Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC324-4298 | 37 - Funding | Housing and development funding options: That, to empower vulnerable people and communities to avoid significant impacts from flood as well as drive broader investment in adaptation, Government through NSWRA: |
REC324-4317 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Flood rescue capability: That, to help improve the protection of life across NSW in flood events: |
REC324-4301 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Floodplains as assets: That, to establish the capacity and maximise the economic, social and environmental potential and consequently unlock the value of NSW floodplains, Government adopt the following guiding principles for floodplain management: |
REC324-4318 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Permanent SEOCON: That, to improve NSW’s ability to prepare and respond to floods and other disasters, Government establish a new Deputy Commissioner of NSW Police Force to take on permanently the SEOCON role. This role, in addition to current SEOCON functions, would be responsible for: |
REC324-4302 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Disaster adaptation plans for all towns: That, to establish realistic expectations of safe spaces to live and deliver much needed housing quickly, Government through NSWRA working with local government: |
REC324-4320 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Knowledge resources to support flood management: That, to provide more accurate and complete data for flood threat identification, warning and modelling systems, Government through the proposed new NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) work with the Australian Government to: |
REC324-4309 | 12 - EM agency and authority | SES and RFS back-office merger: That, to help protect life and property across NSW in storm and flood events, and to improve resourcing and NSW State Emergency Service (SES) frontline capability, Government implement, before the next storm season, a merger of the SES and NSW Rural Fire Services (RFS) back-office and corporate service functions, while maintaining their separate legislative identity, brand, uniform and volunteer membership. This ‘joined-up’ RFS/SES corporate support structure would be under the command of the RFS given its corporate and operational maturity and would be responsible for: |
REC324-4315 | 36 - Volunteers | The Community First Responders Program: That, to better coordinate community efforts to save life and property during a disaster, Government create a ‘Community First Responders Program’, funding appropriate community equipment and training, particularly in high-risk catchments along the east coast of NSW. This training would be delivered by combat and/or other appropriate government agencies. This program could support and empower community led initiatives such as disaster response, evacuation centres and the provision of services such as psychological first aid. |
REC324-4316 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Resilience NSW and recovery: That, in order to enhance NSW disaster preparedness, response and recovery, and meet the needs of the people of NSW prior to, during and after a disaster, and provide clarity on agency roles and responsibilities, Resilience NSW be reshaped to ‘Recovery NSW’. The new agency will be more streamlined and agile to drive recovery in the first 100 days post disaster. To achieve this, Resilience NSW’s functions should be reallocated as follows: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation | |
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REC323-4291 | 12 - EM agency and authority | That the NSW Government consider abolishing Resilience NSW if it is unable to ensure: |
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REC323-4261 | 37 - Funding | That the NSW Government advocate through the National Cabinet to widen eligibility under the Disaster Funding Recovery Arrangements to allow local councils to build back better. |
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REC323-4292 | 12 - EM agency and authority | That the NSW Government consider a restructure of the NSW State Emergency Service with consideration to: realigning the focus of the organisation to harness local knowledge and networks; coordinating more closely with other rescue agencies to bolster its capacity to respond; and increasing salaried staff and resources, and driving volunteer recruitment. |
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REC323-4270 | 37 - Funding | That the NSW Government consider entering into a service agreement with an organisation that has the resources and capacity to manage donations and activate quickly during natural disasters. |
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REC323-4272 | 37 - Funding | That the NSW Government ensure that flood affected individuals can continue to access financial assistance for as long as there is demonstrated need. |
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REC323-4279 | 37 - Funding |
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REC323-4281 | 37 - Funding | That the NSW Government allocate funding to the improvement of the Pitt Town Evacuation Route and other key possible evacuation routes in Sydney's northwest. |
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REC323-4280 | 37 - Funding | That the NSW Government work with local governments to identify alternative routes to vulnerable roads, and that the NSW and Australian Governments fund the construction of these important routes to improve evacuation and access options in times of disaster. |
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REC323-4282 | 16 - Training and behaviour | That the NSW Government invest in the required personnel, training and vessels to ensure that all agencies involved in flood rescue can be mobilised to their fullest potential. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC297-1269 | 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry | That Government engages with non-government organisations that may provide services during emergency events to clarify the terms and conditions for support through a written arrangement (MOU or similar). |
REC297-1260 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That DPIPWE clarifies responsibility for river restoration and riparian management and, having done so, communicates this to councils, landowners and other owners of relevant infrastructure. |
REC297-1257 | 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry | That in the event that Hydro Tasmania decides to start cloud seeding again, water managers, represented by DPIPWE, work with Hydro Tasmania to ensure appropriate, best practice application of the guidelines issued by the Agricultural and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC238-0803 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Ensure effective flood gauging arrangements in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley |
REC238-0798 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Optimise the configuration of a raised Warragamba Dam for flood mitigation of the full range of flood events and water supply, with due consideration of upstream impacts. |
REC238-0797 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Determine the appropriateness and the steps required to allow the reduction of full supply level by up to five metres and/or the implementation of alternative gate operation at Warragamba Dam for the mitigation of minor to moderate flood events in the short-term. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC235-2809 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Australian National Audit Office recommends that the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport improve the arrangements for conducting value for money reviews of Victorian reconstruction projects by pursuing amendments to the operating protocol with Victoria to require that, at regular intervals, the Taskforce is provided with information on all reconstruction projects being delivered within the scope of the National Partnership Agreement. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC234-2812 | 37 - Funding | In order to further build on the value for money review work being undertaken by the National Disaster Recovery Taskforce (on behalf of the Australian Government Reconstruction Inspectorate), the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) recommends that the Taskforce: |
REC234-2811 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | In order to maximise the envisaged benefits from the Inspectorate’s program of value for money reviews, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) recommends that the National Disaster Recovery Taskforce improve the application of the sampling approach to make it more representative of the |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC217-1828 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The revised Victoria Flood Management Strategy should clearly articulate the policy guidelines for the management of vegetation and debris in Victorian waterways, for the purposes of flood protection and mitigation, taking into account the localised potential flooding effects of in‐stream vegetation in townships. |
REC217-1838 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That statements of obligations, issued under the Water Industry Act 1994 for water authorities, be amended to include a provision whereby managing authorities must: |
REC217-1820 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Department of Sustainability and Environment will develop guidelines for the management of levees in emergencies, during and after a flood event, which can be incorporated into local flood response plans. The department will also provide, as part of these guidelines, a set of criteria for assessing the ongoing viability of ad hoc levees post‐flood. The Emergency Management Act 1986 will be amended to support the implementation of these guidelines. A more effective means for councils to remove illegal levees will also be examined by the Department of Sustainability and Environment. |
REC217-1837 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The state government give consideration to enacting legislation to provide protection from legal liability for public authorities conducting works on priority levees in good faith, acting reasonably and responsibly in the public interest, and in accordance with standards agreed to under approved schemes. Public authorities should not be excluded from liability if they have acted negligently. |
REC217-1814 | 37 - Funding | The funding model for works on levees and their ongoing maintenance be revised, to be primarily based on the beneficiary pays principle. The state government should give consideration to wholly funding, or contributing to, the initial upgrade of high priority levees to an agreed standard. The construction of any new public levees will be the subject of a cost‐benefit analysis to be undertaken by DSE and the public authority, and be supported by a floodplain management study. Levees deemed low priority will be wholly the responsibility of the beneficiaries. |
REC217-1834 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Department of Sustainability and Environment will develop clear policy for the coordinated management of rural drainage, clarifying the legal framework, and identifying authorities with responsibility for the management and ongoing maintenance of formal schemes, and their development: |
REC217-1830 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Department of Sustainability and Environment will develop a code of practice on the removal of vegetation around critical public assets, in consultation with councils, CMAs and asset managers. Regional Flood Strategies will support this code of practice as part of shared flood risk management planning. |
REC217-1845 | 37 - Funding | The state government should provide core, ongoing funding to the responsible authority for the FloodSafe community education program. Funding should be provided for education about prevention, response and recovery phases and include information on rates notices about the height of particular floods. |
REC217-1829 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Department of Sustainability and Environment should develop guidelines for streamlining the permitting system for works on waterways for incorporation in the revised Victoria Flood Management Strategy. An exemption process will be introduced, with particular application to identified reaches of rivers and streams that require ongoing vegetation management and maintenance: |
REC217-1842 | 37 - Funding | The state government review the current funding approach used for the operation, maintenance and upgrade of river gauges, with a view to improving the river gauge network. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC199-0444 | 2 - Emergency powers | the state, as a matter of urgency, develop a multi-agency Incident Control Team capability to be readily available for statewide deployment to establish incident control or to relieve functioning control structures. |
REC199-0459 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state undertake a complete review of emergency management legislation. This should include agencyspecific emergency management legislation and should focus on service interoperability and securing an ‘all hazards, all agencies’ capability |
REC199-0425 | 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry | the state require that dam owners and operators inform the control agency and the Bureau of Meteorology about the management and operation of dams and weirs consistent with the flood warning requirements of the relevant river systems, including providing telemetry at sites as necessary. This may require the state proactively liaising with other states to ensure equivalent obligations are placed on interstate dam operators where the dam may impact Victorian communities. |
REC199-0467 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state review and align all policies and procedures for evacuation, such as the interim evacuation guidelines and the State Health Emergency Response Plan, to ensure consistency and to clarify roles and responsibilities. |
REC199-0443 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state reconfigure the Victorian Emergency Management Council and the supportive committee arrangements to ensure a comprehensive, accountable, effective and integrated approach to the development of emergency management arrangements is in place for Victoria. The process should also include consideration of the Security and Emergencies Committee and Central Government Response Committee roles, functions, reporting arrangements and relationships with other state level emergency management groups. Settled arrangements must be clearly articulated to ensure stakeholder understanding. |
REC199-0457 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state: • revise the Emergency Management Team Practice Note to include a template to ensure an appropriate and consistent approach to Emergency Management Team operations • provide the revised Emergency Management Team Practice Note to all stakeholders to enable familiarisation; and • ensure that there is regular exercising of Emergency Management Teams with an `all hazards’ focus. |
REC199-0424 | 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry | the state require dam owners and operators to review storage operating manuals to incorporate lessons from the 2010–11 floods and make this information publicly available. The manuals should include a clear policy on dam surcharging and pre-release. |
REC199-0464 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state develop and implement a strategy that maximises the flexibility and united capacity of the Country Fire Authority and Victoria State Emergency Service to respond to emergencies. |
REC199-0442 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state appoint a state emergency controller who is ultimately accountable for all major emergencies. |
REC199-0487 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state develop and incorporate into emergency management planning regimes plans based on geographic risk, such as sub-regional plans |
REC199-0456 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state: • ensure an ‘all hazards, all agencies’ approach to Incident Action Plan compilation is developed and implemented to enable the timely issue of functional Incident Action Plans. All agency incident action planning processes should be standardised to the fullest extent possible, including consideration of a library of pro-forma Incident Action Plans; and • develop and implement mechanisms to test and ensure that agencies possess satisfactory incident action planning capability and capacity for ‘all hazards’ at all levels of operations. |
REC199-0422 | 36 - Volunteers | the state establish a process for volunteer community member accreditation to allow volunteers to provide flood information to the control agency during a flood event. This process should establish a base competency standard and provide appropriate emergency management and Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System training to accredited community volunteers. |
REC199-0463 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the state: • ensure an appropriate regime of regular emergency management training and exercising is introduced. This must be ‘all hazards’ and multi-agency focused and include all relevant stakeholders • designate an accountable officer to hold ongoing responsibility for conducting such exercises; and • designate the Emergency Services Commissioner as holding ongoing responsibility for auditing and reviewing this training and exercising. |
REC199-0441 | 4 - Fire season preparation | the state undertake further trials to explore the opportunity for greater use of social media as a credible source of information to and from the public during an emergency |
REC199-0484 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state: • assess current risk and risk mitigation strategies for essential services, with a focus on ensuring that risks are appropriately identified at all levels of emergency planning; and • ensure that the responsible authority or owner/ operator of essential services put in place appropriate strategies to mitigate any risk to service continuity |
REC199-0454 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the State Emergency Response Coordinator further develop the Strategic Emergency Management Assurance Team process by involving subject matter experts from relevant emergency management control agencies who are the subject of Strategic Emergency Management Assurance Team focus. |
REC199-0415 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the state ensure that all personnel who are likely to become involved in incident management teams for floods receive basic flood awareness training prior to such involvement. |
REC199-0462 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the state introduce a joint emergency management leadership training program that will deliver critical core competencies for all levels of management of major emergencies. Future appointments to senior operational emergency management positions should require successful accreditation at the appropriate level. |
REC199-0427 | 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry | the state require dam owners and operators provide regular situational reports to the relevant control agency where dam issues may impact incident management. |
REC199-0475 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the Department of Planning and Community Development review the volunteer register and examine additional options to support councils in volunteer management, including the development of tools and staffing support. |
REC199-0448 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the state ensure that sector wide familiarity and understanding of the various systems for incident management is developed and maintained. Primarily, this should be achieved through multi-agency emergency management training and exercising involving usage of the various agency incident management systems. |
REC199-0414 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the state ensure that all personnel who, because of their particular flood expertise, are likely to be potential participants in an Incident Control Centre are familiar with the requirements of the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System structure |
REC199-0461 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state ensure: • water rescue/swift water rescue definitions, roles and responsibilities are clarified and communicated to all stakeholders to ensure common understanding • appropriate training, equipment and support is provided to those required to perform water rescue/swift water rescue. Common training programs, standards and accreditation should be utilised wherever possible to increase potential for joined up operations and maximised capability • that based upon the experiences of these flood events, an appropriate level of water rescue capacity and capability is established and maintained • flood plans (all levels) and flood emergency response planning incorporate consideration of pre-positioning of appropriate water rescue capability in the event that such services should be required; and • that revised water rescue roles, responsibilities and arrangements are clearly defined in the Emergency Management Manual Victoria and such definitions are replicated in all individual agency planning and operational documents |
REC199-0426 | 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry | the state require that dam owners and operators inform people situated downstream of water storages if the owners/operators become aware of an immediate threat arising from the dam to the safety of those people. The owner/operators should provide this information as soon as the owner/operators become aware of the threat. |
REC199-0469 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state update the current fire specific guidelines and resources for evacuation planning to take an ‘all hazards’ approach |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC164-0077 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SERCon consider the continued development of a State Recovery Sub-Plan (including complementary local and district |
REC164-0076 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SERCon consider meeting with the State Emergency Management Committee, Directors General and agency heads to |
REC164-0075 | 16 - Training and behaviour | SERCon consider development of an education program for other government and non-government agencies (with |
REC164-0072 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SERCon consider that the proposed State Recovery Committee review the recommended considerations arising from |
REC164-0071 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SERCon consider the establishment of a body, such as a State Recovery Committee, with responsibility for the |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC125-3892 | 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry | That Melbourne Water ensures stakeholder expectations are fully considered when setting flood risk reduction targets. |
REC125-3900 | 12 - EM agency and authority | That agencies integrate condition information into their asset management decision-making practices and use it as the basis for validating asset valuations and depreciation calculations. |
REC125-3895 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That all agencies develop drainage asset management plans, consistent with best practice, and that these incorporate: |
REC125-3893 | 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry | That Melbourne Water ensures that stakeholders (and especially local councils) are fully consulted before and during the development of drainage strategies and plans. These plans should consider councils’ drainage systems. |