We recommend that DELWP improves the effectiveness, consistency and transparency of its environmental and cultural values checks by: - finalising its review of operational values checking processes and committing to an implementation plan - clarifying and formalising principles and procedures, making them publicly available where possible - improving capability and capacity among staff responsible for carrying out values checks, for example through training - developing a long-term program of work and investment to improve the quality, consistency and comprehensiveness of underlying datasets - increasing alignment in regard to values checks between agencies carrying out fuel management.

We recommend that DELWP provides advice to government, in consultation with Country Fire Authority, Fire Rescue Victoria and councils, on options to improve owner and occupier awareness of and accountability for bushfire management overlay planning controls (see Section 4.3).

We recommend that DEWLP and CFA (in consultation with FRV) in partnership with councils, provide advice to government in line with the Safer Together: A new approach to reducing the risk of bushfire in Victoria policy on options to better resource the assessment of risk on private land, its treatment and activities to enforce compliance of land owners with risk-reduction treatments.

We recommend that DELWP conducts more effective ecosystem resilience monitoring by: - setting a target for regions on the quantity of ecosystem resilience monitoring assessments that they should complete annually - setting an outcomes-level target that defines desirable values for key ecosystem resilience metrics - reporting publicly against all of the metrics in its Measuring Ecosystem Resilience in Strategic Bushfire Management Planning policy in its fuel management reports.

We recommend that CFA (in consultation with FRV) improves its values checks by providing ongoing state-wide support to regional vegetation management officers and leveraging any relevant systems or capabilities from DELWP to conduct values checks through guidance, training and ongoing funding.

The Committee finds that on the evidence presented, the State Fire Commission introduces key performance indicators reporting in relation to its work in community engagement to measure its success in program delivery and community engagement.

The Committee finds that on the evidence presented, that the State Fire Commission should assess whether community engagement programs of the State Fire Services and State Emergency should be centralised.

SunWater provide downstream residents with easily understood information regarding operation of the dam, and the impacts that various outflows may have for them, in accordance with mapping prepared for the Emergency Action Plan. This information should be complementary to any information from the Banana Shire Council.

Banana Shire Council coordinates the development of a strategy to significantly enhance public education regarding local disaster management arrangements within the Banana Shire, focusing on key identified risks.

improves engagement with communities to prepare for and respond to bushfires by:
- increasing focus on monitoring the effects of educational materials it develops
- reviewing and amending its bushfire warnings and alert protocols to provide clear and consistent messages to residents about the action to be taken before and during a bushfire.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services should consider developing and implementing mechanisms, such as face-to-face forums, for disaster management practitioners to share knowledge, contemporary research findings and document good practice about warnings.

CFA and VICSES should: implement risk management processes within regions, districts, brigades and units to understand and manage the local risks associated with their volunteer workforces

TFS make their community education and safety material available to the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Tasmania.

The Emergency Services Agency and the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should improve information capture and sharing by:
a) recording accurately and efficiently personnel information and capabilities in relation to bushfire management; and
b) improving the coordination of the planning and use of bushfire preparedness maps between ACT Government agencies.

To improve customer awareness of the availability of disaster recovery assistance, the ANAO recommends that Centrelink:
• review its communication strategy to ensure that information on disaster recovery assistance is accessible to target audiences and responsive to the particular disaster situation; and
• reinforce key recovery messages for the time period that assistance is available so that information reaches community members when they are receptive.

QFRS implement a system to monitor the condition and safety of brigade buildings and equipment. 

That DPI formalises agreements within the Regional Services and Agriculture Division to ensure that plant health information is included in extension programs.

That DPI develops a consistent process to identify, assess and prioritise potential plant pest and disease threats, and aligns it with prioritisation processes used at the national level by Plant Health Australia.