSB prepare and release publicly a list of all its identified safety issues and the actions which are being taken or have been taken to address them. The ATSB should indicate its progress in monitoring the actions every 6 months and report every 12 months to Parliament. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC208-0526 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | That OEH’s testing procedures for determining the impact of pollution incidents incorporate additional requirements for the checking and verification of results before those results are released. |
REC208-0525 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That the Office of Environment and Heritage amend its operating procedures for the Environment Line to ensure that there are clear obligations to pass on information relevant to other agencies, to those agencies in a timely manner. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC202-0505 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | The Minister for Emergency Services makes it a priority that the annual budgets of FESA and WA Police are sufficient to bring forward the completion dates of the current radio projects now underway. |
REC202-0497 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The Minister for Local Government have urgent discussions with the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) as to why they are not supporting the full Recommendations addressed to local government in the Keelty Report. The Minister ensure that by May 2012 WALGA and its member councils have the resources to fully implement theimplementation of the Recommendations. |
REC202-0495 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | At the conclusion to the 2011-12 bushfire season, the Minister for Emergency Services institute a thorough review of the operations of FESA, the Police and DEC in protecting the State from bushfires and other natural disasters, with a primary focus on: · staffing levels; · equipment levels and coordination; and · training needs. The Minister report to Parliament by June 2012 on any changes that need to be made to the current departmental structures to optimise the State’s preparedness for the 2012-13 bushfire season. |
REC202-0493 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The Minister for Emergency Services report to Parliament every six months on the progress made in completing all of the outstanding Recommendations of the Keelty Report. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC192-1922 | 37 - Funding | The Committee recommends the provision of substantial funds to improve road infrastructure in the Mitcham Hills to be spent over the 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 budgets. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC191-0275 | 37 - Funding | that the for Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Emergency Services ensure that the formula for distribution of funding as recommended above allows rural fire brigades to control any donation or sponsorship funding raised by individual brigades. |
REC191-0274 | 37 - Funding | that the for Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Emergency Services undertake a thorough review, including consultation with rural fire brigades, regarding the proposed formula for distribution of funding. |
REC191-0273 | 37 - Funding | that the for Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Emergency Services implement system of fire levies for landholders situated in urban, iZone and village brigade areas. |
REC191-0266 | 37 - Funding | that QFRS cover the cost of annual vehicle inspection certificates for rural fire brigade registered vehicles. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC188-2917 | 33 - Relief and recovery | The committee recommends that relevant Commonwealth agencies continue to monitor the wellbeing of their personnel and that counselling and support services should be provided for as long as necessary. |
REC188-2916 | 33 - Relief and recovery | The committee recommends that the Department of Regional Australia and DIAC liaise with the Christmas Island community to explore options for a permanent memorial to be erected on the island, at a site of the residents' choosing, for the victims of the tragedy. |
REC188-2915 | 33 - Relief and recovery | The committee recommends that Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and its relevant contractors continue to monitor the wellbeing of the survivors and that counselling and support services should be provided for as long as is necessary. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC176-0147 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | The Commonwealth encourages further research into prescribed burning and its effectiveness and into alternative bushfire mitigation approaches through improved bushfire risk understanding at the asset level. |
REC176-0144 | 37 - Funding | Further Commonwealth funding for bushfire suppression be made conditional on state fire agencies agreeing to the Commonwealth evaluating and auditing their fuel reduction programs. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC155-3465 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That in order to enhance the protection of community and ecological assets, the Department of Sustainability and Environment increase its annual prescribed burning target from 130,000 hectares to 385,000 hectares. This should be treated as a rolling target, with any shortfalls to be made up in subsequent years. |
REC155-3470 | 37 - Funding | That the Victorian Government provide recurring funding for a significant increase in regionally-based, permanent, or long-tenured, fire management personnel dedicated to the prescribed burning program. The increase in personnel should be consistent with the level required to achieve an annual prescribed burning target of 385,000 hectares. |
REC155-3464 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the Department of Sustainability and Environment implement remote sensing imagery as a routine part of its pre-burn and post-burn assessment process for prescribed burning. Maps of every prescribed burn should be produced in a similar format to those used in Western Australia, indicating the boundary of each burn and the varying fire intensities achieved within the burn area. The boundaries of all Fuel Management Zones within each burn should also be indicated. |
REC155-3469 | 37 - Funding | That the Victorian Government establish a five year rolling fund which allows unused prescribed burning monies to be rolled over into future financial years for the purpose of subsequent prescribed burning activities. |
REC155-3468 | 38 - Agency/Department Reporting | That the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Department of Primary Industries, Parks Victoria & VicForests separately cost, and report, annual expenditure on fuel reduction burning, ecological burning and regeneration burning in their Annual Reports. |
REC155-3478 | 38 - Agency/Department Reporting | That all information pertaining to current and planned prescribed burns be published more prominently on the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s website, with a single prominent link to this material on the website homepage. |
REC155-3467 | 38 - Agency/Department Reporting | The Department of Sustainability and Environment should report its performance against the increased prescribed burning target in its annual report, which should also include the following details: |
REC155-3477 | 38 - Agency/Department Reporting | That the details of any variation or amendment of a Fire Operations Plan, including: the carrying forward or postponement of burns within the three-year period covered by a Fire Operations Plan; the carry over, removal or rescheduling of burns between past, present and future Fire Operations Plans; and the alteration of burn boundaries (including alterations of less than 25 per cent); should appear on the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s website at the time of the change and be included in the Fire Operations Plan for the following year. |
REC155-3466 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | A comprehensive review of the effectiveness of the increased prescribed burning target in meeting ecological and bushfire suppression needs should be conducted every three years. |
REC155-3476 | 38 - Agency/Department Reporting | That finalised Fire Operations Plans be made publicly available in their entirety (with the exception of any private information) on the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s website and in hard-copy, and that this requirement be clearly stated in future Codes of Practice. This should include the “district burns list”, or its future equivalents, and a map which shows the corresponding burns for each Fire District. Each map should be provided in a format which can be downloaded directly from the Department’s website without the need for further data manipulation by the user. An identical hardcopy version of the map for each Fire District should be also be available to members of the public on request and free of charge. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC122-3778 | 37 - Funding | The Committee recommends that government consider options for assistance (including cost sharing) for farmers to fence native vegetation areas on private property affected by the Wangary fire. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC098-2155 | 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review | The Committee recommends that Emergency Management Australia initiate a process involving Australasian Fire Authorities Council and the Australian Assembly of Volunteer Fire Brigades Association to review |
REC098-2171 | 37 - Funding | The Committee strongly recommends that the New South Wales, Victorian and Tasmanian Governments abolish the Fire Levy tax they impose on home and business insurance premiums (wherever applicable), making it payable through household rates instead. Any cost savings gained by the insurance industry through relief from collecting Fire Levies should be passed on to policyholders through reduced premiums. At the same time the Committee urges the Insurance Council of Australia to run ongoing education campaigns to increase public awareness on bushfire preparedness, including the need for insurance. |
REC098-2153 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | The Committee recommends that the state and territory bushfire agencies ensure that, on a district basis, communications are addressed within the district operations plans and that the plans are capable of easy adoption to incident action plans. |
REC098-2169 | 37 - Funding | The Committee recommends that, for the purpose of communications for the police, ambulance and fire brigades, any rental costs associated with the use of radio sites under the care, control or management of the Commonwealth, state, territory or local government be waived, other than for the ongoing cost associated with the use of power at the site. |
REC098-2142 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth seek to ensure that the Council of Australian Governments seek agreement from the states and territories on the optimisation and implementation of prescribed burning targets and programs to a degree that is recognised as adequate for the protection of life, property and the environment. The prescribed burning programs should include strategic evaluation of fuel management at the regional level and the results of annual fuel management in each state should be publicly reported and audited. |
REC098-2165 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | The Committee recommends that Emergency Management Australia and the Australian Communications Authority work with state and territory bush fire authorities to ensure that that district communication plans |
REC098-2164 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | The Committee recommends that: |
REC098-2158 | 37 - Funding | The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth should commit funding for aerial fire fighting beyond the 2003–04 season on the proviso that the Australasian Fire Authorities Council and the state and territory governments make a commitment to: |
REC098-2186 | 38 - Agency/Department Reporting | The Committee recommends that the Department of Transport and Regional Services review its record keeping practices to show the type of emergency for which assistance is provided through the Natural Disaster |