Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC327-4345 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | By December 2023, the Rural Fire Service should: review and improve processes for timely recording of fleet asset movements, locations, and maintenance status. |
REC327-4346 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | By December 2023, the Rural Fire Service should: establish a fleet maintenance framework to ensure regular update of District Service Agreements with local councils. |
REC327-4350 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | By December 2023, the Rural Fire Service should: develop a fleet enhancement framework and strategy that is informed by an assessment of current fleet capability to respond to fire incidents, and research into the most appropriate technologies and appliances to address emerging and future fire risks across NSW. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC322-4234 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Department of Environment and Science review its suite of operational doctrine to ensure arrangements for situational reporting and requests for assistance are aligned to recognised multi-agency practices used in disaster management. |
REC322-4251 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends Queensland Fire and Emergency Services facilitate an annual state level exercise of the Queensland Bushfire Plan that includes all relevant stakeholders and land managers. The exercise should focus on roles, responsibilities, interagency arrangements and handover arrangements between agencies and land managers. |
REC322-4222 | 4 - Fire season preparation | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Department of Environment and Science undertake a review of campfire locations on K’gari, including all relevant signage on and off the island, maps and visitor permit information, to promote a consistent message about lighting campfires on K’gari. |
REC322-4242 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Department of Environment and Science review the format and delivery of Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service annual fire refresher training to include a scenario-based exercise. |
REC322-4235 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Department of Environment and Science review the resourcing model to ensure surge capacity is available to support incident management functions during response operations. This includes processes to request assistance from other departments and entities with responsibilities for fire and incident management. |
REC322-4223 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Department of Environment and Science implements the proposed treatments for fire identified in the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service K’gari Compliance Strategy. |
REC322-4243 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Department of Environment and Science identify opportunities to increase Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service’s capability in incident management and multi-agency fire response, through exercising plans and procedures in collaboration with other stakeholders, including disaster and fire management groups at all levels. |
REC322-4236 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the arrangements and requirements for situational reporting when an incident is under the control of the Department of Environment and Science be detailed in the Queensland Bushfire Plan. These arrangements should also be outlined in relevant joint entity agreements and operational doctrine. |
REC322-4245 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Department of Environment and Science establish pre-determined financial delegations and authority for Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Incident Controllers. |
REC322-4237 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Department of Environment and Science develop and implement a Wildfire Response Plan for Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Coastal and Islands Region, to be included in the region’s Disaster Management Operations Plan. |
REC322-4233 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and the Department of Environment and Science review the current description of Level 1, 2, and 3 bushfire incidents and the implied meaning of property in the Queensland Bushfire Plan. This review should identify and agree on clear criteria and decision points for the transfer of control and develop a standard process and templates. |
REC322-4247 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends a collaborative review of firelines, tracks and trails on K’gari be undertaken by the Department of Environment and Science, in collaboration with the Locality Specific Area Fire Management Group and the Butchulla people, to ensure an adequate network is agreed by relevant stakeholders, and roles and responsibilities for maintenance are agreed and documented. |
REC322-4238 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Department of Environment and Science ensure that all Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service regions develop a Disaster Management Operations Plan based on a standardised format. The plans should include provision for annual review to ensure they remain contemporary, interoperable with relevant disaster management plans and aligned to the Department of Environment and Science Emergency Management Plan. |
REC322-4248 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the prescribed burn program for K’gari be developed by the Department of Environment and Science, in collaboration with the Locality Specific Fire Management Group and the Butchulla people, based on the principles of the National Position on Prescribed Burning. This program should incorporate a process for monitoring and evaluation of outcomes and integration of evolving fire management practices. |
REC322-4241 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends Queensland Fire and Emergency Services consider expanding specialist Remote Area Firefighting Team capability to assist in responding to significant bushfire events which occur in rugged or inaccessible terrain. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC318-4175 | 4 - Fire season preparation | The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (or the single entity referenced in Recommendation 4) – supported by other organisations with a legislated responsibility for fuel management – plan for and increase the application of non-burning fuel management treatments including mechanical means. The annual fuel management report should include the non-burn component of fuel management treatment, track annual change, and provide a comparison to the previous three years. |
REC318-4173 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that in conjunction with Inquiry Recommendation 2, the State establish or assign responsibility to a single body or entity to lead and coordinate the implementation of evidence-based fuel management policy, practice and assurance and reporting on activities on both public and private land in Victoria. |
REC318-4170 | 4 - Fire season preparation | The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that responder agencies and Emergency Management Victoria review preparedness arrangements to ensure procedural documentation (including plans), recruitment, briefings and training are completed before significant seasonal events are likely to occur. Seasonal preparedness should culminate in attestations of assurance to confirm that: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC307-2426 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Queensland's plans and arrangements for heatwave should be reviewed to provide for an intergrated multi-agency approach to their management. A single agency should lead and oversee this process. |
REC307-2436 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | The outputs of these capabilities should be shared and actively inform the disaster management sector, including response operations and the creation of warnings and public messaging. |
REC307-2446 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Coordinated arrangements for liaison officer deployment should be considered and documented by disaster management groups across the full spectrum of risk identified for their area of responsibility, and not rely on a singular inflexible approach. |
REC307-2434 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Given an increasing risk of intense fires, the framework of legislation relating to vegetation management, bushfire mitigation and preparation priorities should be re-assessed. The re-assessment should aim to enable more appropriate and flexible means at the local level for the reduction of intense fires. |
REC307-2444 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | All disaster management groups should run an exercise that has full involvement of a hazard-specific primary agency in the next 12 months and regularly thereafter. |
REC307-2432 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Legislation at state and local level requiring landholders to reduce fire risk on their property should be actively applied |
REC307-2443 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Planning for response to bushfire risk should identify all stakeholders to be engaged in the response phase and their roles and responsibilities should be clearly documented. |
REC307-2428 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | The future risk of bushfires to Queensland communities should be re-evaluated as part of the 2020 State Risk Assessment in light of recent and emerging science, events and lessons. |
REC307-2442 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Hazard-specific plans and guidelines should be published on external websites for access by relevant stakeholders. |
REC307-2427 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Wherever possible, the antecedents that will lead to catastrophic fire weather conditions existing for a particular area should be identified and documented within fire management plan relevant to the area. |
REC307-2441 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Hazard-specific and disaster management guidelines and plans should explain the circumstances and process for hazard-specific activation of the disaster management arrangements in support of an incident. They should be relevant to local authorities and local and district groups, and used during events. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC267-1162 | 10 - Infrastructure | Telecommunications and Power Infrastructure |
REC267-1153 | 4 - Fire season preparation | Planning for Access to Potentially Isolated Communities |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC195-0316 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Fire Services continue to develop fire behaviour analysis and predictive science capability by ensuring the Fire Behaviour Analysis Team is appropriately resourced with accredited staff and available to provide services to the IMT. |
REC195-0315 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Fire Services, as part of the regular review of Incident Management Teams – Readiness Arrangements, reassess current resource sustainability and identify opportunities for a more flexible application. |
REC195-0335 | 10 - Infrastructure | Energy Safe Victoria ensures that the standards for vegetation clearance around power lines consider the impact of fire on electrical infrastructure and the risk of loss of electricity supply to the community. |
REC195-0313 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Fire Services expedite programmed work on joint operational command and control, including standards, procedures and training |
REC195-0334 | 4 - Fire season preparation | The Fire Services Commissioner leads a task force to: a. identify legislation, policies and guidelines that impact on vegetation management and recommend necessary changes b. develop a set of risk-based standards for vegetation management with respect to strategic firebreaks and the assets being protected c. integrate maintenance standards across all areas of responsibility and tenure. |
REC195-0312 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Fire Services Commissioner ensures that joint fireground command and control, integration and escalation procedures are developed, particularly for ‘fastrunning’ fires |
REC195-0323 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Incident Controllers ensure that Emergency Management Teams consider, provide advice, and manage the broader consequences of actions, such as reopening roads, the resumption of public transport and school buses, and the welfare of those impacted by traffic management points. |
REC195-0311 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Fire Services ensure that agency specific operational procedures fully align with the arrangements. |
REC195-0317 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Fire Services ensure that an incident action plan (summary) is developed in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure J3.03. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC181-0190 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Country Fire Authority amend its guidelines for assessing permit applications for dwellings, nondwellings and subdivisions in the Bushfire-prone Overlay in order to accommodate the amendments to the Wildfire Management Overlay that are implemented as a result of recommendation 39 and make the guidelines available to municipal councils and the public. The revised guidelines should do the following: ■ substantially restrict new developments and subdivisions in those areas of highest risk in the Bushfire-prone Overlay; ■ set out the CFA’s guidelines for assessing permit applications for dwellings, non-dwellings and subdivisions—including the minimum defendable space requirements for different risk levels; ■ clarify that the CFA will approve new developments and subdivisions only if the recommended bushfire protection measures—including the minimum defendable space—can be created and maintained on a continuing basis; ■ clarify that the CFA will approve new developments and subdivisions only if the recommended bushfire protection measures—including the minimum defendable space—can be created and maintained on a continuing basis; ■ emphasise the need for enduring permit conditions—in particular, conditions for the creation and maintenance of minimum defendable space to be maintained for the life of the development. |
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. |
REC181-0198 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Australian Building Codes Board do the following: ■ amend the performance requirements in the Building Code of Australia to ensure that they incorporate reducing the risk of ignition from ember attack; ■ work with Standards Australia to effect expeditious continuing review and development of AS 3959, Construction of Buildings in Bushfire-prone Areas, and other bushfire-related standards referred to in the Building Code of Australia; ■ negotiate with Standards Australia and SAI Global Ltd an arrangement for free online access to AS 3959-2009, Construction of Buildings in Bushfire-prone Areas, the other Australian standards referred to in AS 3959-2009, and any other bushfire-related Australian standards referred to in the Building Code of Australia; ■ amend the Building Code of Australia to remove deemed-to-satisfy provisions for the construction of buildings in BAL-FZ (the Flame Zone); ■ include in the Building Code of Australia bushfire construction provisions for non-residential buildings that will be occupied by people who are particularly vulnerable to bushfire attack, such as schools, child care centres, hospitals and aged care facilities. |
REC181-0159 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment prescribe and audit the minimum number and nature of level 3 joint training exercises in which incident management team staff (including volunteers) are required to participate. |
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. |
REC181-0206 | 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. |
REC181-0189 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The State amend the Victoria Planning Provisions relating to bushfire to ensure that the provisions give priority to the protection of human life, adopt a clear objective of substantially restricting development in the areas of highest bushfire risk—giving due consideration to biodiversity conservation—and provide clear guidance for decision makers. The amendments should take account of the conclusions reached by the Commission and do the following: ■ outline the State’s objectives for managing bushfire risk through land-use planning in an amended state planning policy for bushfire, as set out in clause 15.07 of the Victoria Planning Provisions; ■ allow municipal councils to include a minimum lot size for use of land for a dwelling, both with and without a permit, in a schedule to each of the Rural Living Zone, Green Wedge Zone, Green Wedge A Zone, Rural Conservation Zone, Farming Zone and Rural Activity Zone; ■ amend clause 44.06 of the Victoria Planning Provisions to provide a comprehensive Bushfire-prone Overlay provision. |
REC181-0212 | 4 - Fire season preparation | VicRoads implement a systematic statewide program of bushfire risk assessment for all roads for which it is responsible, to ensure conformity with the obligations in s. 43 of the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 and with the objectives expressed in the VicRoads 1985 Code of Practice. |
REC181-0168 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment amend their procedures to require that a suitably experienced, qualified and competent person be appointed as Incident Controller, regardless of the control agency for the fire. |
REC181-0197 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Standards Australia do the following: ■ amend the objective of AS 3959-2009, Construction of Buildings in Bushfire-prone Areas, to ensure that it incorporates reducing the risk of ignition from ember attack; ■ review, and amend as appropriate, the testing methods prescribed in its standards for Tests on Elements of Construction for Buildings Exposed to Simulated Bushfire Attack (AS 1530.8.1 and AS 1530.8.2) to ensure that, so far as is possible, the methods provide a reliable predictor of the performance of construction elements under bushfire conditions. |
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. |
REC181-0183 | 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. |
REC181-0205 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The State initiate the development of education and training options to improve understanding of bushfire risk management in the building and planning regimes by: ■ providing regular training and guidance material to planning and building practitioners; ■ providing regular training and guidance material to planning and building practitioners. |
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. |
REC181-0211 | 4 - Fire season preparation | The State and Commonwealth provide for municipal councils adequate guidance on resolving the competing tensions arising from the legislation affecting roadside clearing and, where necessary, amend environment protection legislation to facilitate annual bushfire-prevention activities by the appropriate agencies. |
REC181-0167 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment establish before the 2010–11 fire season: ■ a uniform, objective and transparent process based on the current DSE approach for the accreditation of level 3 Incident Controllers; ■ a performance review system for level 3 Incident Controllers; ■ a traineeship program for progression from level 2 to level 3 incident management team positions. |
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. |
REC181-0196 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The State develop and implement a retreat and resettlement strategy for existing developments in areas of unacceptably high bushfire risk, including a scheme for non-compulsory acquisition by the State of land in these areas. |
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. |
REC181-0203 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The State amend s. 32 of the Sale of Land Act 1962 to require that a vendor’s statement include whether the land is in a designated Bushfire-prone Area, a statement about the standard (if any) to which the dwelling was constructed, the bushfire attack level assessment at the time of construction (where relevant) and a current bushfire attack level assessment of the site of the dwelling. |
REC181-0210 | 4 - Fire season preparation | The State amend the exemptions in clause 52.17-6 of the Victoria Planning Provisions to ensure that the provisions allow for a broad range of roadside works capable of reducing fire risk and provide specifically for a new exemption where the purpose of the works is to reduce bushfire risk. |
REC181-0165 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment: ■ amend their procedures to require that an incident action plan summary be completed within the first four hours of an incident being reported and be provided to the State Control Centre and, where established, to the relevant Area of Operations Control Centre; ■ adopt DSE’s incident action plan summary as the template to be used by all incident management teams and ensure that the template is included in the online IMT Tool Box; ■ provide regular training to IMT staff, highlighting the importance of information and reinforcing the support available from specialists within the State Control Centre. |
REC181-0192 | 4 - Fire season preparation | The Department of Sustainability and Environment develop and administer a collective offset solution for individual landholders who are permitted to remove native vegetation for the purpose of fire protection. |
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. |
REC181-0200 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Standards Australia move expeditiously to develop a standard for bushfire sprinklers and sprayers. |
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. |
REC181-0188 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The State implement a regional settlement policy that: ■ takes account of the management of bushfire risk, including that associated with small, undeveloped rural lots; ■ includes a process for responding to bushfire risk at the planning stage for new urban developments in regional cities, the process being similar to that used for new developments in Melbourne’s Urban Growth Zone. |
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’. |
REC181-0164 | 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 |
REC181-0177 | 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. |
REC181-0191 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The State: ■ amend the Victoria Planning Provisions to require that, when assessing a permit to remove native vegetation around an existing dwelling, the responsible authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment, as referral authority, take into account fire hazard and give weight to fire protection purposes; ■ develop guidelines for determining the maximum level of native vegetation removal for bushfire risk mitigation, beyond which level the application would be rejected. |
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. |
REC181-0199 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The State modify its adoption of the Building Code of Australia for the following purposes: ■ to remove deemed-to-satisfy provisions for the construction of buildings in BAL-FZ (the Flame Zone); ■ to apply bushfire construction provisions to non-residential buildings that will be occupied by people who are particularly vulnerable to bushfire attack, such as schools, child care centres, hospitals and aged care facilities; ■ other than in exceptional circumstances, to apply a minimum AS 3959-2009 construction level of BAL-12.5 to all new buildings and extensions in bushfire-prone areas. |
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. |
REC181-0207 | 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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC124-3887 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Give priority to the establishment of risk management processes across all stages of prescribed burning within the Department’s broader risk management strategy: |
REC124-3886 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Clarify, strengthen and document roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of DSE and its partner organisations in the prescribed burning program: |
REC124-3885 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | Align policies and processes, within the year round 365 day focus on fire management, to provide consistency in the approach to fire regardless of its origins,- that is fuel reduction burning, regeneration and ecological burning or unplanned fire; |
REC124-3884 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | Develop new prescriptions for prescribed burning to accommodate local conditions in those areas where standard prescriptions are assessed to be inappropriate: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC104-2224 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 be amended to: |
REC104-2273 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That personnel assigned the roles of Division Commander, Sector Commander and Strike Team Leader be given flexibility to alter tactics to take advantage of changed conditions on the fire ground. |
REC104-2250 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | That DSE and CFA work in cooperation with the Municipal Emergency Response Coordinators to develop and conduct joint exercises that practise the skills and test procedures for operations of the Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre, Municipal Recovery Centre and Incident Control Centres. |
REC104-2280 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That DSE and CFA ensure that: |
REC104-2317 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | That DSE, with adequate resourcing, moves to a 12-month cycle of fire management to establish and maintain a more appropriate and balanced work program of prevention/mitigation and suppression. |
REC104-2189 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | That DSE and CFA as part of their long term planning, and in conjunction with the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology, consider ways in which evidence for climate change and El Niño–Southern Oscillation cycle impacts on the likelihood of unplanned fire, can be better incorporated into preparedness and response planning. |
REC104-2261 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the emergency management arrangements be amended to require Police Divisional Emergency Response Coordinators, in consultation with other response agencies, to establish and document procedures and structures at regional level in order to ensure there is: |
REC104-2335 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | That the fire agencies develop a program to significantly increase the amount of joint training and exercises undertaken. |
REC104-2223 | 10 - Infrastructure | That Government review legislation for utilities operating within the State to ensure their involvement in regional fire preparedness and mitigation planning. |
REC104-2272 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That personnel assigned the roles of Division Commander, Sector Commander and Strike Team Leader on the fire ground are actively encouraged to provide input into the selection of strategies and tactics. |
REC104-2236 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Statewide Fire Control Priorities: |
REC104-2279 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That operational briefings in multi-agency fires should, wherever possible, be joint briefings of all agencies involved. |
REC104-2311 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That all Departments, statutory authorities, utility providers and Local Governments be made aware of the need to develop contingency plans for recovery activities, and that such plans, and the associated public education and information strategies, are included in the Municipal Emergency Management Plans. |
REC104-2258 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That, wherever possible, Incident Management Team members from DSE, CFA and MFESB who are likely to be deployed together to manage fire, should train and exercise together. |
REC104-2330 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That this unified system include recommendations for the appointment of one person or agency to be responsible for overall control of fire suppression activity in country Victoria, including for any legislative reform considered necessary. |
REC104-2219 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That, following the review of Forest Industry Brigades, the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 be amended to ensure that the Forest Industry Brigades, which are acting in an approved manner, have the same powers and rights as other Brigades when attending fires on public land or interstate. |
REC104-2271 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That DSE and CFA ensure that agreed strategy and tactics, and the rationale, be communicated to personnel involved in the fire fight and be included in briefings for fire line personnel. |
REC104-2229 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That DSE and the Department of Primary Industries formalise an agreement by the 2003-2004 fire season documenting the policies, procedures and financial arrangements relating to the availability of Department of Primary Industries staff to be trained and released for fire prevention and suppression activities on public land. |
REC104-2278 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That DSE and CFA review the standards and protocols for documentation, including mapping, provided to fire line managers as part of their briefing notes, to ensure these are concise and appropriate. |
REC104-2257 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Emergency Management Act 1986 be amended to require the development of agreements that describe joint operational arrangements between emergency response agencies. |
REC104-2309 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Emergency Management Act 1986 be amended to include a provision that, on the recommendation of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services as Co-ordinator-in-Chief of Emergency Management, or of another Minister, the Premier establish a Ministerial Task Force to oversee recovery in situations of extreme natural disaster or other emergency events. |
REC104-2329 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That CFA, DSE, MFESB and Victoria Police jointly develop a unified command and control system that better integrates with the State's emergency management arrangements, and that this be endorsed by the Victoria Emergency Management Council by July 2004. |
REC104-2199 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That evidence of the rekindling or otherwise of spring prescribed burns in forests be assembled and a model constructed and tested to see whether or not some days in spring could be used for prescribed burning in certain circumstances and places, especially in Zone 1. |
REC104-2269 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That the fire agencies ensure that Incident Action Plans developed by Incident Management Teams are consistent with, and built on, the agreed Fire Control Priorities. |
REC104-2227 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Municipal Fire Management Plan amendment includes appropriate provisions for the audit of the plans including: |
REC104-2276 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That CFA and DSE jointly develop procedures to ensure that a more consistent strategic approach can be maintained at shift and tour of duty changes. |
REC104-2253 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Victoria Police, CFA and DSE review the relationship between fire service regional co-ordination arrangements and Divisional Emergency Response Plans and that any changes be formalised in the emergency management arrangements. |
REC104-2288 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That CFA develop protocols to integrate Ultra High Frequency and Citizen Band radios into their communication structures. |
REC104-2325 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | That CFA, DSE and MFESB continue to develop the partnership approach for fire safety with Local Government, industry and communities. |
REC104-2198 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That an explicit formulation of the interactions between terrain, fuel, ignition pattern, time of day and weather be created to better define those days suited to prescribed burning. |
REC104-2267 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That DSE and CFA develop an agreed process for the effective transfer of control from one Incident Control Centre to another, including processes for communicating this change to fire ground supervisors and local communities. |
REC104-2226 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the new Municipal Fire Management Plan is informed by the policy directions of the subcommittee of the Victoria Emergency Management Council. |
REC104-2275 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That the ‘Incident Objectives’ established for any response should reflect the endorsed Statewide ‘Fire Control Priorities’, and the relevant Municipal Fire Management Plan. |
REC104-2252 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That existing DSE and CFA regional co-ordination arrangements be reviewed and any changes, such as the continued use of Integrated Multi-Agency Co-ordination Centres, be reflected in the Victorian emergency management arrangements. |
REC104-2285 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That, as a matter of urgency and in consultation with stakeholders, CFA and DSE develop and communicate clear guidelines on how and when privately owned firefighting equipment should be integrated into the fire response. |
REC104-2324 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That this group reports to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services on proposed legislative amendments to the Emergency Management Act 1986, the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 and any associated legislation by June 2004. |
REC104-2196 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That, as a result of this monitoring, weather conditions for the safe conduct of burning in such operations should be defined. |
REC104-2262 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That the practice of appointing Deputy Planning Officer, Deputy Operations Officer and Deputy Logistics Officer in an Incident Management Team be abandoned. This recommendation acknowledges the benefits of retaining a Deputy Incident Controller from the support agency (in accordance with section 4.2.6 of the Emergency Management Manual Victoria), to ensure that the command structure of that agency is preserved. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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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. |
REC016_3952 | 4 - Fire season preparation | It is recommended that the question of the future responsibility be made certain and that the body so made responsible keep the grounds of the hospital free from undergrowth and trees wherever their presence may be a possible source of future danger. |
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_3950 | 4 - Fire season preparation | It is recommended that on days of abnormal danger loads of briquettes be not kept in the station yard. The real danger, which transcends in gravity the danger of time destruction of loads of briquettes, is that the prevailing wind or a change of wind might carry showers of burning embers to the town, which is but the width of a road away, and thereby cause material damage in the town. It is further recommended that the yard and its surroundings be kept clear of scrub and growth; and that special provision be made for quelling fire which may break out in the deposits of inflammable dust which lie in time yard. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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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. |
REC013_3974 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | To link up fallow paddocks and natural fire breaks by ploughing or burning breaks through private or public property, roads, &c. |
REC013_3979 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That burning off by "occupiers" on any lands be regulated by permit or by regulation. |
REC013_3978 | 4 - Fire season preparation | Where possible to build stone or brick fireplaces for the use of travellers, teamsters, and drovers on the camping areas that are mostly used and where there is a risk of fire. |
REC013_3976 | 4 - Fire season preparation | To burn camping areas at suitable water and camping reserves. |