Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC301-2386 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | TFS, PWS and STT should work with government and each other to continue to pursue a whole-of-state fuel management and burning program that encompasses all land tenures, meets the range of outcomes required by the state (township protection, risk reduction and landscape-scale burns) and is inclusive of private landholders and local communities as well as all fire agencies. |
REC301-2383 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Tasmanian Fire Service (TFS), Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) and Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) initiate a discussion among their Australasian peers about good practice around managing new fire starts in remote terrain, to include issues around identification, predictive analysis, risk management and suppression activities. The outcome should be a document which allows for benchmarking to accepted good practice across Australasia, from which Tasmanian fire agencies can develop protocols against which the management of future events can be tested. |
REC301-2391 | 12 - EM agency and authority | TFS, PWS and STT should jointly carry out work to identify acceptable shift lengths and patterns – including requirements for rest days – for all personnel working on emergency operations. Once these have been identified, systems should be put in place to ensure that HR rostering practices follow these fatigue management guidelines. And senior staff should lead by example and ensure that they, as well as the people working under them, take adequate rest breaks. |
REC301-2390 | 12 - EM agency and authority | TFS, PWS and STT should jointly reach a decision on whether a winch capable remote area firefighting capability should be maintained in Tasmania; which agency or agencies should be responsible for that program; and how a winch capable remote area firefighting capability can be safely trained and kept current, to include consideration of the availability of winching aircraft. If the decision is taken not to maintain this capability in the state, TFS, PWS and STT should identify how the gap in capability that this represents should be filled in future fire seasons. |
REC301-2389 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The proposed Tasmania State Air Desk should have a finance officer attached to its staff. |
REC301-2388 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | TFS, PWS and STT should establish a State Air Desk, to be staffed by specialist staff year-round, with responsibility for managing both preparatory and contractual issues out of season as well as aircraft management when fires or other emergency events are occurring. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC297-1268 | 24 - Govt responsibility | That DPAC becomes the Management Authority for recovery in Tasmania. |
REC297-1256 | 9 - Community education | That SES and Tasmania Fire Service share resources and align their community education programs and adopt an all-hazards approach to awareness. |
REC297-1255 | 24 - Govt responsibility | That Government establishes a central flood policy unit responsible for coordinating flood policy across all government agencies, including Government Businesses, and ensures that such a unit has a whole-of-government and community focus. |
REC297-1251 | 9 - Community education | That all councils include an easily identifiable website link for the public to locate their Municipal Emergency Management Plan and community safety information. |
REC297-1270 | 24 - Govt responsibility | That, in the event of a major emergency such as the June floods, a government department (DPAC or State Growth) be appointed to coordinate infrastructure repair, to the extent that funding allows, for the whole state. Individual entities will still have the right and responsibility to repair and maintain their own assets, but some central oversight and coordination is, in our view, likely to be beneficial. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC291-1242 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Departments of Fire and Emergency Services and Parks and Wildlife to investigate and adopt an emergency services resource management system that will enable the registration, tasking, tracking, management and coordination of emergency management personnel, vehicles, plant and aircraft. |
REC291-1241 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The State Emergency Management Committee, in consultation with Western Australian Farmers Federation, the Association of Bush Fire Brigades, the Contractors Association of WA, and the Forest Industries Federation of WA, to establish systems for the voluntary registration of: · farmer firefighting units; · contractor firefighting resources; and · forestry industry brigades. |
REC291-1248 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The State Emergency Management Committee to establish a State Bushfire Coordinating Committee as a sub-committee of SEMC. The State Bushfire Coordinating Committee will be chaired by the Director of the Office of Bushfire Risk Management and will have the primary responsibility to: · develop a State Bushfire Management Policy and a set of long term bushfire risk management objectives; · provide a forum for key bushfire risk management stakeholder agencies; · advise the SEMC on matters pertaining to bushfire, in particular, to report against the investment in, and achievement of the bushfire risk management objectives; · provide advice and support to the proposed Chief Officer of the Rural Fire Service on bushfire risk management matters; and · report to SEMC and to the community on bushfire risk management matters on at least an annual basis. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC287-1186 | 9 - Community education | The Tasmanian fire agencies review: • their pre-season engagement with groups such as (but not limited to) environmental groups who might beneft from a greater understanding of fire management tactics, in order to inform them of and receive feedback on intended approaches to firefghting and fire management the work of the Public Information Section at incident management, regional and State level, to develop an increased appreciation of what information management might be most appropriate to serve the public interest in understanding the progress of the incident and to identify ways of providing surge capacity to resource effective information management in protracted and signifcant incidents. |
REC287-1184 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The Tasmanian fire agencies think more broadly about how staff who are already employed by Government could support the management of future emergencies. |
REC287-1180 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Tasmanian fire agencies consider the development of fire operational guidelines to avoid long-term environmental impacts such as: • • • strategies and tactics that will minimise the impact of fire management activities conditions under which earthmoving equipment and fire chemicals may be used information on seasonal conditions and the times of year when various strategies and tactics should be applied, and fuel management strategies. |
REC287-1179 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Tasmanian fire agencies develop a joint multi-agency Fire Preparedness Matrix to guide decision-making in response to severe fire weather conditions or capacity issues. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC247-0891 | 9 - Community education | That emergency management plans specifically include processes for effectively engaging with local communities and using community resources, including volunteers. |
REC247-0948 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That the Department of Justice conduct an independent review to develop a suitable model for integrated and interoperable emergency management arrangements in Tasmania. |
REC247-0854 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That in multi-agency response and recovery operations, arrangements be made so it is unambiguous who is in charge of these operations. |
REC247-0944 | 9 - Community education | That the State Emergency Management Committee develops and coordinates a whole-of-government community resilience strategy for emergencies in a form that can be practically implemented, as a priority. |
REC247-0943 | 9 - Community education | That a bushfire community education and information strategy be professionally developed and coordinated across the fire authorities by Tasmania Fire Service. |
REC247-0937 | 19 - Offences | That the legislation and enforcement arrangements are reviewed to ensure there are suitable offences and penalties, investigation and enforcement capabilities, and a rigorous approach is taken to breaches of the law. |
REC247-0928 | 24 - Govt responsibility | That the Government take into account demographic change in its assessment of the consequences of climate change on emergency events. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC223-0521 | 9 - Community education | The Department of Environment and Conservation develop and implement a strategy to better inform the community about the complexities and decisions surrounding prescribed burns when they are undertaken in the rural urban area. |
REC223-0520 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The Department of Environment and Conservation review the utility of its current regional model in terms of the capability of operational centres such as Kirup to service major fire activity on land proximate to the rural urban area (this recommendation should also be considered in the context of Recommendation 5). |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC201-0260 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | There are a range of opportunities identified from reviewing the three fires that will improve coordination between FESA and DEC, requiring limited resources, potentially generating some efficiencies and reflecting a joint, tenure blind approach to fire management in WA. The MIR acknowledges the progress made through the IBMC in these matters and notes these measures will require ongoing strong leadership. These include: · Clarification and consistent application of the Zone 2 and 2A mobilisation protocols; · Duplicating available information on websites; · Establishing a single State air desk and cross-utilising Air Attack Supervisors; · Completing common training for the conduct of public meetings;· Coordinating IMT training and exercises; · Operating joint IMT‘s during interface fires; FESA utilising the DEC mobile ICC when suitable ICPs are not available; · FESA engaging in daily weather teleconferences with DEC; Engaging a permanent BoM officer to support a common FESA and DEC SOC; · Developing a common ‗Tool Box‘ of forms and operational procedures for fire response; · Developing common jurisdictional arrangements to accommodate interstate support; · Developing a joint FESA/DEC SOC at the new (FESA) Emergency Services facility at Cockburn; · Adopting common and transparent Level 3 IC accreditation · Using a single mapping capability across both agencies and · Using common naming conventions for fires. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC200-1694 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The State Government give its full support to the Western Australian Local Government Association's Send to Solve initiative. |
REC200-1719 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The State Government recognise the projected changes in climate and potential impact on future fire events. |
REC200-0348 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority consider alternative wording to Total Fire Ban that ensures people gain a more complete understanding of what actions are prohibited. |
REC200-1682 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The State Government give legislative effect to the Planning for Bush Fire Protection Guidelines. |
REC200-0389 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and local governments ensure that Community Emergency Service Managers are physically based in local government. |
REC200-1688 | 9 - Community education | The Department of Education oversee the provision of bushfire education in schools that are located in bushfire prone areas, ensuring that all schools in these areas incorporate key bushfire messages in their curriculum. |
REC200-1717 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The State Government mandate that the title deeds for relevant properties be amended to indicate if the property is in a declared bushfire prone area. |
REC200-0347 | 9 - Community education | The Department of Education oversee the provision of bushfire education in schools that are located in bushfire prone areas, ensuring that all schools in these areas incorporate key bushfire messages in their curriculum. |
REC200-1681 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The State Government transfer responsibility for declaring bushfire prone areas from local government to the Western Australian Planning Commission. The Western Australian Planning Commission should urgently assess those areas that should be declared bushfire prone. |
REC200-0386 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Emergency service agencies undertake more consultation and joint exercising involving the Fire and Emergency Services Authority, the Department of Environment, the Western Australian Police, the Department for Child Protection, local governments and volunteers – including Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades. This should include field exercises which test: Evacuation centres Critical infrastructure (including at the local level) Traffic management, including road blocks. Consideration should also be given to involving the community in exercising (see Recommendation 7) and using prescribed burns as exercises (see Recommendation 14) More detailed planning for exercises should be included in a revised WESTPLANBUSHFIRE to be endorsed by the State Emergency Management Committee. |
REC200-1687 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority work in partnership with the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia to develop a package of information for new residents moving into bushfire prone areas, and a process to ensure this information is provided through real estate agents. |
REC200-1716 | 24 - Govt responsibility | State and locals governments: |
REC200-0344 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) review its distribution of information material, including Prepare. Act. Survive. FESA should also consider including the community in pre-season exercising, in consultation with the Department for Child Protection and local governments. |
REC200-1680 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Emergency Management Western Australia establish an inter-agency working group to continue the development of the new single emergency services Act. |
REC200-1728 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The Water Corporation immediately review the outstanding orders for hydrant repairs and develop strategies to reduce the backlog. |
REC200-0383 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The State Government restructure the Fire and Emergency Services Authority as a Department. 22 As part of this restructure, Emergency Management Western Australia should either be: 1. clearly separated from the fire and emergency services response function (see figure 2); or 2. moved to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (see figures 3 and 4) or 3. moved to the Attorney-General’s department (see figures 3 and 5). |
REC200-1686 | 9 - Community education | Local governments continue to include information on bushfire risk and preparedness with rates notices. |
REC200-1708 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the Western Australian Police ensure they receive all necessary legal clarification in relation to Bushfire Responsibilities of Police Officers – Powers Used in Assisting Fire Authorities in Responding to Bushfires, to be promulgated across FESA and WAPOL. |
REC200-0343 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority, in partnership with local governments, conduct more focused pre-season bushfire education, which emphasises: Water supply is not guaranteed during a bushfire Power supply is not guaranteed during a bushfire Saving life will be a priority over saving property so expect to be evacuated Once evacuated, access to affected areas may not be possible for several days Water ‘bombing’ by aircraft cannot be guaranteed in bushfire SMS warnings are advice only and may not be timely. |
REC200-1679 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the Department of Environment and Conservation develop and finalise their Memorandum of Understanding and commit to working in partnership. |
REC200-1727 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The State Government transfer responsibility for the installation, removal, maintenance of fire hydrants to the Water Corporation, in accordance with the recommendations of the 2006 CDJSC Inquiry into Fire and Emergency Services Legislation. |
REC200-0379 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The State Government recognise the projected changes in climate and potential impact on future fire events. |
REC200-1685 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) review its distribution of information material, including Prepare. Act. Survive. FESA should also consider including the community in pre-season exercising, in consultation with the Department for Child Protection and local governments. |
REC200-1699 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The State Government ensure that the continued development of the Fire and Emergency Service Authority's Integrated Bushfire Risk Management System is dependent on an independent comparative assessment of its functionality and cost-effectiveness against the Spatial Support System used by the Department of Environment and Conservation. |
REC200-0338 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the Department of Environment and Conservation develop and finalise their Memorandum of Understanding and commit to working in partnership. |
REC200-1723 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The State Government restructure the Fire and Emergency Services Authority as a Department. As part of this restructure, Emergency Management Western Australia should either |
REC200-0349 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority work in partnership with Main Roads Western Australia and local governments to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for the use of mobile variable message boards to alert the community to the declaration of a total fire ban and what it means. |
REC200-1684 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority, in partnership with local governments, conduct more focused pre-season bushfire education, which emphasises: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC183-0121 | 12 - EM agency and authority | A DEC fire management staff succession plan would minimise the loss of core fire management skills and experience in the future and provide a planned approach to development of prospective fire management staff. |
REC183-0118 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | A Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Chief Executives of DEC and FESA would be a valuable statement of joint commitment between the two agencies. |
REC183-0117 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Interagency Bushfire Management Committee and its sub-committees are the logical central platform for developing and strengthening future joint bushfire strategies and common systems of work between bushfire management agencies in Western Australia. |
REC183-0116 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Triggers and a process for transfer of command and control from DEC to FESA should be developed and documented. |
REC183-0106 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The DEC corporate statement should affirm a strong commitment to fire management. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC182-0129 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | FESA maintains inter-agency relationships and arrangements, and develops formalised arrangements across the entire emergency management cycle for joint activities such as training, exercises and procedure development. |
REC182-0128 | 12 - EM agency and authority | FESA establishes a process (and associated systems and policies) to mobilise staff to an incident, incorporating pre-formed multi-agency Incident Management Teams. The development of Incident Management Teams should align with the principles of seamless and integrated escalation of command and control arrangements, and be based on a whole of capability approach (people, organisations, systems, training, procedures etc.). |
REC182-0127 | 9 - Community education | FESA strengthens its planning process to ensure learnings are incorporated and communicated, levels of preparedness are linked to threat analyses and public awareness and education activities are sustained. |
REC182-0126 | 9 - Community education | FESA promotes a whole-of-community approach, involving FESA, Local Governments and the community, in fire prevention functions, activities and planning. |
REC182-0132 | 9 - Community education | FESA implements an education and awareness campaign to promote the purpose and utility of community information systems. |
REC182-0125 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | FESA, in partnership with other agencies and the community, develops Western Australia’s urban interface fire fighting capability and capacity. |
REC182-0130 | 12 - EM agency and authority | FESA identifies and documents its information requirements for end-to-end information exchange and then assess the adequacy of current systems to meet these information requirements. |
REC182-0124 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | FESA and DEC take a whole of capability approach to joint operations, including developing joint doctrine that provides a common and articulated understanding of roles and responsibilities, resources and capabilities |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC140-3562 | 12 - EM agency and authority | A rapidly responsive helicopter and road retrieval capability to be developed out of RHH. |
REC140-3575 | 24 - Govt responsibility | The preferred model for the Tasmanian Medical Retrieval Services is to have TMRS and NETS staff based in RHH. The fixed wing would remain based in Launceston (for the present) with the helicopter to remain based in Hobart. |
REC140-3557 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Royal Flying Doctor Service fixed wing to remain in Launceston for the duration of the current contract. |
REC140-3571 | 12 - EM agency and authority | A senior, experienced, clinically trained ambulance officer to be based in TAS Communications in Hobart for at least 14 hours a day. |
REC140-3570 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The fragmentation and duplication of fixed wing and helicopter clinical coordination should be eliminated through centralisation to TAS Communications. |
REC140-3569 | 12 - EM agency and authority | A senior Tasmanian NETS representative be confirmed on the Tasmanian Medical Retrieval Services Committee. |
REC140-3566 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Launceston General and Burnie Hospital’s Emergency Departments require sufficient equipment, monitors and human resources to provide occasional safe local retrieval in their region. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC019-4135 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The Bush Fires Board appoint a Standing Committee of about six of its members, all of whom are likely to be available at any time during the bush fire season to meet and take executive action as necessary. |
REC019-4141 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The relative seniority of bush fire control officers be determined with a view to appointing group leaders as chief bush fire control officers. The Shire Clerk should generally be a liaison bush fire control officer rather than a chief fire control officer. |
REC019-4159 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The State Emergency Service be used to meet any additional needs but that as far as possible, requests for assistance be directed in the first instance to the Bush Fires Board or at least referred to that Board by the State Emergency Service for advice before action is taken. |
REC019-4134 | 12 - EM agency and authority | All members of the Board be selected for their interest in and experience and knowledge of matters directly associated with bush fire control and not merely as representatives of particular organisations, that the Chairman of the Board be appointed by the Governor instead of being an ex officio appointment of another forester, a member of the timber industry, a police officer and a person with a sound knowledge of weather and its effect upon fire behaviour. |
REC019-4140 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Local authorities select bush fire control officers for their knowledge and experience of bush fires and their qualities of leadership and that as far as practicable, they be captains of bush fire brigades so that the person issuing the permit to burn has the responsibility of extinguishing the fire if it escapes. |
REC019-4155 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The management of all National Parks in the State be concentrated under one authority to ensure co-ordination in administration and protective measures. |
REC019-4133 | 9 - Community education | The Bush Fires Board take a more active part in enlightening the public generally and the local communities in particular to their responsibilites on fire control. |
REC019-4139 | 19 - Offences | Local authorities prosecute in all cases of deliberate breaches of the provisions of the Bush Fires Act and thay failing this the Bush Fires Board take appropriate action to initiate such prosecutions. |
REC019-4154 | 12 - EM agency and authority | A committee be formed and provided with the finance necessary to enable it to supplement the activities of the local bush fire brigades in districts in the far south-west of the State where ratable values are particularly low and the proportion of Crown lands high, and that the Forests Department be authorised to give approval for control burning of Crown lands throughout the State by bushfire brigades within two miles of a State Forest and that outside this distance the Bush Fires Board through its wardens have similar authority. |
REC019-4138 | 12 - EM agency and authority | That care be exercised in recommending the application of emergency bush fire periods so that they will not be applied to districts where their application is unnecessary. |
REC019-4150 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The Forests Department direct more staff to the planning and co-ordination of its bush fire control organisation so that emergency conditions can be met immediately by ample reserves of labour and equipment and that co-ordination between the Department, the local authority, sawmills and other sources of man-power and equipment in and around forestry districts is as complete as possible. This particularly includes co-operative protective burning around the boundaries of forest areas. |
REC019-4137 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Before the bush fire season starts, the Minister on the recommendation of the Board nominate a person and a deputy person who will be instructed to take charge of fire fighting operations in each district should a dangerous fire occur and render such an appointment advisable. |
REC019-4147 | 12 - EM agency and authority | All local authorities form advisory committees of persons from bush fire brigades and of bush fire control officers to plan co-operation in effort and co-ordination between brigades, to group brigades under brigade group officers and to advise the local authority upon all matters of fire control, including the planning of the district firebreak layout and prosecuting for breaches of the Bush Fires Act. |