We recommend that CFA (in consultation with FRV) improves planning on private land to ensure risk assessments and plans are conducted consistently across public and private land to address state-wide bushfire risk based on where and how they can most effectively reduce risk.

We recommend that DELWP determines which elements of different regional planning approaches are the most effective and implements these across the state.

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 DELWP develops more holistic bushfire-management planning that focuses on the best mix of risk treatments rather than planned burning alone.

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.

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 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.

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

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.

The Territory and Municipal Services Directorate, in consultation with the Emergency Services Agency, should improve its management of Land Management Agreements, with respect to rural leaseholders’ fire management responsibilities, by:
a) maintaining an up-to-date record of current Land Management Agreements;
b) undertaking timely reviews of Land Management Agreements, at least every five years;
c) clarifying responsibility for identifying and monitoring bushfire risk through Land Management Agreements; and
d) specifying bushfire management requirements in Land Management Agreements, as required by the Emergencies Act 2004 and the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan, and aligning these with any requirements under the Farm FireWise Program (refer to Recommendation 16).

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.