Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC325-4328 | 9 - Community education | The Inspector-General of Emergency Management recommends Queensland Fire and Emergency Services establish a community education program by 1 November 2023 that complements the implementation of the Australian Warning System. An evaluation process should be incorporated into the program to determine effectiveness. |
REC325-4331 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | The Inspector-General of Emergency Management recommends Queensland Fire and Emergency Services conduct annual exercises with every local disaster management group and district disaster management group to confirm the process for developing, approving and issuing of an Emergency Alert, including the use of pre-formatted polygons and messages. Upon completion of the initial statewide exercise, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services will furnish an exercise evaluation report to the Office of the Inspector-General of Emergency Management by 1 November 2023. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
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. |
REC322-4249 | 9 - Community education | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends all Area Fire Management Groups in Queensland make their Bushfire Risk Mitigation Plans, bushfire risk mapping and methodology easily understood and available to the community. All public plans should be dated to ensure currency and incorporate mechanisms for community feedback. |
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. |
REC322-4226 | 9 - Community education | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Bushfire Risk Mitigation Plan for Fraser Coast Area Fire Management Group include a schedule of planned engagement activities, or a community engagement sub-plan outlining these activities, and be publicly available. |
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. |
REC322-4221 | 9 - Community education | The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends Department of Environment and Science implement an awareness and engagement strategy aimed at deterring the lighting of campfires to encourage behavioural change amongst visitors. |
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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC321-4217 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | We recommend that DELWP in partnership with Country Fire Authority and Fire Rescue Victoria develops, implements and publicly reports on a holistic suite of performance metrics to demonstrate: - the impact that planned burning has on public and private land on bushfire risk - the impact that planned burning has on public and private land on ecosystem resilience - the impact that non-burn fuel management activities have on public and private land on bushfire risk - the impact that its activities at local and regional levels have on bushfire risk - the cost-effectiveness of its fuel management activities on public and private land. |
REC321-4204 | 4 - Fire season preparation | 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. |
REC321-4211 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC321-4201 | 10 - Infrastructure | We recommend that DELWP improves the Powerline Bushfire Safety Program's transparency by publicly reporting on activities, costs and risk-reduction outcomes. |
REC321-4214 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | We recommend that DELWP determines which elements of different regional planning approaches are the most effective and implements these across the state. |
REC321-4202 | 10 - Infrastructure | We recommend that DELWP investigates incentives and advises government on options to accelerate burying and insulating the remaining high-voltage bare-wire powerlines in the 33 highest risk areas. |
REC321-4215 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | We recommend that DELWP develops more holistic bushfire-management planning that focuses on the best mix of risk treatments rather than planned burning alone. |
REC321-4203 | 9 - Community education | 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). |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC319-4200 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Foundations of emergency management: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria and the entity referred to in Recommendation 13, or otherwise responsible government department – in consultation with the emergency management sector – establish policies and platforms to improve operational and personal information sharing between relief and recovery organisations. These policies and platforms should enable: |
REC319-4189 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Donated good: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria and the entity referred to in Recommendation 13, or otherwise responsible government department: |
REC319-4193 | 9 - Community education | Public communications: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria and the entity referred to in Recommendation 13, or otherwise responsible government department, coordinate ongoing education campaigns to increase public awareness of community roles and responsibilities during periods of emergency relief and recovery. |
REC319-4195 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Relief and recovery funding: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that the entity referred to in Recommendation 13, or otherwise responsible government department, leads the development of a comprehensive, person-centred, trauma-informed recovery financial assistance system that establishes: |
REC319-4196 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Relief and recovery funding: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that the entity referred to in Recommendation 13, or otherwise responsible government department, works with the emergency management sector to develop a recovery funding model that enables: |
REC319-4198 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Relief and recovery capability: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions works with the entity referred to in Recommendation 13, or otherwise responsible government department and/or Municipal Association of Victoria, councils and local relief and recovery organisations to provide centralised capability development opportunities to increase local capability and capacity to plan and deliver on their relief and recovery responsibilities: |
REC319-4187 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Recovery governance: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that the entity referred to in Recommendation 13, or otherwise responsible government department, work with councils, relevant recovery organisations and communities to develop clear roles and responsibilities for: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC318-4174 | 9 - Community education | The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (or the single entity referenced in Recommendation 4) – with support from all legislated fuel management organisations for public and private land – lead a community engagement process to improve the Victorian community’s understanding of: |
REC318-4186 | 9 - Community education | The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria – in collaboration with the emergency management sector – develops and implements processes to ensure greater dissemination and improved understanding of information for all Victorians, and visitors to Victoria in an emergency event. This should consider but not be exclusive to individuals who: |
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: |
REC318-4185 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria works with the emergency management sector and relevant emergency management entities in New South Wales and South Australia to identify and address key cross border operational and resource management issues. This engagement should aim to enhance interoperability and maximise the capability and capacity of agencies to work together during emergencies along Victoria’s borders. |
REC318-4184 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria collaborate with the emergency management sector to develop a capacity model that considers current and future: |
REC318-4179 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria – in accepting that emergency management is a ‘shared responsibility’ - collaborate with the emergency management sector and community to: |
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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC316-4047 | 37 - Funding | Government consider an alternative funding arrangement for extraordinary costs borne by Government agencies in combating emergencies such as bushfires. |
REC316-4032 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | Concurrent and/or non–standard emergencies such as energy supply impacts be included in future exercise programs. |
REC316-4046 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Emergency Plan and Recovery sub-plans should be amended to better define recovery mechanisms and responsibilities, including hand over points to recovery authorities and community engagement for the delivery of long term recovery mechanisms. |
REC316-4028 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | Any changes to the ECC structure and role be exercised both within ESA and across a WHoG exercise and testing program. |
REC316-4043 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | NDIA be engaged in regard to information sharing in emergencies as part of the above actions. |
REC316-4023 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | An opportunity to exercise and test the formation and functioning of a Management Executive through desktop and/or limited scenario-based exercises be provided. |
REC316-4041 | 9 - Community education | The ESA Community Education and Engagement program be adapted to include an expanded role for RFS volunteers and include a wider set of stakeholders who are more vulnerable to the impact of bushfire. A plan would require wider involvement across stakeholder organisations such as Directorates who have existing relationships with vulnerable groups. |
REC316-4019 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | In collaboration with other jurisdictions the ACT share the learnings for this bushfire event and work to officially embedded values officers and RRATs as key elements of bushfire response. |
REC316-4040 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | The PICC be exercised in conjunction with any and all Emergency Plan exercises to test and refine strengthened arrangements. |
REC316-4048 | 37 - Funding | Government consider adopting a similar model to NSW for the management of emergency costs and reimbursements within ACT Government agencies. |
REC316-4017 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The working group (Rec 1) should include relevant stakeholders deciding collectively what the declaration might mean for such things as sub and supporting plans and the relevant community messages and calls to action. |
REC316-4034 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Efforts be increased to build trust, confidence and a common operating picture across PCS and RFS and seek mechanisms that identifies RFS and PCS as equitable partners in delivery of fire management across the territory. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC312-2506 | 9 - Community education | The chairpersons of disaster management groups within the Townsville Disaster District, supported by the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority develop a district action plan based on the capability enhancement strategy. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC311-2496 | 10 - Infrastructure | To enhance shared capacity and collaboratively manage risk, the Chair of the Bundaberg LDMG use the Queensland Emergency Risk Management Framework (QERMF) process to determine if dam failure for Paradise Dam should be reported as a residual risk to the Bundaberg DDMG in this instance due to known changes in the risk profile. |
REC311-2501 | 9 - Community education | To enable the community to make informed choices about disaster management, and act on them, a joint Sunwater/council community engagement program be conducted to prepare the community downstream from Paradise Dam for events in the 2019/2020 storm and cyclone season, including the possibility of a Paradise Dam failure. |
REC311-2489 | 9 - Community education | To enable the community to have a shared understanding of risks and enhance community engagement, flood scenarios in Emergency Action Plans be published, and in a format that can be utilised by public mapping systems. |
REC311-2495 | 10 - Infrastructure | To increase understanding of hazards and manage risks, dam failure for Paradise Dam be included as a separate risk within the Bundaberg LDMP. |
REC311-2500 | 9 - Community education | To enable the community to make informed choices about disaster management, Bundaberg and North Burnett regional councils and Sunwater undertake a community-informed audible test of the Paradise Dam siren. |
REC311-2493 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | To increase shared understanding of risks and enhance capability integration and collaborative planning, both Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) participate in the exercising of the Paradise Dam Emergency Action Plan. |
REC311-2499 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | To ensure enhanced capability integration and enable timely community messaging Bundaberg LDMG in consultation with Sunwater develop additional Emergency Alerts and associated polygons for a Paradise Dam failure and load these on to the disaster management portal. |
REC311-2492 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | To increase understanding of hazards and manage risks, dam failure for Paradise Dam be included as a separate risk within the North Burnett Local Disaster Management Plan (LDMP). |
REC311-2498 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | To enhance shared capacity and collaboratively manage risk, the Chair of the Bundaberg DDMG use the QERMF process to determine if dam failure for Paradise Dam should be reported as a residual risk in this instance due to known changes in the risk profile to: |
REC311-2503 | 9 - Community education | To enable the casual/itinerant worker and tourism sector, including those who do not have English as a first language, to make informed choices about disaster management, community engagement and communication strategies about Paradise Dam and floods in the Burnett river system be tailored to this sector. |
REC311-2491 | 10 - Infrastructure | To enable a shared understanding of the risk, changes in the risk profile of referable dams be clearly communicated by entities that own dams to stakeholders and the community likely to be affected. The communication process starts immediately after the change is identified, is tailored to its audience, makes clear the scale of the change, and is documented so that stakeholders and the community can make informed decisions for managing risks. |
REC311-2497 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | To increase shared understanding of risks, ensure the coordination of plans and manage risks, dam failure for Paradise Dam be included as a separate risk within the Bundaberg District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP). |
REC311-2502 | 9 - Community education | To enable the community to make informed choices about disaster management, and act on them, Sunwater develop and deliver a sustainable long-term communication strategy on the community safety issues and |
REC311-2490 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | To enable entities to have a shared understanding of forecast information for dam failure events during a flood, including flood wave travel time, speed and height, Emergency Action Plans contain protocols and responsibilities of relevant stakeholders for these aspects. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC310-2484 | 33 - Relief and recovery | There remains a need to maximise the effect of all offers of assistance to recovering communities. This recommendation presents an opportunity to resolve any outstanding aspects of Recommendation 4 and Actions in Response from the Cyclone Debbie Review Action Plan: |
REC310-2483 | 9 - Community education | 09-Community education/engagement/preparedness |
REC310-2488 | 33 - Relief and recovery | The basic capacity needs of each functional recovery group and how this can be scaled up should be identified. Plans for functional recovery groups should reflect this in clear statements for every level of the system, for all relevant entities about their required function, role and responsibilities during recovery. |
REC310-2482 | 9 - Community education | Practical guidance on what community-led recovery means, and how it can be best implemented should be captured and shared with all who have responsibility for it. This should be done to help individuals and communities to take the lead in recovery and so that community-led recovery becomes the norm following disasters and other events. |
REC310-2487 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | The state’s arrangements for disaster management, including recovery, are articulated in the Disaster Management Act (2003), the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Act (2011), the State Disaster Management Plan and the Queensland Recovery Plan. To enable state-level arrangements to better support community-led recovery and to improve Queensland’s recovery governance |
REC310-2486 | 9 - Community education | State arrangements for on-the-ground support to recovering local governments should be in line with Queensland’s disaster management arrangements, and ensure the best balance between local relationships, suitable capability and sufficient capacity. |
REC310-2485 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Recovery plans at all levels should include transition arrangements. They should be implemented during recovery. The arrangements should: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC309-2467 | 9 - Community education | Further work be undertaken to develop effective public flood risk messaging and community education materials that are easy to understand and tested with the community to ensure flood risk is understood. |
REC309-2475 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Greater emphasis be placed on pre-planned and pre-determined arrangements between the Australian Defence Force and State and local agencies. |
REC309-2468 | 33 - Relief and recovery | State Government agencies with key roles and responsibilities around disaster recovery provide increased support in the development of recovery at the local level (pre-event). |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC308-2466 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | Exercising should focus on vertical integration and include all levels of the system. A strategic program of exercises should be developed and implemented. |
REC308-2458 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | A strategy should be developed to improve the availability of information to decision-makers and other audiences. Information should be searchable, more specific, timely, and allow stake-holders to find what they want. |
REC308-2454 | 10 - Infrastructure | Local disaster management groups should focus on the business continuity of local critical infrastructure and its integration with other plans. |
REC308-2452 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | Planning and warnings for storm tide should be based on modelling that shows the chances of an event occurring (probabilistic). |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC307-2430 | 9 - Community education | All Area Fire Management Groups should adopt and be guided by a good neighbour policy. |
REC307-2447 | 9 - Community education | Clear public messaging regarding risks (if any) from the use of suppressants, including to 'organic' producers, should be developed and socialised before the next fire season and be readily available for dissemination when needed. |
REC307-2429 | 9 - Community education | A good neighbour policy such as that of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, setting out clear expectations, be developed to guide all landholders. |
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. |
REC307-2428 | 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. |
REC307-2439 | 9 - Community education | Education on bushfires should include information about: |
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. |
REC307-2431 | 9 - Community education | Area Fire Management Groups should share seasonal risk information with local groups and actively and appropriately contribute to disaster management planning. |
REC307-2448 | 9 - Community education | Targeted education about the short- and long-term effects of chemical suppressants should reach those likely to be exposed to them before aerial chemical suppressants are used in Queensland again. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC306-2423 | 37 - Funding | We recommend that, in the absence of stand-alone catchment management authorities, the Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning as a matter of priority, establish what funding is reasonably required and complete all elements of the Brisbane River Catchment Flood Studies. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC299-1348 | 4 - Fire season preparation | In keeping with the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission’s findings and recommendations, human life has primacy in bushfire‑related regulations and it is important that this is maintained in the implementation of bushfire management overlays and relevant vegetation removal exemptions should reflect the primacy of human life. |
REC299-1347 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | In order to manage a reduced time window available to undertake the current types of planned burns, alternative methods, including the indigenous mosaic ‘cool’ burns, should be examined and trialled as they may extend the period in which planned burns can be undertaken while reducing overall risk and fuel loads. |
REC299-1341 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That in conjunction with a risk‑based approach, a minimum hectare target is also maintained that can be measured and compared. This minimum target should not be below the 5% target established by the Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC274-1405 | 37 - Funding | That the Department of Justice & Regulation broadens Budget Paper 3 response time measures to more comprehensively cover emergency responses to fires, rescues and other emergencies. |
REC274-1404 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That the Department of Health & Human Services and the Department of Justice & Regulation, in consultation with their portfolio emergency service agencies that have response time measures, determine relevant targets for these. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC271-1524 | 9 - Community education | 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. |
REC271-1523 | 9 - Community education | 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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC270-1147 | 9 - Community education | improves engagement with communities to prepare for and respond to bushfires by: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC268-1432 | 9 - Community education | 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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC264-1085 | 10 - Infrastructure | GDF Suez establish enhanced back-up power supply arrangements that do not depend wholly on mains power, to: • ensure that the Emergency Command Centre can continue to operate if mains power is lost; and • ensure that the reticulated fre services water system can operate with minimal disruption if mains power is lost. |
REC264-1083 | 9 - Community education | The State, led by Emergency Management Victoria, develop a community engagement model for emergency management to ensure all State agencies and local governments engage with communities and already identifed trusted networks as an integral component of emergency management planning. |
REC264-1073 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The State establish, for any future incident, integrated incident management teams with GDF Suez and other Victorian essential industry providers, to: • essential industry providers; and require that emergency services personnel work with GDF Suez and other appropriate • implement the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC263-1095 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | CFA and VICSES should: explore further opportunities to collaborate with each other. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC262-1490 | 10 - Infrastructure | That the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority critically reviews: |
REC262-1489 | 10 - Infrastructure | That the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority reclassifies its State Emergency Communications Centres as critical national infrastructure. |
REC262-1482 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That Emergency Management Victoria be responsible for facilitating the interoperability of all organisations involved in emergency response, including the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority and Ambulance Victoria. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC250-0795 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Regional Development Victoria should implement the recommendations from the Department of Planning and Community Development's review of the Community Recovery Fund to improve the delivery of relief and recovery programs in the future. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC241-1033 | 37 - Funding | When a local Rural Fire Brigade requests an equipment and maintenance levy from a local government authority, that authority will either supply the brigade’s equipment and maintenance costs or raise the requested levy. The amount to be collected is to be agreed between the local Brigade and the local government authority. |
REC241-0968 | 4 - Fire season preparation | That a Mitigation Officer position be created to assist the District offices and District Fire Management Groups (refer to Recommendations 40 to 46) in developing their fire management plans and to ensure mitigation work is being conducted. |
REC241-0996 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That Section 66 (2) of the Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990 relating to the exemption for issuing of permits to burn in State Forests, National Parks and Reserves is withdrawn and Departments must work within the District Fire Management Plan. |
REC241-1032 | 37 - Funding | That the current Urban Fire Levy be changed to the Queensland Fire Levy. |
REC241-0995 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | At the next reprint of the ‘Permit to Light Fire’ book, the requirement to notify neighbours when applying for a permit is reinstated to properly reflect the requirement under the Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990. |
REC241-1004 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That a memorandum of understanding be developed between RFSQ and other organisations with fire fighting capacity at state level, to establish operational procedures when these organisations may be required for a joint response roles. Specifically, the intent will be: Vegetation Fire in a Rural Area: The Rural Fire Brigade in that area (boundary) is in charge and is the first Brigade called by Firecom. Structural Fire in a Rural Area: Firecom calls the Urban Brigade first and they control the incident. Local Rural Fire Brigade must also be notified by Firecom at the same time. Vegetation Fire in an Urban Levy Area: Firecom call the local Urban Brigade first and they control the incident. At their discretion they may call Rural Fire Brigades for assistance. Structural Fire in an Urban Levy Area: Firecom call the local Urban Brigade first and they control the incident. |
REC241-0994 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the Rural Fire Service Queensland needs to provide greater emphasis and acknowledgement of the use of fire as a tool in sustainable land management. |
REC241-1000 | 4 - Fire season preparation | That the provisions of the Vegetation Management Act 1999 should be clarified to ensure that effective and accessible firebreaks or fire control lines are established in order that assets can be protected. The decision on the construction of these firebreaks and fire control lines is to be made by the landowner in conjunctions with the local Rural Fire Brigade or Fire Warden |
REC241-1035 | 37 - Funding | That the State Government contribution towards the purchase of operational vehicles is to be retained at 80 percent but that the District Inspector can recommend full Government subsidy of vehicles for Brigades experiencing financial hardship. |
REC241-0992 | 4 - Fire season preparation | That District Inspectors be responsible for consultation with Fire Wardens during the development of District fire management plans. |
REC241-0998 | 4 - Fire season preparation | That Rural Fire Service Queensland instigates a hazard mitigation operational period, (E.G. Operation Cold Burn), at suitable times each year as appropriate by area. |
REC241-1034 | 37 - Funding | That the State Government contribution towards the construction of Brigade sheds be changed from $10,000 to a maximum of 25 percent, subject to the approval of the Deputy Chief Officer, Rural Fire Service Queensland. |
REC241-0991 | 4 - Fire season preparation | That annual planning be undertaken at each level that addresses hazard actions across all disaster management phases (ie: prevention, preparation, response and recovery), with a focus on vegetation and land management. This planning is to be consistent with the hazard- specific planning envisaged under the Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements and be supported by guidelines to be developed and issued by Rural Fire Service Queensland. District plans are to be approved by the Director- General or equivalent for the Department of Community Safety and will inform a State Wildfire Management Plan to be approved by the State Disaster Management Group. |
REC241-0997 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the electronic fire permit system used in the Mackay District be made available across the state for Fire Wardens who wish to use it. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC239-2694 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That Queensland enters into a similar arrangement with Bureau of Meteorology to have an experienced forecaster seconded to Kedron State Disaster Coordination Centre for at least the duration of fire and storm seasons. |
REC239-2761 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That systems development in the Queensland Police Service capitalises on the advances made by the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service in recent years. |
REC239-2774 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | Those final determinations of disaster management districts include consultation with the Local Government Association Queensland, the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and other Government departments. |
REC239-2667 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That Queensland Corrective Service, the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Health should work together to develop a position that enables prisoners to have timely access to their prescribed medication despite travel between facilities and without the need for costly re-prescription. |
REC239-2692 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | That the Queensland Police Service Disaster Management Unit is to be permanently located at the State Disaster Coordination Centre to work on a day to day basis with the proposed new Department of Fire and Emergency Services. |
REC239-2753 | 37 - Funding | That the proposed Chief Executive Officer Portfolio Business be responsible for developing a cost attribution model for portfolio agencies, including the Queensland Police Service, as a priority. |
REC239-2770 | 9 - Community education | That the efficiency review of the Queensland Police Service develop options for better management of community expectations and divesting the organisation of historical practices. |
REC239-2659 | 9 - Community education | That Queensland Health continues to recognise and foster the important contributions of Local Ambulance Committees to supporting effective community focused ambulance services across the State. |
REC239-2691 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | That the Commissioners of Police and the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service review the current district disaster boundaries as a matter of urgency in-line with the findings and recommendations of the Auditor–General’s report into the Queensland disaster management system. |
REC239-2723 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | That the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service examine alternative contractual arrangements with building owners which would reduce the need for physical attendance at alarm activations. |
REC239-2769 | 9 - Community education | That the Chief Executive Officer portfolio business and Commissioner of Police in line with the government’s open data policy consider introducing an improved social media style forum for interaction with the community and stakeholders across the portfolio. |
REC239-2683 | 37 - Funding | That the Office of Portfolio Business follows the same budget processes as other agencies. |
REC239-2711 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | That the Inspector General Emergency Management be empowered to provide an assurance to Government that the disaster management system is both appropriate and capable of dealing with complex events. |
REC239-2768 | 9 - Community education | Recommendation: That: |
REC239-2682 | 37 - Funding | That a budget based on the desired functional accountabilities should be appropriated to the Portfolio Business as part of the Government budget process. |
REC239-2780 | 37 - Funding | That should the Westgate project proceed, that consideration must be given to opportunities to partner the investment with the private and public sectors. The business case should also consider alternative facilities such as Australian Defence Force sites. |
REC239-2703 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That the protocols developed by the Queensland Police Service and SES for operations define the respective roles and responsibilities as well as recognise the varying capabilities of SES units across the State. |
REC239-2762 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That the Chief Executive Officer Portfolio Business in consultation with the Police Commissioner and the Commissioner Fire & Emergency Services should provide the direction for future information and communication technology strategies and acquisitions. |
REC239-2779 | 37 - Funding | That a new business case for Westgate project should be prepared by an independent party. |
REC239-2681 | 37 - Funding | That the funding model for the Portfolio Business is not based on fee- for-service arrangements or notional contributions from the operational services. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC228-1619 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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: |
REC228-1617 | 37 - Funding | The Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should annually (and on a cumulative basis) track and report on funds allocated for, and spent on, its Bushfire Operations Plan to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. |
REC228-1616 | 37 - Funding | The Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should enhance internal monitoring of its implementation of bushfire management activities and spending under the Bushfire Operations Plan by routinely reconciling figures in this plan with those in the Directorate’s corporate financial system. |
REC228-1625 | 4 - Fire season preparation | The Emergency Services Agency and the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should improve information capture and sharing by: |
REC228-1623 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Emergency Services Agency and the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should develop and routinely review a strategic bushfire capability for the ACT. The contribution of ACT Fire and Rescue (including the Community Fire Units) and the ACT Rural Fire Service (including Parks Brigade) should be explicitly stated. |
REC228-1622 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Emergency Services Agency and the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should continue to improve working arrangements between the ACT Rural Fire Service Parks Brigade and the ACT Rural Fire Service headquarters, by: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC217-1813 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Department of Sustainability and Environment will develop guidelines for streamlining the permitting system for conducting works on levees for incorporation in the revised Victoria Flood Management Strategy, in order for maintenance on all levees to occur more quickly. The guidelines will outline circumstances in which exemptions from current approval processes are appropriate. Councils will be permitted to obtain exemptions within their planning schemes for: |
REC217-1821 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Where flood investigations show positive and cost effective outcomes, infrastructure providers, such as VicRoads, will consider enhancing their infrastructure to act as levees. Any development of this nature will require collaboration with, and the approval of, the relevant floodplain authorities. |
REC217-1807 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | A revised Victoria Flood Management Strategy is needed and should clearly articulate the principles, roles and responsibilities for the ownership, management and ongoing maintenance of Victoria’s levees. Neither land tenure nor prior government involvement will dictate ownership of public levees: |
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. |
REC217-1812 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Streamlined processes to enable access to levees for the purposes of conducting works, including maintenance, must be implemented. Where a levee is managed by a public authority as part of a formal scheme, and is sited on either private land, or on a mixture of public and private land, access to private land for works will be negotiated as part of any scheme agreement. Where a levee is sited on public land, but is not managed by a public authority, local beneficiaries willing to conduct maintenance will be given access to do so, provided: |
REC217-1818 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Department of Sustainability and Environment to review ownership of Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water’s Yarriambiack Creek levee, with a view to the appointment of a more suitable public managing authority/authorities. |
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. |
REC217-1811 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Responsible authorities will identify low priority levees for potential removal, and have them removed when funding becomes available. |
REC217-1817 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The current technical guidelines for the construction of levee systems will be reviewed. A revised Levee Design, Construction and Maintenance technical guidelines will include guidelines for the construction of both priority public levees, and private levees on private land, such as ring levees, which protect key assets. These guidelines will be made available to all rural councils, who will make landowners constructing new levees on their property aware of the principles and specifications contained in the guidelines and encourage construction based on them. |
REC217-1832 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The revised Victoria Flood Management Strategy should clearly identify authorities and assign responsibilities for stream blockage and debris removal in waterways posing a high risk to public infrastructure both during and after a flood: |
REC217-1810 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Where a levee has been identified as low priority, and beneficiaries are not willing to contribute to its maintenance, public authorities will inform levee beneficiaries that they will not fund the repair of their levee following a flood event. |
REC217-1815 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | A regular inspection and maintenance regime will be undertaken for all high priority levees managed by a public authority. All such levees will be inspected by the relevant public authority on an annual basis, and after a flood event. All levees will have a regular maintenance schedule. |
REC217-1831 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Significant modification of waterways in urban or rural areas will only be considered after the completion of a flood risk management process, undertaken in consultation with members of the community. |
REC217-1809 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | All priority public levees not currently the subject of approved schemes, will become subject to approved schemes under Division 5, Part 10 of the Water Act 1989. Such schemes will articulate an agreed set of terms, including: |
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. |
REC217-1826 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | A revised Victoria Flood Management Strategy should identify and assign roles and responsibilities for the management and ongoing maintenance of Victoria’s waterways, for the purposes of flood protection and flood mitigation: |
REC217-1808 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The revised Victoria Flood Management Strategy should provide a strategic framework for the management and ongoing maintenance of Victoria’s levees. The Victoria Flood Management Strategy will provide criteria for a consistent statewide approach to the prioritisation of the state’s levees for future management and investment: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC216-2865 | 9 - Community education | Management of community expectations: further development of tools that would allow the community to more easily |
REC216-2864 | 9 - Community education | Management of community expectations: continued community education. |
REC216-2863 | 9 - Community education | Management of community expectations: better understanding of what different groups within a community expect. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC215-1877 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | Regulators can help to achieve improved outcomes by considering the issues identified by this review |
REC215-1876 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | Fire services can improve outcomes by initiating discussions with landfill operators about fire management planning and emphasising the critical importance of water supplies and early intervention |
REC215-1875 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Fire services can improve outcomes by seeking input to decisions about siting, design and fire water systems as part of the planning and licensing processes |
REC215-1874 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Fire services can improve outcomes by working with EPA as the regulator and licensing authority to achieve improved compliance with the required outcomes specified in the BPEM guidelines |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC210-0616 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Councils that do not currently do so should consider offering an online database which allows the public to conduct a search on a parcel of land to find development approvals relevant to that parcel of land. |
REC210-0637 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider amending the Urban Land Development Authority Act 2007, the South Bank Corporation Act 1989, the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 insofar as it governs state development areas, and other legislation which establishes alternative planning systems that operate independently of the Sustainable Planning Act 2009, to require that: • any planning scheme, interim or otherwise, appropriately reflects any state planning policy with respect to flood • flood risk be considered in the assessment of any development application. |
REC210-0660 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | There should be a consistent process for the determination of applications to build levees. That process should include: • consulting landholders who may be affected by the proposed levee • obtaining or commissioning appropriate hydrological and hydraulic studies to assess the impacts of the proposed levee. |
REC210-0691 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | If the Queensland Government does not include such assessment criteria in the model flood planning controls, councils should include assessment criteria in their planning schemes that require critical infrastructure in assessable substation developments is built to remain operational during and immediately after a flood of a particular magnitude. That magnitude should be determined by an appropriate risk assessment. |
REC210-0732 | 37 - Funding | Emergency Management Queensland should develop and implement a new formula for the distribution of its recurrent SES subsidy, which takes into account relevant factors including the size of a local SES contingent and the population, area and natural hazard risk profile of the local government area concerned. |
REC210-0624 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should ensure that the circumstances in which the Department of Community Safety is to consult the Department of Environment and Resource Management about a planning scheme’s flood modelling and flood mapping are clear. |
REC210-0644 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should ensure that the criteria under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 that apply to the assessment of development applications for material change of use for environmentally relevant activities include consideration of the risk of flooding at the site on which the activity is proposed to occur. |
REC210-0673 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The proposed new part of the Queensland Development Code, Mandatory Part 3.5 ‘Construction of buildings in flood hazard areas’, should be amended so that the performance requirements about utilities and sanitary drains (Performance Requirement P2 and P3) for building on a lot will only be triggered where the council has: • designated part of its area as a natural hazard management area (flood) under section 13 of the Building Regulation 2006, and • either: – declared a height to be the expected flood level under section 13 of the Building Regulation 2006, or – adopted a highest recorded flood level for the lot. |
REC210-0697 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Queensland Rail and QR National should continue to investigate opportunities for increasing the flood resilience of their networks, including raising the height of critical equipment. |
REC210-0629 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should include in the model flood planning controls a requirement that councils have a flood overlay map in their planning schemes. The map should identify the areas of the council region: • that are known not to be affected by flood • that are affected by flood and on which councils impose planning controls (there may be subsets in each area to which different planning controls attach) • for which there is no flood information available to council. |
REC210-0652 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should review the code for development applications for prescribed tidal work in the Coastal Protection and Management Regulation 2003 to consider whether the design and construction standards should be made more stringent than the existing standards. |
REC210-0680 | 9 - Community education | Queensland Urban Utilities, and other distributor-retailers and councils, that have identified a practice of stormwater drains being connected to sewerage infrastructure, should conduct a program of education to raise public awareness that this practice is illegal and impedes the operation of the sewerage infrastructure. |
REC210-0604 | 9 - Community education | By reference to the order of priority determined in accordance with recommendation 2.5, the Queensland Government and councils should together ensure that the council responsible for each urban area in Queensland has access to current flood study information. This will include determining: a. a process or processes by which the flood studies will be completed, including the involvement of the Queensland Government and relevant councils b. how, and from whom, the necessary technical and financial resources will be obtained c. a reasonable timeframe by which all flood studies required will be completed. |
REC210-0615 | 9 - Community education | Flood maps, and property specific flooding information intended for use by the general public, should be readily interpretable and should, where necessary, be accompanied by a comprehensible explanatory note. |
REC210-0636 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider allowing councils to amend a planning scheme to update existing flood mapping information by way of the minor amendment process, provided that adequate public consultation has occurred. |
REC210-0659 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consult with councils to formulate a definition of ‘levee’ to identify what should be regulated. |
REC210-0690 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should draft assessment criteria to be included in the model flood planning controls that require critical infrastructure in assessable substation developments is built to remain operational during and immediately after a flood of a particular magnitude. That magnitude should be determined by an appropriate risk assessment. |
REC210-0623 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Department of Community Safety should put in place administrative arrangements which ensure it can readily ascertain whether its comments are being reflected in council planning schemes. If the Department of Community Safety becomes aware that its comments are not being adequately addressed, it should take steps to follow this up with the Department of Local Government and Planning. |
REC210-0642 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should draft assessment criteria to be included in the model flood planning controls that require the impact of flood on commercial property to be minimised. |
REC210-0672 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The proposed new part of the Queensland Development Code, Mandatory Part 3.5 ‘Construction of buildings in flood hazard areas’, should be amended so that the performance requirement relating to building design and construction (Performance Requirement P1) for building on a lot will only be triggered where the council has: • designated part of its area as a natural hazard management area (flood) under section 13 of the Building Regulation 2006, and • either: – declared a height to be the expected flood level under section 13 of the Building Regulation 2006, or – adopted a highest recorded flood level for the lot, and • either: – declared a velocity to be the expected maximum velocity of flood water for the area in which the lot is located, or – designated the area in which the lot is located an inactive flow or backwater area. |
REC210-0695 | 10 - Infrastructure | The Queensland Government should consider implementing mandatory requirements to ensure that all conduits for the purpose of providing electrical supply below the applicable defined flood level are sealed to prevent floodwaters from entering them or flowing into them. |
REC210-0628 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should draft model flood planning controls, using a similar format and structure to that in the Queensland Planning Provisions, that councils can adapt for local conditions. The Queensland Government should require these controls to be reflected in new planning schemes. This may be achieved by including the controls in either: • a state planning policy dealing with flood, with an accompanying amendment to the Sustainable Planning Act 2009, or • the Queensland Planning Provisions. The Queensland Government should consult councils to determine which of the two state planning instruments is the more appropriate to include the model flood planning controls. |
REC210-0649 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should draft assessment criteria to be included in the model flood planning controls that require that: a. the manufacture or storage of bulk hazardous materials (as defined in State Planning Policy 1/03) take place above a certain flood level, determined following an appropriate risk based assessment, or b. structures on land susceptible to flooding and used for the manufacture or storage of bulk hazardous materials (as defined in State Planning Policy 1/03) be designed to prevent the intrusion of floodwaters. |
REC210-0677 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Authorities responsible for the management of sewerage infrastructure should conduct a review of their existing infrastructure to identify electrical infrastructure that may be vulnerable to inundation and perform risk and cost/benefit assessments to determine if it should be relocated to a higher level. |
REC210-0603 | 9 - Community education | The Queensland Government, in consultation with councils, should determine which urban areas in Queensland do not have access to flood information from a current flood study. The Queensland Government should rank those areas in order of priority in accordance with their need for updated flood information by reference to factors including: a. population b. sophistication of land use planning and emergency management measures already in place in those areas c. currency of any flood risk information available to the council d. approximate frequency of damaging floods in the area according to the historical record |
REC210-0614 | 9 - Community education | Councils and the Queensland Government should display on their websites all flood mapping they have commissioned or adopted. |
REC210-0635 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider amending the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 to expressly provide either a power to remake or a power to extend a temporary local planning instrument containing interim flood regulation for a further limited period. The power to remake or extend should: a. permit the modification of the temporary local planning instrument to the extent required to ensure its provisions remain relevant, having regard to any requirement that may have been introduced or any information that may have become available while the original temporary local planning instrument was in force b. be contingent on the Minister’s being satisfied that the circumstances listed in section 105 of the Sustainable Planning Act continue to exist and that there are proper grounds for the failure to make a permanent scheme amendment while the original temporary local planning instrument was in force. |
REC210-0658 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consult with councils to determine an effective method for the regulation of the construction of levees in Queensland. In particular, the Queensland Government should consider: • requiring a development permit for the construction of a levee by designating levees as assessable development in the Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009, or • requiring, by way of a state planning policy or mandatory provision in the Queensland Planning Provisions, that councils nominate the construction of a levee as assessable development in their planning schemes. |
REC210-0689 | 9 - Community education | Councils should conduct education campaigns directed to ensuring that all residents and property owners in areas identified as being at risk of backflow flooding are aware of the circumstances in which backflow flooding can occur, the hazard it presents and what should be done if it occurs. |
REC210-0622 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | If, as part of a state interest review process, the Department of Local Government and Planning decides that no condition should be imposed requiring a council’s proposed planning scheme to incorporate the effect of the Department of Community Safety’s comments about State Planning Policy 1/03: Mitigating the Adverse Impacts of Flood, Bushfire and Landslide, it should advise the Department of Community Safety of the reasons for its decision. |
REC210-0640 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should draft assessment criteria to be included in the model flood planning controls that require community infrastructure (including the types of community infrastructure which are identified in the Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009 and which the community needs to continue functioning, notwithstanding flood) to be located and designed to function effectively during and immediately after a flood of a specified level of risk. |
REC210-0666 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should draft a model planning scheme policy to be included in the model flood planning controls that sets out the information to be provided in development applications in relation to stormwater and flooding. The policy should specify: • the type of models and maps to be provided • the substantive information required to be shown in the development application • how the assumptions and methodologies used in preparing the models and maps should be presented • the form in which the information on stormwater and flooding is to be presented in the application. |
REC210-0694 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider whether there should be a legislative requirement that customer dedicated assets be built at or above the applicable defined flood level and if so, the Queensland Government should consider which legislation should contain such a requirement. |
REC210-0758 | 10 - Infrastructure | CS Energy should put in place contingency measures to ensure email and telephone communications at Wivenhoe Power Station are not entirely dependent on a network located off-site. |
REC210-0627 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider amending the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 to require that consideration be given to the risk of flooding in the preparation or revision of a regional plan. |
REC210-0647 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Department of Environment and Resource Management should ensure that, when applications for a material change of use for an environmentally relevant activity are approved by the department, the details of those activities, including their nature and location, are provided to the council within whose area the activity will be conducted. |
REC210-0676 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Authorities responsible for the construction of sewerage infrastructure should, when embarking on new works, undertake risk and cost/benefit assessments to determine the level at which electrical infrastructure that may be vulnerable to inundation should be placed. |
REC210-0613 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Councils should ensure that areas for which there has been no assessment of the likelihood of flooding are indicated on a map and that, as part of the development assessment process for these, there is at least some enquiry into whether a site proposed for development could be subject to flooding. |
REC210-0634 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | If the Queensland Government does not include such a policy in the model flood planning controls, councils should include in their planning schemes a planning scheme policy that: • for development proposed on land susceptible to flooding, outlines what additional information an applicant should provide to the assessment manager as a part of the development application, or • for development proposed on land where potential for flooding is unknown requires an applicant to provide: – as part of the development application, information to enable an assessment of whether the subject land is susceptible to flooding, and – upon a determination the subject land is susceptible to flooding, more detailed information to allow an assessment of the flood risk. |
REC210-0657 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Levees should be regulated. |
REC210-0685 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | In assessing and determining development applications for material change of use in areas susceptible to flood, councils should consider whether the new developments locate essential services infrastructure above basement level, or, alternatively, whether essential services infrastructure located at basement level can be constructed so that it can continue to function during a flood. |
REC210-0621 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should: a. narrow the definition of ‘development commitment’ in State Planning Policy 1/03: Mitigating the Adverse Impacts of Flood, Bushfire and Landslide to ensure more development applications are assessed for compatibility with flood, and b. investigate whether the compensation provisions of the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 act as a deterrent to the inclusion of flood controls in a planning scheme and consider whether they ought be amended. |
REC210-0639 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider extending the application of a state planning policy dealing with flood to the types of community infrastructure which are identified in the Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009 and which the community needs to continue functioning, notwithstanding flood. |
REC210-0662 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should draft assessment criteria to be included in the model flood planning controls that address: • the prospect of isolation or hindered evacuation • the impact of isolation or hindered evacuation. |
REC210-0693 | 10 - Infrastructure | Electricity distributors should consider installing connection points for generators to provide electricity supply to non-flooded areas that have had their supply cut during floods. |
REC210-0757 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The protocol should make provision for the use of telephone and/or radio where communication by email is not possible. Where necessary, CS Energy and Seqwater should make additional radio equipment available to relevant personnel. |
REC210-0626 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Councils should consider using the limited development (constrained land) zone in their planning schemes for areas that have a very high flood risk. |
REC210-0646 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Department of Environment and Resource Management should amend the template assessment report used to assess applications for a material change of use for environmentally relevant activities so that it prompts departmental officers to give specific consideration, as part of the assessment process, to the risk of flooding at the site where the activity is proposed to occur. |
REC210-0675 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider including in the criteria in the Queensland Plumbing and Wastewater Code a requirement that the risk of leakage from private on-site sewerage systems during floods be minimised. |
REC210-0612 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | For non-urban areas or areas where limited development is expected to occur councils should consider, on a risk basis, what level of information about flood risk is required for the area, and undertake the highest ranked of the following options which is appropriate to that need and within the capacities (financial and technical) of the council: a. a map showing ‘zones of risk’ (at least three) derived from information about the likelihood and behaviour of flooding b. a map showing the extent of floods of a range of likelihoods (at least three) c. a flood map based on historic flood levels that have been subjected to a flood frequency analysis to estimate the annual exceedance probability of the selected historical flood d. a historic flood map without flood frequency analysis e. the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Interim Floodplain Assessment Overlay as a way to determine those areas for which further flood studies are required, or f. the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Interim Floodplain Assessment Overlay (preferably refined using local flood information) as a trigger for development assessment. |
REC210-0633 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should include in the model flood planning controls a model planning scheme policy that: • for development proposed on land susceptible to flooding, outlines what additional information an applicant should provide to the assessment manager as part of the development application, or • for development proposed on land where the potential for flooding is unknown, requires an applicant to provide: – as part of the development application, information to enable an assessment of whether the subject land is susceptible to flooding, and – upon a determination the subject land is susceptible to flooding, more detailed information, to allow an assessment of the flood risk. |
REC210-0656 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider amending the Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009 so that operational work or plumbing or drainage work (including maintenance and repair work) carried out by or on behalf of a public sector entity authorised under a state law to carry out the work is not exempt development under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 if the development has the potential to reduce floodplain storage. |
REC210-0684 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Councils should consider amending their planning schemes to include provisions directed to consideration of the flood resilience of basements as a factor in determining the appropriateness of a material change of use. |
REC210-0617 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider implementing a mechanism by which prospective purchasers of property are alerted to the issue of flood risk. To that end, the Queensland Government should consider consulting the Real Estate Institute of Queensland and the Law Society of Queensland as to the appropriateness of amending standard contract conditions so as to include a ‘subject to flood search’ condition, or other means of achieving the same objective. |
REC210-0638 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Coordinator-General should amend the guideline for preparing an ‘initial advice statement’ for a significant project under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 so that it specifically requires an applicant to consider and provide information about the project’s flood risk. |
REC210-0661 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | There should be a common set of considerations in the decision whether to approve an application to build a levee, including: • the impacts of the proposed levee on the catchment as a whole • the benefits of the proposed levee to the individual or entity applying to build the levee and to any nearby community as a whole • any adverse impacts on other landholders, including the risk of levee failure • the implications of the proposed levee for land planning and emergency management procedures • whether any structural, land planning or emergency management measures can be taken to mitigate the adverse impacts of the proposed levee. |
REC210-0692 | 10 - Infrastructure | The Queensland Government should consider measures to ensure that requirements are included in the designation of land for community infrastructure under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 to ensure that critical infrastructure for operating works under the Electricity Act is built to remain operational during and immediately after a flood of a particular magnitude. That magnitude should be determined by an appropriate risk assessment. |
REC210-0756 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | CS Energy and Seqwater should agree upon and adhere to a formal communication protocol that requires CS Energy personnel to advise Seqwater, through the Flood Operations Centre, of water movements between Splityard Creek Dam and Wivenhoe Dam or Pryde Creek once a flood event is declared under the Manual of Operational Procedures for Flood Mitigation at Wivenhoe Dam and Somerset Dam. The protocol should ensure that a direct line of communication is established between CS Energy personnel physically located at the power station and the Flood Operations Centre. |
REC210-0625 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should change Temporary State Planning Policy 2/11: Planning for stronger more resilient floodplains to remove the possibility of councils’ using the interim floodplain assessment overlay mapping and Model Code as part of a permanent amendment to their existing planning scheme or as part of a new planning scheme. |
REC210-0645 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Department of Environment and Resource Management should amend its information sheet about applications for a material change of use for environmentally relevant activities so that applicants are prompted to include information (if any) about the risk of flooding at the site where the activity is proposed to occur. |
REC210-0674 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider amending the ‘Limitation’ section of the proposed new part of the Queensland Development Code, Mandatory Part 3.5 ‘Construction of buildings in flood hazard areas’, to allow for the possible application of ‘acceptable solution A1’ to a building located on a lot if: • it is reasonable to expect the part of the lot on which the building work is proposed to be subjected to a maximum velocity of less than 1.5 metres per second, or • the part of the lot on which the building work is proposed is located in an inactive flow or backwater area. |
REC210-0631 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should include in the model flood planning controls a model flood overlay code that consolidates assessment criteria relating to flood. |
REC210-0654 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Queensland Government should consider drafting assessment criteria to be included in the model flood planning controls which require that works in a floodplain: • do not reduce on-site flood storage capacity • counteract any changes the works will cause to flood behaviour of all floods up to and including the applicable defined flood event by measures taken within the subject site (for example, use of compensatory works, detention basins or other engineering mechanisms) • do not change the flood characteristics outside the subject site in ways that result in: – loss of flood storage – loss of/changes to flow paths – acceleration or retardation of flows, or – any reduction in flood warning times elsewhere on the floodplain. |
REC210-0682 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Department of Environment and Resource Management should review the Queensland Urban Drainage Manual to determine whether it requires updating or improvement, in particular, to reflect the current law and to take into account insights gained from the 2010/2011 floods. |
REC210-0611 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | For urban areas or areas where development is expected to occur: a. councils with the requisite resources should develop a flood map which shows ‘zones of risk’ (at least three) derived from information about the likelihood and behaviour of flooding b. councils without the requisite resources to produce a flood behaviour map should develop a flood map which shows the extent of floods of a range of likelihoods (at least three). |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC199-0478 | 33 - Relief and recovery | the state amend the current protocol governing National Registration and Inquiry System information collection and sharing to: • clarify the role of councils and Centrelink during and after emergencies • ensure the amended protocol is written in plain English and easily understood; and • coordinate, in conjunction with the state and federal privacy commissioners, the development of a new National Registration and Inquiry System information sharing protocol in line with the proposed National Registration and Inquiry System 6 and state or federal privacy legislation. |
REC199-0488 | 33 - Relief and recovery | the Department of Human Services develop proactive strategies to provide information and assistance for people applying for emergency grants. |
REC199-0431 | 9 - Community education | the state allocate core funding for the ongoing delivery of the ‘FloodSafe’ program to flood prone communities across Victoria. |
REC199-0474 | 33 - Relief and recovery | the state, in respect of the Rapid Impact Assessment process: • resolve which agency/ies has policy and operational responsibility for this process • define the purpose of Rapid Impact Assessment; and • review the process, in light of the 2010–11 floods, to examine options to improve the efficiency of the collection of information. |
REC199-0485 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | the state: • adopt a strategy to expedite incorporation of updated flood mapping or modelling into planning schemes • reconsider in what circumstances the ‘1 in 100 year event’ is the appropriate design event • actively support the Australian Building Code Board in its development of a new national standard for residential buildings in flood prone areas. Until such time as any new standard is incorporated into Victorian law, provide advice to householders about appropriate building materials for flood prone areas and ways that houses can be designed or adapted to mitigate flood risk; and • retain the ability of a Catchment Management Authority to require a council to refuse a planning permit or impose particular conditions when the Catchment Management Authority considers the flooding risk to be unacceptable. |
REC199-0430 | 9 - Community education | the state undertake a community education program to inform households of their respective flood risk. This may include information on rate notices of heights of houses above flood level and educating people about flash flooding. |
REC199-0473 | 33 - Relief and recovery | the state make available to the public a clear guide of who is responsible for: • clean-up and recovery of various types of infrastructure that straddle the public/private boundary; and • the policies agencies will follow in determining whether to repair infrastructure under their control. |
REC199-0483 | 9 - Community education | the state ensure: • where external assistance is provided to Victoria during emergencies, communities are advised of the specific purpose of that assistance, through media and other information channels; and • all agencies provide incident management personnel with information regarding the arrangements for tasking Australian Defence Force resources and that this advice is reinforced during emergencies where Australian Defence Force support is provided. |
REC199-0491 | 33 - Relief and recovery | the state: • ensure that the concerns raised by Victorians regarding the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements are provided to the national review, including the issues of: – betterment (what it means and how it is applied); and – the 51 per cent income rule for eligibility of businesses for grants. • establish a single point of information (such as the single web portal referred to in recommendation 33) on all emergency related financial assistance available to individuals, businesses and local government. The means of accessing this information should be widely circulated in the community. |
REC199-0472 | 33 - Relief and recovery | the state review the legislation and policies that set out clean-up and recovery responsibilities for infrastructure such as crossovers, culverts, drains, bridges and waterways, including consideration of: • whether the entities who are given obligations or powers to undertake clean-up works have the capacity to do so; and • the appropriateness of having different legal regimes for what is essentially the same piece of infrastructure. If the review reveals that the current responsibility matrix is inadequate, the state develop an action plan to address the identified shortcomings. |
REC199-0480 | 33 - Relief and recovery | the state clarify the transition to recovery arrangements including the processes for approving and funding of essential works after transition to recovery has been formalised. |
REC199-0490 | 33 - Relief and recovery | the state finalise the 2008 review of Victoria’s municipal assistance. This should include addressing: • the provision of upfront funding for local councils for repair of community assets • packages for early relief and recovery to be included in both the Natural Disaster Funding Arrangements and the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements, including outreach packages; and • the process of reimbursement of local councils after floods. |
REC199-0451 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | the state ensure, as a matter of priority, that the State Control Centre is able to function as a fit for purpose, multi-agency emergency management centre. Necessary works to achieve this outcome should have an overarching focus on the implementation of common agency systems and processes to the fullest extent possible. |
REC199-0479 | 33 - Relief and recovery | the state review the way early outreach occurs and implement changes that will ensure that there is a consistency of approach regardless of which agency undertakes the service. |
REC199-0489 | 33 - Relief and recovery | the state implement arrangements to improve the support provided to local government on disaster financing before, during and after emergency events. |
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 |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC198-2903 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The CFA works with MFB to ensure that the MFB control unit is available for responding to large fires and multi-agency incidents in fringe CFA areas |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC197-1741 | 9 - Community education | A. The CFA further develop community education programs to specifically engage culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities to address the importance of ethnic diversity. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC196-0230 | 9 - Community education | Explain the meaning of ‘timely, relevant and tailored’ community bushfire warnings through training and meetings particularly of Information Section staff and Incident Controllers. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC195-0333 | 9 - Community education | The Fire Services identify opportunities for the community to learn about, engage with and influence local emergency management planning. |
REC195-0332 | 9 - Community education | The Fire Services, in consultation with the community, develop a methodology for measuring community preparedness. They should also develop tailored education and information sharing opportunities to improve community understanding of bushfire risk, mitigation and preparedness. |
REC195-0327 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Fire Services Commissioner ensures that the inter-relationship between Information Sections at all levels is understood. |
REC195-0337 | 9 - Community education | DSE enhance community engagement programs in East Gippsland to ensure that local communities are more informed about the complexities and interdependencies of prescribed burning and encourage local input. |
REC195-0318 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Fire Services develop a joint protocol for each Fire Service to notify the other of fires reported from fire towers |
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. |
REC195-0309 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Fire Services, and other emergency management agencies, use the Tostaree fire as a scenario exercise to improve understanding of fast-running fires and enhance interoperability and control strategies |
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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC191-0275 | 37 - Funding | that the for Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Emergency Services ensure that the formula for distribution of funding as recommended above allows rural fire brigades to control any donation or sponsorship funding raised by individual brigades. |
REC191-0274 | 37 - Funding | that the for Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Emergency Services undertake a thorough review, including consultation with rural fire brigades, regarding the proposed formula for distribution of funding. |
REC191-0273 | 37 - Funding | that the for Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Emergency Services implement system of fire levies for landholders situated in urban, iZone and village brigade areas. |
REC191-0267 | 9 - Community education | that the Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Local Government and Special Minister of State establish with local government a communication strategy to inform all residents about their fire prevention responsibilities. |
REC191-0266 | 37 - Funding | that QFRS cover the cost of annual vehicle inspection certificates for rural fire brigade registered vehicles. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
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. |
REC181-0206 | 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. |
REC181-0191 | 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. |
REC181-0214 | 37 - Funding | The State replace the Fire Services Levy with a property-based levy and introduce concessions for low-income earners. |
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. |
REC181-0184 | 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. |
REC181-0198 | 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. |
REC181-0180 | 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. |
REC181-0205 | 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. |
REC181-0190 | 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. |
REC181-0212 | 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. |
REC181-0157 | 9 - Community education | The Commonwealth lead an initiative through the Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management, facilitated by Emergency Management Australia, to develop a national bushfire awareness campaign. |
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. |
REC181-0179 | 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. |
REC181-0203 | 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. |
REC181-0182 | 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. |
REC181-0189 | 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. |
REC181-0211 | 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. |
REC181-0156 | 9 - Community education | Victoria lead an initiative of the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs to ensure that the national curriculum incorporates the history of bushfire in Australia and that existing curriculum areas such as geography, science and environmental studies include elements of bushfire education. |
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. |
REC181-0183 | 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. |
REC181-0196 | 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. |
REC181-0201 | 9 - Community education | The Victorian Building Commission, in conjunction with the Country Fire Authority, develop, publish and provide to the community and industry information about ways in which existing buildings in bushfire-prone areas can be modified to incorporate bushfire safety measures. |
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. |
REC181-0210 | 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. |
REC181-0152 | 9 - Community education | The State revise the approach to community bushfire safety education in order to: ■ ensure that its publications and educational materials reflect the revised bushfire safety policy; ■ equip all fire agency personnel with the information needed to effectively communicate the policy to the public as required; ■ ensure that in content and delivery the program is flexible enough to engage individuals, households and communities and to accommodate their needs and circumstances; ■ regularly evaluate the effectiveness of community education programs and amend them as necessary. |
REC181-0194 | 9 - Community education | The Country Fire Authority produce for community guidance material on fire-resistant landscape and garden design, including a list of fire-resistant species. |
REC181-0200 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Standards Australia move expeditiously to develop a standard for bushfire sprinklers and sprayers. |
REC181-0172 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment standardise their operating systems and information and communications technologies with the aim of achieving greater efficiency and interoperability between agencies. |
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. |
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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC179-2976 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | The Department of Human Services should regularly test recovery plans with partner agencies. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC165-0082 | 33 - Relief and recovery | Current procedures to activate disaster recovery funding arrangements be retained and processes be reinforced. |
REC165-0096 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Department of Community Safety and Councils develop MOUs to reflect the genuine partnership that exists in present arrangements including an emphasis on the use of the agreed State disaster arrangements to task and deploy SES units following State/Local consultation. |
REC165-0089 | 33 - Relief and recovery | The SDMG lead an initiative to deal at all levels with offers of assistance and donations from the general public in the event of disasters. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC158-3447 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That emergency services are required to work directly with port/channel managers and the nominated marine safety authority to ensure that a training and exercise regime is established to enable emergency services personnel to develop and maintain the skills and knowledge relevant to marine emergency management. |
REC158-3446 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That emergency services are required to work directly with port/channel managers and the nominated marine safety authority to identify and ensure availability of marine resources necessary for emergency services to meet their statutory obligations in responding to marine emergencies (this recommendation should be read in conjunction with recommendation 26 & 27). |
REC158-3451 | 37 - Funding | That port/channel managers should be able, within the general context of the pricing/cost recovery arrangements established under the Port Services Act 1995 and pricing determinations made by the Essential Services Commission, to recover the reasonable costs of meeting their statutory obligations (as per recommendation 26) through charges for prescribed service applied to port users. |
REC158-3445 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That emergency services are required to work directly with ports and the nominated marine safety authority when ports are preparing marine emergency response arrangements. |
REC158-3450 | 37 - Funding | That emergency services are responsible for funding the development of the emergency services marine emergency response capacity/capability to meet their statutory obligations. |
REC158-3444 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner ensures that an emergency services multi-agency working group is established to develop a specialist marine emergency response capability for Victoria based on the multi-agency Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) model. The specialist personnel should be required to have: |
REC158-3449 | 37 - Funding | That port/channel managers are responsible for funding the preparation of marine emergency risk assessments and marine emergency response arrangements and ensuring the availability of identified marine resources in support of response to a marine emergency, to meet their statutory obligations. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC156-3494 | 10 - Infrastructure | Energy Safe Victoria finalise the development of the passport system to improve interstate mutual aid arrangements allowing operator access to qualified interstate power restoration personnel. |
REC156-3487 | 10 - Infrastructure | Electricity distribution businesses develop and implement alternative arrangements for monitoring fallen powerlines. |
REC156-3485 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The integrated Emergency Coordination Centre be utilised during all significant multi-agency or multi-incident events with effective liaison with the State Emergency Response Coordinator. |
REC156-3517 | 9 - Community education | The Victoria State Emergency Service work with the electricity distribution businesses, Department of Primary Industries and Energy Safe Victoria to develop and implement a joint community education program for public safety during and after storms and power outages. |
REC156-3500 | 10 - Infrastructure | The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority, in partnership with Telstra, consider technological solutions to streamline the handover process for Triple Zero calls. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC155-3475 | 9 - Community education | That in relation to Fire Operations Plans, the Department Sustainability and Environment extends the number of community meetings during the public consultation period to a minimum of one meeting for each Fire District, with the possibility of repeat visits to particular areas. |
REC155-3470 | 37 - Funding | That the Victorian Government provide recurring funding for a significant increase in regionally-based, permanent, or long-tenured, fire management personnel dedicated to the prescribed burning program. The increase in personnel should be consistent with the level required to achieve an annual prescribed burning target of 385,000 hectares. |
REC155-3469 | 37 - Funding | That the Victorian Government establish a five year rolling fund which allows unused prescribed burning monies to be rolled over into future financial years for the purpose of subsequent prescribed burning activities. |
REC155-3465 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That in order to enhance the protection of community and ecological assets, the Department of Sustainability and Environment increase its annual prescribed burning target from 130,000 hectares to 385,000 hectares. This should be treated as a rolling target, with any shortfalls to be made up in subsequent years. |
REC155-3483 | 9 - Community education | That the Department of Sustainability and Environment and its partner agencies continue to develop a proactive approach to engagement with the local and wider media to achieve continuous improvement in the standard of community information and education. |
REC155-3464 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That the Department of Sustainability and Environment implement remote sensing imagery as a routine part of its pre-burn and post-burn assessment process for prescribed burning. Maps of every prescribed burn should be produced in a similar format to those used in Western Australia, indicating the boundary of each burn and the varying fire intensities achieved within the burn area. The boundaries of all Fuel Management Zones within each burn should also be indicated. |
REC155-3480 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | That the Integrated Fire Management Planning framework establish zones in the interface between public and private land in which bushfire risk management is the shared responsibility of the Victorian Government and private landholders. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC154-3462 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | DPI should formalise the approach and framework for evaluating simulation exercises and response to Emergency Animal Disease incidents with guidelines to define the nature of the review process. This should include: |
REC154-3459 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | To improve response preparedness, DPI should clearly link the selection of simulation exercises to the risk management framework to target coverage of high risks. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC144-3399 | 9 - Community education | The Committee recommends that the Emergency Services Agency post all its publications, which are not internal working documents or otherwise confidential, on its website. |
REC144-3385 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | The Committee recommends that the ESA hold discussions with NSW with a view to developing a joint exercise program with the NSW Rural Fire Service on an ongoing basis. |
REC144-3398 | 9 - Community education | The Committee recommends that the Emergency Services Agency update its website to accommodate, at a minimum, a publications menu item and a search function. |
REC144-3384 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | The Committee recommends that the ESA develop a schedule of proposed exercises as a five year rolling plan, in order that all the elements of emergency services are able to be tested over that time and in differing |
REC144-3397 | 9 - Community education | The Committee recommends that the ACT Government investigate the Victorian Community Fireguard model with a view to implementing a similar scheme in the ACT to enhance community preparedness for and ability to respond to bushfire emergencies. |
REC144-3396 | 9 - Community education | The Committee recommends that information in relation to proposed fuel load activity and controlled burning should be disseminated to the community and in an accessible format. |
REC144-3395 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Committee recommends that the ACT Emergency Services and the Rural Fire Service in particular institute regular meetings with the NSW Rural Fire Service and other appropriate authorities, such as environment |
REC144-3393 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Committee recommends that the responsibility for land management issues lie within a single portfolio, specifically the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC132-3597 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Investigate engaging with other agencies involved in emergency management including SES, VicRoads, VicPolice, OESC and DHS to establish a single united emergency information line for Victoria that can be used to provide information to the public from all agencies involved. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC126-1951 | 4 - Fire season preparation | That before each fire season the Emergency Services Agency, in conjunction with the Bush Fire Council – after consultation with the relevant ACT agencies, the Bureau of Meteorology, relevant NSW agencies and the community – conduct a qualitative risk analysis of the conditions and circumstances prevailing and forecast and develop strategies to ensure heightened preparedness during seasons identified as severe |
REC126-1993 | 9 - Community education | That consulations and negotiations occur between the Emergncy Services Agency and the NSW Rural Fire Service to ensure that fire risk and safety messages to the community are coordinated. Maximum use should be made of television and radio announcements throughout the ACT and southern NSW, consistent with NSW timetables for targeted programs in conjunction with the United Firefighters Union ACT Branch and volunteer fire brigade representative. The Emergency Services Agency should consider using ACT Fire Brigade staff and ACT Rural Fire Service volunteers to talk to groups in the community on request, thus furthering face-to-face community education in high-risk suburban areas of the ACT |
REC126-1972 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That clarification be provided and information be made public in connection with the hazard reduction proposed under the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan for the area designated ‘Land Management Zone’, which appears to cover about 70 per cent of the ACT landscape and might be excluded from fuel-reduction burning |
REC126-2002 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | That consideration be given when building to the positioning of outbuildings around residential structures such that their potential impact on the main structure is reduced |
REC126-1981 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That senior officers in the Australian Federal Police and the Emergency Services Agency maintain regular and meaningful contact during fire emergencies, to ensure full dissemination of information and thus facilitate the making of good operational decisions |
REC126-1950 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | That the Emergency Services Agency adopt a more rigorous risk management approach to incident management and prediction – with particular emphasis on the development of improved community information strategies and protocols |
REC126-1992 | 9 - Community education | That implementation of the Bushfire Wise Program continue and include a letterbox drop of the updated Bushfire Information Booklet |
REC126-1971 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That a hazard-reduction program be introduced, involving regular and strategic burning in all areas of the ACT – including the catchment areas – with a view to having fuel-reduced areas in a pattern across the landscape, excluding only small areas of particular ecological or conservation importance |
REC126-2001 | 9 - Community education | That community education programs provide information about fire behaviour, urban design principles that contribute to a specific level of risk, and the benefits of fitting basic ember protection materials in areas at risk from bushfire |
REC126-1977 | 4 - Fire season preparation | That a program be implemented to ensure that existing fire tracks and trails are cleared and accessible at all times and that a network of additional fire trails be established so as to allow direct fire suppression operations without undue delay in the event of a wildfire |
REC126-1991 | 9 - Community education | That the Emergency Services Agency establish annual targets for the introduction of community education programs and provide resources to conduct regular independent assessments of the level of community preparedness engendered as a result of the programs |
REC126-1958 | 37 - Funding | That the ACT Government allocate sufficient funds to enable full-time and volunteer firefighters to participate in relevant courses and programs |
REC126-2000 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | That the ACT Government consider taking measures to implement the provisions of Australian Standard 3959, Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas, for the ACT urban area |
REC126-1975 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That prescribed burning operations be conducted according to agreed standard burning prescriptions |
REC126-1990 | 9 - Community education | That the Emergency Services Agency take measures to ensure that the community regularly receives up-to-date information on the risks of bushfires |
REC126-1956 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That courses and programs be conducted to increase the level of Incident Control System training and augment the expertise of people who are likely to perform functions in an incident management team |
REC126-1999 | 9 - Community education | That the Canberra Urban Development Working Group referred to in Mr Peter Dunn's letter consider the report prepared by Mr Leonard and note particularly that the community awareness information currently available to householders in connection with measures they can take to better protect their homes from bushfires does not refer to the potential of wooden fences, conifers and outbuildings to contribute greatly to fire spread, particularly in suburban areas. Also noteworthy is Mr Leonard's evidence that the linear sitting of homes on house blocks in Canberra seems to be an important factor contributing to house-to-house fire spread and that this should be avoided in future developments on the urban fringe |
REC126-1974 | 4 - Fire season preparation | That responsibility for fuel management lie with the land management agency that controls the area and that land managers be given authority to implement prescribed fuel-reduction burns within their area |
REC126-2005 | 9 - Community education | That community education programs include unambiguous information that at times of unusually high water demand there might be a drop in or loss of water pressure and it might be appropriate for residents who intend to remain and fight a fire to have auxilary water pumps or booster pumps |
REC126-1988 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | That protocols and arrangements between the ACT and NSW require that each jurisdiction be fully involved in examining and planning for the threat posed by any fire likely to affect one or other jurisdiction and in coordinating the response to that fire |
REC126-1954 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That senior officers of the Emergency Services Agency give greater recognition to the skills, knowledge and experience of people from other agencies – particularly the land management agencies – as well as rural residents and private individuals and use these people in roles commensurate with their skills and experience |
REC126-1996 | 9 - Community education | That the Emergency Services Agency develop a clear policy for disseminating information to the public and the media in times of emergency and that, as required, that policy incorporate advance door-knocking of homes in the area affected, as well as regular broadcasts by local radio and television stations and regular updates on the relevant website - be that Canberra Connect or a different ACT government website - as well as the Emergency Services Agency's website |
REC126-1973 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | If it is not part of the proposed version 2 of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan, that the plan be revised to provide for a fuel-reduction burning regime in the ‘Land Management Zone’ that is equivalent to that contemplated for the corridors designated as the ‘Landscape Division Zone’ and that the regime involve burning areas in rotation to achieve an appropriately varying fire age spectrum across the entire landscape |
REC126-2003 | 9 - Community education | That the community be made aware of the risk presented by heavy loads of garden fuels and certain types of vegetation around their houses and take active, regular measures to reduce that risk |
REC126-1986 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | That the ACT and NSW authorities conduct a comprehensive risk analysis based on the most up to date knowledge relating to fire behaviour and spread in order to establish the degree of risk to each others' jurisdiction from fires ignitting in the other jurisdiction and to ensure that both jurisdictions remain fully informed and participate in risk assessments, the development of suppression strategies, and the development and dissemination of community information messages or warnings |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC125-3891 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That Melbourne Water and councils explore opportunities for working collaboratively to address the management of flooding risks with a view to optimising the efficient and effective use of their flood mitigation resources. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC124-3889 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Develop a component of the DSE Workforce Strategy to build organisational capacity and sustainability of the prescribed burning program across the networked emergency organisation: |
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: |
REC124-3883 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Integrate information management systems relating to the prescribed burning program to provide consistency across the networked emergency organisation: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC123-3876 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Metropolitan Fire Brigade and Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting service review and enhance the existing mutual response Memorandum of Agreement to provide more timely notification and therefore immediate access to appropriate resources to respond to emergencies. |
REC123-3875 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Melbourne Airport Emergency Planning Committee review the Airport Emergency Plan to ensure the capabilities of agencies are adequately documented and understood by all stakeholders, and that all agencies including airlines are represented at the appropriate organisational level on the Airport Emergency Planning Committee. |
REC123-3882 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | The Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner convene a working group of key emergency services and emergency management agencies to develop a flow chart based on scenario testing, to support decision making and the assessment of response requirements to medical, hazardous materials and CBR emergencies including their transition from one type to another. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC112-3934 | 37 - Funding | That DPI prepares guidelines, both internally and externally with Treasury, about funding arrangements for an outbreak. |
REC112-3933 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That DPI formalises agreements between divisions and groups that allow staff to be involved in incursion responses and reflects this requirement in individual duty statements. |
REC112-3920 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That better use be made of Primary Industries Research Victoria's (PIRVIC) facilities by strengthening links with relevant groups of expertise, such as the Forest Science Centre. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC111-3940 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | To enhance disaster risk management planning processes, it is recommended that the State Disaster Management Group supported by the Department of Emergency Services develop a suitable performance management system to ensure local, district, functional and threat specific Disaster Management Plans are — |
REC111-3941 | 39 - Disaster Risk Management | That the State Disaster Management Group supported by the Department of Emergency Services ensures that State-wide a robust disaster risk management process is established that includes the aggregation of relevant information from local, district, functional and threat specific plans to develop a hazard risk profile for Queensland. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC104-2211 | 9 - Community education | That CFA clarifies and restates the roles and function of existing Community Fireguard Groups (including their relationship to the Municipal Fire Prevention Plan) to members, co-ordinators, Incident Controllers and Municipal Emergency Resource Officers, prior to the 2003-2004 fire season. |
REC104-2283 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That DSE, CFA, MFESB and VICSES work cooperatively to establish a common system for resource tracking during major fires and incidents. |
REC104-2335 | 41 - Emergency Management exercises | That the fire agencies develop a program to significantly increase the amount of joint training and exercises undertaken. |
REC104-2238 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That the Victorian fire agencies negotiate with their counterparts in New South Wales and South Australia to put in place agreements for mutual aid and the development of cross border strategy for the management of fires burning in the vicinity of, or across, State borders, and these agreements are reviewed annually. |
REC104-2308 | 37 - Funding | That Government funding for Community Development Officers engaged in community support and rebuilding incorporates flexible resources to enable the purchase of services from a range of providers to ensure choice for those requiring support. |
REC104-2205 | 9 - Community education | That CFA should remain the lead agency in delivering the community education and information program to rural Victoria. |
REC104-2244 | 37 - Funding | That DSE assesses the environmental and monetary cost of establishment and rehabilitation of temporary tracks, per 100 km, constructed during firefighting operations, and compare this with the recurrent costs of a program of maintaining existing tracks. |
REC104-2316 | 33 - Relief and recovery | That the State Emergency Recovery Committee explore opportunities to establish a 'one-stop shop’ approach wherever practicable following emergencies, including a single telephone number to connect a person to all agencies involved in the recovery process. |
REC104-2210 | 9 - Community education | That CFA reports to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services on recommended solutions and implementation strategies for isolated small communities by June 2004. |
REC104-2268 | 9 - Community education | That CFA and DSE include agreed Fire Control Priorities in community awareness and education material provided to the community before each fire season. |
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. |
REC104-2223 | 10 - Infrastructure | That Government review legislation for utilities operating within the State to ensure their involvement in regional fire preparedness and mitigation planning. |
REC104-2307 | 33 - Relief and recovery | That the Victorian Government recommend to the Commonwealth Government that it reviews eligibility for those without employment who may or may not be engaged in an emergency response, and are unable to access the appropriate infrastructure to register for financial assistance. |
REC104-2204 | 9 - Community education | That the three fire agencies (CFA, DSE and MFESB) develop and implement a joint Statewide fire awareness education and information program aimed at encouraging a higher degree of personal and household self-reliance. |
REC104-2243 | 37 - Funding | That Government reviews the funding for DSE for the 2004-2005 fire season to ensure that appropriate resources are available for fire prevention planning and preparedness. |
REC104-2314 | 33 - Relief and recovery | That DHS, in conjunction with Local Government, Government departments and the nongovernment sector, modify recovery planning at all levels to include a case management approach supported by an appropriate information system to be activated at the time of an emergency. |
REC104-2209 | 9 - Community education | That CFA, in conjunction with isolated small communities, develop and promote a suite of appropriate fire readiness and fire management strategies to meet their needs. |
REC104-2266 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That DSE and CFA review their joint planning for Incident Control Centres to ensure that, wherever safe and practicable, those Centres are located close to the fire area. |
REC104-2323 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That CFA, DSE, MFESB, VICSES, Victoria Police and OESC, in consultation with the Municipal Association of Victoria, consult on the proposal to combine Municipal Councils’ current responsibilities for the development of an emergency management plan/committee, as required by the Emergency Management Act 1986 and a fire prevention plan/committee as required by the Country Fire Authority Act 1958. |
REC104-2214 | 9 - Community education | That CFA, recognising the value of the Community Fireguard Group program, undertake a review by June 2004 to identify opportunities to further develop the program to ensure its continuing appropriateness in preparing communities for fire into the future. |
REC104-2306 | 33 - Relief and recovery | That VicRoads and Municipal Councils review procedures and processes to ensure that the identification and delivery of remedial works on State and Council roads following emergency events are as efficient as possible. |
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. |
REC104-2242 | 37 - Funding | That the financial arrangements incorporate full cost recovery for prescribed burning to be undertaken over a number of weekends utilising Project Firefighters, CFA volunteers and MFESB members. |
REC104-2313 | 33 - Relief and recovery | That Government review the emergency relief and financial assistance policy, and develop and communicate a predictable, consistent and equitable policy designed to assist the community to recover from emergencies, including natural disasters. |
REC104-2208 | 9 - Community education | That CFA and MFESB encourage householders to review their fire safety plan annually. |
REC104-2265 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That in the review of Incident Control Centre locations, DSE and CFA give due consideration to: |
REC104-2322 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That DSE commits appropriate resources to work with OESC in developing the bushfire component of the model. |
REC104-2213 | 9 - Community education | That CFA provides technical advice to Community Fireguard Groups in the selection and purchase of appropriate equipment and protective clothing for use on their own land. |
REC104-2305 | 33 - Relief and recovery | That DPI actively promote as widely as possible within the community, the agricultural recovery service available during emergencies to ensure that all farmers are aware of the services provided. |
REC104-2241 | 37 - Funding | That the financial models incorporate changes in public land use, particularly ‘Our Forests Our Future’, and the subsequent changes in fire management priorities. |
REC104-2312 | 33 - Relief and recovery | That all agencies engaged in recovery participate in community briefings prior to and during emergency events, to ensure recovery issues are reinforced and communities are informed of the processes established to assist individuals – including matters that are not the responsibility of Victoria, such as Centrelink payments. |
REC104-2207 | 9 - Community education | That the Coordinator-in-Chief of Emergency Management directs that all emergency management agencies review, by June 2004, terminology and language in current communication and public education material to ensure it is clear, easily understood and consistent, particularly with regard to fire. |
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. |
REC104-2318 | 37 - Funding | When the research into prescribed burning and optimum fire protection described in Chapter 11, and the financial analysis of appropriate funding levels for prevention and suppression recommended in Chapter 15, are completed, DSE should develop a business case with Department of Treasury and Finance for assured funding to an agreed level over a three-year rolling cycle. |
REC104-2212 | 9 - Community education | That Community Fireguard Group co-ordinators’ names are supplied to their local municipality for the 2003-2004 fire season, and are updated annually for use in information exchange should a Municipal Emergency Co-ordination Centre or Incident Control Centre be established. |
REC104-2295 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That more emphasis should be given to communication and discussion in regard to State Aircraft Unit’s roles, responsibilities, practices and procedures. |
REC104-2336 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That OESC work with the fire agencies in developing implementation strategies for recommendations agreed by Government. |
REC104-2240 | 37 - Funding | That Government supports the immediate development of financial models to analyse and determine the appropriate level of investment in fire management planning, preparedness and suppression on public land. |
REC104-2310 | 33 - Relief and recovery | That recovery is recognised as commencing at the same time as response and that recovery planning and delivery is an integral part of the operations of the Municipal Emergency Co-ordination Centres. |
REC104-2206 | 9 - Community education | That CFA and MFESB: |
REC104-2245 | 37 - Funding | That DSE includes the cost of tracks, as above, in the development of financial models to analyse and determine the appropriate level of investment in fire management planning, preparedness and suppression on public land. |
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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC061-3252 | 37 - Funding | The Committee recommends that an equitable funding system be implemented which relates premiums to: |
REC061-3418 | 37 - Funding | The Committee recommends that any change to the funding system reflect in a reduction of the total price charged to consumers through premiums by the insurance industry. |
REC061-3251 | 37 - Funding | The Committee recommends that the Government act urgently to make the existing system of funding the fire services fair and equitable to all Victorians. |
REC061-3417 | 37 - Funding | The Committee recommends that an equitable funding system be implemented which relates premiums to: |
REC061-3249 | 37 - Funding | That the cost of a Bureau of Emergency Services Telecommunications centre be recovered through user charges. |
REC061-3416 | 37 - Funding | The Committee recommends that the Government act urgently to make the existing system of funding the fire services fair and equitable to all Victorians. |
REC061-3248 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Committee recommends to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services that a joint communications and dispatch facility be established under the Minister's control to implement the following minimum services to the Victoria Police and the emergency services: |
REC061-3414 | 37 - Funding | That the cost of a Bureau of Emergency Services Telecommunications centre be recovered through user charges. |
REC061-3257 | 9 - Community education | The Committee recommends that the FireVision concept used by the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board be extended through the Directorate of School Education's Interactive Television Program to all emergency services and in particular to rural fire and emergency services. |
REC061-3413 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Committee recommends to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services that a joint communications and dispatch facility be established under the Minister's control to implement the following minimum services to the Victoria Police and the emergency services: |
REC061-3253 | 37 - Funding | The Committee recommends that any change to the funding system reflect in a reduction of the total price charged to consumers through premiums by the insurance industry. |
REC061-3422 | 9 - Community education | The Committee recommends that the FireVision concept used by the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board be extended through the Directorate of School Education's Interactive Television Program to all emergency services and in particular to rural fire and emergency services. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
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. |
REC016_3947 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | It is recommended that the services of this body [Air Raids Precautions Body] be used in future if to do so be thought desirable. |
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_3953 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | It is therefore recommended that the State Electricity Commission should be advised by someone whose profession it is to consider and devise methods of forest fire protection and suppression; that he should collaborate with others to devise a general scheme of organized protection of the undertaking and township of Yallourn; and that above all, he should have direct access to the Commissioners themselves, lest his advice should lose something of its strength and reality in its journey through the “proper channels” of the Commission’s organization. |
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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC015_3960 | 33 - Relief and recovery | It is recommended that the Forests Commission recognize and provide for the efficient exercise of three major functions, namely those of Commerce, Reclamation and Rehabilitation. |
REC015_3959 | 37 - Funding | It is recommended that an annual grant be made to the Association for distribution among the brigades for the purposes of purchase of equipment of which the brigades are in urgent need. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC004-3999 | 10 - Infrastructure | That, in view of the fact that along many of the lines, between the road-bed and the fences, there are numbers of dry inflammable stumps, which, when they catch fire, are very difficult to extinguish, and that the surface of the ground surrounding these stumps is usually chipped by the permanent-way men every summer, thus causing considerable expense without removing the risk of fire, the Railway Department should remove this source of danger, by grabbing them out and burning them as early as may be found practicable. |