Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC324-4294 | 34 - Local knowledge | Environment: That, to maximise protection for the environment in and around floodplains, Government, working with local communities especially Indigenous communities, the NSWRA, other agencies and local councils ensure Indigenous voices are well heard in land use planning and natural resource management by: |
REC324-4313 | 8 - Communications and warnings | NSW disaster app: That, to improve community confidence in government messaging and warnings, the SEOCON and DCS develop a single ‘NSW disaster app’. This: |
REC324-4314 | 8 - Communications and warnings | PIFAC function: That, to ensure the community can better understand the threat of flood, storm and tsunami activity, the Department of Customer Service (DCS) be made accountable for PIFAC in all emergencies. This will improve access to clear, reliable and consistent messaging prior to and during emergencies. This transfers the PIFAC role from NSW Police Force to Service NSW. Under this PIFAC function, DCS would be responsible for: |
REC324-4295 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | Roads: That, to improve the planning and protection of road infrastructure and to ensure communities, freight movers, combat agencies and emergency services have appropriate access and egress during and following a flood event, Government, through TfNSW and NSWRA and working with combat agencies and local and federal governments as needed, should: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC323-4288 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the NSW Government work with the Commonwealth to develop a national cross-agency app to integrate all community services and agencies into a single platform so that everyone can receive accurate and timely information from one source during emergencies. |
REC323-4268 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That the NSW Government accelerate its caravan program and ensure it is made available as an option to all displaced residents from the February-March 2022 floods. |
REC323-4274 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That the NSW Government establish a standing workforce from within the public service to staff evacuation and recovery centres, with this workforce to be trained ahead of time and mobilised as soon as a natural disaster occurs. |
REC323-4287 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW State Emergency Service, in partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology, investigate ways in which local communities and local media with local knowledge can play a stronger role in flood predictions and warnings. |
REC323-4278 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That the NSW Government ensure that the current review of evacuation centres considers the role, accreditation and support of community evacuation centres, with the outcomes of this review to be made public and incorporated into the update of state emergency plans. |
REC323-4264 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW Government work in partnership with key Aboriginal stakeholders, including the Jali Local Aboriginal Land Council, to prioritise the rebuild of Cabbage Tree Island, and ensure a safe and resourced evacuation plan is in place. |
REC323-4265 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW Government work with First Nations peoples to support Aboriginal organisations in their capacity to operate and respond in times of natural disasters. |
REC323-4283 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the NSW Government work with the community broadcasting sector to identify ways in which community broadcasters could be better supported to provide critical services during natural disasters, with a view to providing them adequate long term funding. |
REC323-4275 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW Government, in partnership with community groups, including First Nations groups, develop initiatives to build community resilience, particularly in regions at high risk of future natural disaster events. |
REC323-4284 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the NSW Government review its public awareness and communication strategies in relation to natural disasters. |
REC323-4276 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW Government ensure that community groups, both existing and emerging, including First Nations groups, are well integrated into disaster recovery, by incorporating them into state recovery plans and engaging with them in between and in the lead up to natural disasters. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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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. |
REC316-4043 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | NDIA be engaged in regard to information sharing in emergencies as part of the above actions. |
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. |
REC316-4044 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | A Relocation and Evacuation working group be established from stakeholder organisations to consider and develop an Evacuation and Relocations Sub- Plan. The Sub-Plan should consider the lessons learned this year and address principles, lead agency, WHoG coordination, trigger points etc. This could be the same working group formed for reviewing the Emergencies Act, Plan and sub-plans. |
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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC315-3871 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That, in order to ensure equitable access to evacuation centres and associated support services for people in border communities, Resilience NSW ensure cross-border access arrangements are reflected in evacuation centre management guidelines. |
REC315-3863 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That, in order to provide real-time information on evacuation doorknocking during emergency events, Government explore a shared data gateway for NSW agencies based on the NSW State Emergency Service Collector app and a common mapping and analytics platform. |
REC315-3870 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That, in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable people during an evacuation, Resilience NSW: |
REC315-3865 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the NSW RFS include the following priorities in the Fires Near Me improvements roadmap: |
REC315-3835 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That, in order to ensure the safety of local landholders on firegrounds, the NSW RFS emphasises the importance of local landholders using protective clothing while fire fighting as part of the RFS’ ‘Farm Fire Unit Integration’ priority for 2020-21. |
REC315-3867 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That, in order to ensure evacuation centres are fit-for-purpose, Resilience NSW work with Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) to: a) update the guidelines for LEMCs identifying evacuation centres to require a risk assessment of potential locations, which should include identifying alternate sources of power for use by evacuation centres and recording these appropriately |
REC315-3808 | 22 - Role of local Gvt | That, in order to strengthen the capability of local councils in future emergency events: |
REC315-3862 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That, in order to improve information flows and increase public awareness of ABC emergency broadcasts, Government: |
REC315-3806 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That the NSW RFS work with AFAC to analyse the impact of changing fire seasons on inter- jurisdictional resource sharing agreements, both domestic and international, and determine any flow-on effects for NSW fire fighting personnel capacity. |
REC315-3866 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That, in order to ensure evacuation arrangements can be scaled up when needed, Resilience NSW: |
REC315-3832 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That, in order to improve the provision of evidence-based public health messaging about air quality during bush fire events, Government develop a public education campaign and supporting systems before the next bush fire season. This should include: |
REC315-3814 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That the NSW RFS identifies remote bush fire prone areas that do not already have an indoor Neighbourhood Safer Place (NSP) and upgrades the relevant NSW RFS Stations to meet NSP guidelines. These stations would require adequate Asset Protection Zones and active/passive protection systems to provide short-term protection. |
REC315-3811 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That in order to provide greater consistency in public information and warnings, especially in border areas: |
REC315-3872 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That, in order to improve support for people evacuating with animals, the Department of Primary Industries: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC302-2396 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Commissioners of Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and the RFS issue an instruction to FRNSW ComCen that while AVL capability is being made available to the RFS vehicle fleet, no offers of assistance by one agency to the other in combatting a fire is rejected or delayed if what is being offered is appropriate |
REC302-2404 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Review the effectiveness of emergency public information arrangements, and give consideration to embedding an ABC Manager (not a journalist) into the RFS headquarters during emergencies to broadcast warnings to the community that can be pooled to commercial media outlets |
REC302-2394 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Take immediate steps to eliminate fire boundaries for call and dispatch purposes to create an agnostic approach to the threat of fires from both a departmental and organisational perspective |
REC302-2393 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | In recognising the success of the work of both the volunteer based Rural Fire Service and the full time Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) members in joint operations – both agencies should be represented at major briefings or press conferences to reinforce successful integrated collaborative efforts rather than individual agency achievements |
REC302-2400 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Until a single call centre is developed, continue deployments of a senior RFS officer to Fire and Rescue NSW ComCen on a 24/7 day basis. This arrangement should determine the quickest most suitable resource and who is ‘in charge’ of an incident |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC281-1203 | 22 - Role of local Gvt | Impact Assessment Data Sharing The Office of Emergency Management: · with the SEOCON, jointly provides further guidance to Regional Emergency Management Officers about their role in facilitating local council access to the Impact Assessment Data Base · with REMOs and the SEOCON jointly provides further information to local councils about Impact Assessment Data Sharing Arrangements and the data available through this mechanism · includes information about the Impact Assessment Data Sharing Arrangements in the Local Recovery Toolkit · develops a mechanism to allow local councils to have direct access to the collated impact data. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC267-1149 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | PES External Surge Program The success of the PES External Surge Program and the willingness of participants to deploy at short notice to support the recovery effort is commendable, as is the readiness of their supervisors to release them from their duties to enable deployment. The Program, supported by an appropriate training program, is one that should be sustained as part of the whole of Government recovery readiness effort. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC261-1509 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW Rural Fire Service, in order to ensure greater respect for volunteer fire fighters’ knowledge and experience in the management of fires: |
REC261-1497 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the NSW Rural Fire Service investigate mechanisms to enhance the predictability of megafires and how this information is communicated easily to the public. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC260-1055 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the Rural Fire Service together with other land managers develop a program whereby local stakeholders come together regularly (every 2 months during non-fire season and monthly during the fire season) to share intelligence and to consider hazard and incident management measures for implementation. |
REC260-1059 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Rural Fire Service and National Parks and Wildlife Service consider amending their protocols for upgrading advices to higher levels to emphasise the significance and urgency of raising warning levels as soon as the potential dangers of fire to lives or property materially increase. |
REC260-1051 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Rural Fire Service consider redrafting the disclaimer in its fire predictions to make abundantly clear where the potential errors or omissions may affect the prediction and how to detect them if they are there (for example, by comparing them with linescans) and what other factors (such as VLS) may affect the predictions and in what way. |
REC260-1067 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That as part of the adoption of such a posture in ‘severe’ or worse fire conditions, the National Parks and Wildlife Service consider alerting, at an early stage, all relevant persons and organisations, such as shire councils, heavy plant operators, the local RFS captains, Fire & Rescue NSW and other emergency services, that it is doing so, and that their assistance may be required at short notice. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC259-1048 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That State and Local Government agencies maximise communication to the residents owning bushfire prone properties to be aware of their level of exposure by having access to the BAL relevant to their property. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC228-1628 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The Emergency Services Agency should develop and test administrative procedures for the communications systems used for the distribution of public warning and emergency alerts. |
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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REC208-0524 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Premier issue clear and unambiguous guidelines to all Government Ministers specifying the timing of notifications to the public of any matters that may affect public health or safety. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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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 |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC129-3629 | 8 - Communications and warnings | We recommend that NSW Health continue with its good work and continue to improve communication mechanisms with those, such as GPs, likely to be affected in major infectious disease outbreaks. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC128-3600 | 34 - Local knowledge | The Department of Primary Industries continue to consult local community about emergency planning and sites for disposal to retain confidence in the event of a genuine emergency. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC126-1982 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Australian Federal Police and the Emergency Services Agency agree on a policy on community safety and evacuation during bushfires, based on the Australasian Fire Authorities Council position outlined in its paper Community Safety and Evacuation during Bushfires. Community education programs should incorporate advice on this, including the ‘stay or go’ policy |
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 |
REC126-1998 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That a system of public warnings that uses grid references shown on the maps in the Canberra telephone directory be adopted |
REC126-1997 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Emergency Services Agency conduct investigations - and liase with emergency services agencies in other jurisdicions - in order to ascertain what technologies exist and are effective for use in disseminating warnings and associated information to the community of the ACT |
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 |
REC126-2008 | 34 - Local knowledge | That, if he is willing to participate, Mr John Lowe be made a member of the implementation taskforce to which I refer in recommendation 70 |
REC126-1994 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Emergnecy Services Agency publicise and demonstrate the use of the Standard Emergency Warning Signal and provide to the community adequate explanation of the application of the signal. This should occur at least annually, in conjunction with any pre-summer fire awareness initiatives |
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 |
REC126-2007 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the views and concerns expressed by the ACT Sustainable Rural Lands Group be taken into account when implementing the recommendations in this report |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC013_3968 | 22 - Role of local Gvt | Any number of persons, wishing to form a Bush Fire Brigade, may, by a majority vote of the ratepayers in the particular area, requisition the Shire Council to proclaim such area a Bush Fire Brigade area, and the Council may then impose, with the concurrence of a majority of such ratepayers, a special levy for the purpose of equipping such brigades and carrying out its neccessary functions. |
REC013_3977 | 8 - Communications and warnings | To arrange with settlers who live on hills or have a clear view, and are connected by telephone, to act as " look-outs ", and to communicate with the brigade in the case of fire. |
REC013_3967 | 22 - Role of local Gvt | Each Shire Council shall divide the lands within their respective shires into suitable areas for the formation of Bush Fire Brigades as requested. |