The Inspector-General of Emergency Management recommends that all local governments that currently use pre-formatted messages within the Emergency Alert system review and, where necessary, redraft messages using the principles of Clear Explicit Translatable Language (CETL).  

The Inspector-General of Emergency Management recommends Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, in consultation with the Queensland Police Service, incorporate into the workflow of the current Emergency Alert system a process that ensures the inclusion of an ‘urgent approval and distribution without delay’ process for Emergency Alert messages by 1 November 2022.

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.

The Inspector-General of Emergency Management recommends Queensland Fire and Emergency Services lead an urgent multi-agency (including but not limited to the Queensland Police Service and Brisbane City Council) review of the workflow, of the current Emergency Alert system, including requesting, composing, authorising and issuing of Emergency Alerts by 1 November 2022.  

The Inspector-General of Emergency Management recommends Queensland Fire and Emergency Services implement the Australian Warning System for all nationally agreed hazards by 1 November 2023. Implementation should include guidance and training to all local governments and agencies operationally involved in disaster management, with emphasis on those agencies with hazard specific responsibility.

The Inspector-General of Emergency Management recommends that all local governments that do not have pre-formatted messages and polygons engage with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and determine whether their local disaster management group capability could be improved through the development of pre-formatted polygons and messages.

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:
• proactively assessing community sentiment and working with agencies to effectively disseminate key disaster information to all communities including vulnerable, culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse communities
• coordinating clear, consistent, reliable messaging from all government agencies, especially during a disaster
• working with the SEMC, the Bureau of Meteorology, the new NSWRA and SEOCON to provide public statements evaluating the likely risk of flooding and the effectiveness of planning and preparation for the upcoming season. This should be based on sophisticated monitoring of key risk factors and signals for extreme flood events. It should form the basis for clear public communication about these risks on a regional basis and the actions that the Government proposes in preparation.
• working with the NSWRA and SEOCON to deliver a single communication tool for riverine floods, flash floods and dam warnings which uses all available inputs (such as information from the Bureau, real-time river and rain observations data and citizen science data) and provides an assessment of antecedent conditions (such as saturated catchments, soil moisture and water storage capacity). This information should be available to communities and individuals in real-time, on live warning signs in town centres (using satellite connections so they are not reliant on local telecommunications infrastructure)
• recognising that community will revert to social media platforms to self organise when government is unable to respond, the NSW Government should also consider how to work with social media companies and online communities to ensure consistent messaging during an emergency. This may include directing individual users to Government platforms for updated information.

Permanent SEOCON: That, to improve NSW’s ability to prepare and respond to floods and other disasters, Government establish a new Deputy Commissioner of NSW Police Force to take on permanently the SEOCON role. This role, in addition to current SEOCON functions, would be responsible for:
• chairing the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC)
• facilitating collaborative risk management and compliance activities working with local and regional emergency management committees, communities, local government, state government agencies, particularly the proposed NSWRA, and the Australian Government
• working with relevant state government agencies to improve their operational readiness and preparedness for emergencies including, but not limited to, training, education, and ensuring proactive understanding of the location and condition of assets available to the combat agency in the event of an emergency, rather than this information being sought during an emergency, with agencies being required to report on implementation and progress through the SEMC
• ownership of a state capability framework to ensure combat agencies can resource a catastrophic event (so, for example, that during a flood emergency SES deploys all available assets, not just assets owned by SES)
• leading training standards across combat agencies, local government, NGOs and essential service providers.
• establishing funded permanent emergency management police positions (at sergeant or senior sergeant level) focussed on local emergency management service delivery for the SEOCON across all 27 police districts in regional NSW, and the 3 police metropolitan regions in Sydney, with priority given to identified high risk-catchments
• supporting existing interstate connectivity
• State Emergency Recovery Controller (SERCON) responsibilities, which could be delegated to a recovery coordinator/s as deemed appropriate
• leading the proposed new agency, Recovery NSW.
That, to support the Deputy Police Commissioner, SEOCON, a full-time secretariat office led by a Deputy Secretary for Emergency Management be established within, though functionally separate from, NSW Police to drive policy development and implementation. This office should be well-trained to ensure the effective chairing of, and secretariat support for, the SEMC.

Landholders can access information on previous disasters: That, to ensure there is a single source of ground truth to prepare for and respond to emergencies, and to provide people with a better understanding of their individual property and community risk exposure, an online visualisation tool be developed to display, for all land parcels (land titles) in NSW, the extent of known disasters that have affected each piece of land in NSW in the past. This information should be made available through the Planning Portal and, particularly in light of climate change, the data involved should be revised and updated at least every two years and after each major natural disaster.

Knowledge resources to support flood management: That, to provide more accurate and complete data for flood threat identification, warning and modelling systems, Government through the proposed new NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) work with the Australian Government to:
• improve the rain and river gauge network by:
— implementing the Bureau’s proposed New Policy Proposal for rain and river gauges in NSW
— working to transfer ownership and maintenance responsibility for as many of the river and rain gauges as possible in NSW to the Bureau of Meteorology
— upgrading and ensuring there is a maintenance program across NSW for those gauges that remain in state and local government ownership
• upgrade radar capability in NSW to ensure overlapping coverage and some redundancy, through upgrades to existing fixed radars, and investment in new fixed and mobile radars.
Also that the Government through the NSWRA:
• ensure that all relevant state entities and local councils implement the Bureau flash flooding guidelines for all watercourses for which they have flood warning responsibility, drawing on the state’s significant expertise in remote sensing to implement effective monitoring and warning systems that send warnings to all residents and businesses in affected areas
• make real-time flood warnings and information – both raw information from gauges and processed information from models – available publicly via a smartphone app (ideally part of a state disaster information app) that also allows citizens to provide information during a flood to help authorities and community. This information could include flood imagery and local knowledge observations in the lead into, during, and immediately after flood events.

Cost benefit framework:That, to enable a more systematic prioritisation of investment options in risk mitigation before, during and immediately following a natural disaster event, Government adopt and utilise a Disaster Cost Benefit Framework. This Framework will enable Government to estimate the investment required for any given disaster, starting with flood events, and will enable the fast allocation of funding based on detailed and rapid analysis of flood and property modification, mitigation, preparation, response and finance related options including:
• flood modification measures/flood defence (including dams/ water management; levees; waterway or floodplain modifications; etc)
• property modification measures/flood risk mitigation (including land filling; flood proofing; house raising; optimum zoning; removal of development (buy back schemes/relocation))
• response modification measures/flood preparation (including flood warnings; upgrading evacuation routes; evacuation planning; emergency response and education programs; flood data collection and sharing; etc)
• finance related options (including building standard reforms; restructure and reduction of stamp duty; direct subsidies; government reinsurance pools; etc)
The Framework should build on the preliminary version developed by NSW Treasury and provided to this Inquiry. To support this Framework, Government should also use the NSW Adaptation Fund that can be drawn on during or immediately following a flood event.

Caravan parks and manufactured home estates: That, to ensure that permanent residents of caravan parks and mobile housing estates are protected from flood, Government: • prohibit permanent residency in caravan parks and mobile housing estates situated below the risk-based flood planning level. Caravan parks for holiday makers could still be on the floodplain with the provision that, if a flood is imminent, they need to be evacuated • address the issues raised in the 2015 Discussion Paper (Improving the regulation of manufactured homes, caravan parks, manufactured home estates and camping grounds).

Relocating communities most at risk with good homes and amenities: That, to empower vulnerable people and communities to relocate, Government through the NSWRA:
• identify and prioritise those communities most at risk from future disasters, and for whom relocation may be appropriate or necessary
• leverage the work done through Government’s homes, cities, manufacturing and skills policies, to collaborate and work with these communities in examining, designing, building and installing affordable, attractive and insurable housing options (e.g. locally fabricated high quality modular homes, or utilising local builders to retrofit and/or relocate existing homes to safer ground) and to enable small housing developments with capacity to grow organically over time
• utilise best-practice policy for rapid urbanism and community-building to establish new settlements. This should include:
— an enquiry-by-design or charrette process led by the Government Architect to ensure that new settlements reflect the aspirations and vernacular of the local community, whilst meeting the technical needs of establishing settlements and delivering infrastructure at low cost. This should also include considering how to repurpose floodplains for community use and benefit, i.e. recreation, sports and energy production as part of the process of returning land below the flood planning level to Government ownership. It should also consider the role of locally manufactured, well-designed and regulated modular housing solutions
— promoting a sense of community by ensuring appropriate amenity (e.g. schools, shops, and services) is available to relocating people and communities at the time of moving to their new settlements
— working with the financial and philanthropic sectors to investigate a special purpose fund to provide continuing support for these communities as they transit through re-establishment.

SES and RFS back-office merger: That, to help protect life and property across NSW in storm and flood events, and to improve resourcing and NSW State Emergency Service (SES) frontline capability, Government implement, before the next storm season, a merger of the SES and NSW Rural Fire Services (RFS) back-office and corporate service functions, while maintaining their separate legislative identity, brand, uniform and volunteer membership. This ‘joined-up’ RFS/SES corporate support structure would be under the command of the RFS given its corporate and operational maturity and would be responsible for:
• placing risk at the centre of all decision making and planning for catastrophic disasters
• establishing a dedicated intelligence unit that synthesises the wealth of intelligence available to inform critical decision making, particularly for flash flooding
• establishing a planning unit to help better prepare communities, NSW combat and other agencies, and local governments about upcoming flood and storm seasons
• establishing a fulltime SES position for each high-risk catchment to ensure flood identification, response assets and supporting infrastructure is serviced, operational and ready to deploy
• designing and implementing a workforce plan to identify any capacity and capability gaps in frontline emergency staff, now and into the future
• improving the hiring standards of frontline full-time staff in operational decision-making positions
• improving the support, training and retention of both frontline staff and volunteers
• improving media protocols and identifying a designated media spokesperson during a disaster.
The newly merged model should be reviewed in 12 months’ time by the SEMC.

Task Force Hawk: That, to ensure disaster readiness, Government establish a high-level Government standing committee, Task Force ‘Hawk’, comprising key Cabinet Ministers, Secretaries and Commissioners that meets, trains and exercises to ensure Government is prepared to respond to any emergency. Task Force ‘Hawk’ should resonate with the community in difficult times to ensure the highest level of confidence in Government’s response.
Further, to improve the preparation for and timely response to disasters, and to ensure the emergency management systems and plans are fit for purpose, effective and appropriate, within 12 months Government, via the SEOCON, ensure all emergency management processes and plans have been updated and implemented.

Simplify the planning system disaster provisions: That, to simplify and improve the state planning processes especially when anticipating and recovering from a disaster, Government:
• ensure there is a clear line of sight directing councils and planning authorities to include disaster response and resilient settlement outcomes in long term strategic plans (Regional and District Plans as well as Local Strategic Planning Statements). This may require more prominence to be given to Planning for a more resilient NSW: A strategic guide to planning for natural hazards (Department of Planning, Industry and the Environment) as well as a clear link to the risk-based approach to hazard identification and the disaster adaptation plans
• ensure the NSWRA provides the necessary tools and advice to enable planning authorities to incorporate cumulative impacts of potential natural disasters into strategic plans. These tools should ensure the disaster adaptation plans can be given real effect in strategic plans for settlement and local planning controls
• ensure that Ministerial Directions on hazard and natural disasters (directions 4.1 and 4.6 inclusive) are updated to reflect the new risk-based approach to flood planning levels and deliver the disaster adaptation plans to the zoning process
• create specific flood planning provisions as a new chapter in the SEPP (Resilience and Hazards). These provisions would draw the existing flood planning clauses (5.21 and 5.22 in the standard instrument) up into the SEPP
• put the natural disaster clause (5.9 in the standard instrument) into a new chapter in the SEPP Resilience and Hazards, along with objectives to assist councils to use the clause to build back to more resilient standards
• update planning guidance so that wherever possible community facilities, such as might be used for evacuation centres, are located above the probable maximum flood and essential services are located above the flood planning level
• ensure that the strategic land use frameworks and related controls permit new developments only in line with the evacuation capacity both individually and cumulatively
• ensure that the strategic land use frameworks enable higher density flood resilient precincts to locate more development at or above the PMF and use a higher flood planning level to avoid catastrophic costs from extreme flooding, as well as deliver cost-effective controls for individual structures.

NSW disaster app: That, to improve community confidence in government messaging and warnings, the SEOCON and DCS develop a single ‘NSW disaster app’. This:
• will consolidate individual agencies warning apps
• have a simple interface that is accessible via mobile devices
• provide real time flood warnings and information, both raw information from gauges and processed information from publicly available models
• allow citizens to provide information during a flood to help authorities and community, including flood imagery and local knowledge observations in the lead into, during and immediately after flood events. Further, the SEOCON and DCS develop a single impact assessment tool accessible by DCS/Service NSW to expediate grants for and insurance claims on homes and businesses.

Resilience NSW and recovery: That, in order to enhance NSW disaster preparedness, response and recovery, and meet the needs of the people of NSW prior to, during and after a disaster, and provide clarity on agency roles and responsibilities, Resilience NSW be reshaped to ‘Recovery NSW’. The new agency will be more streamlined and agile to drive recovery in the first 100 days post disaster. To achieve this, Resilience NSW’s functions should be reallocated as follows:
• disaster preparedness and support, and disaster emergency management policy and service delivery to the newly created Deputy Commissioner of Police responsible for the SEOCON [Recovery NSW]
• community engagement and public education on disaster risk and preparations to DCS/NSWRA
• disaster recovery and renewal management and coordination to the newly created NSWRA
• evacuation centre management and coordination to the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), which includes support for self-styled community evacuation centres. Many of DCJ’s current functions deal with people in crisis, therefore the Inquiry finds it best placed to perform the role of evacuation centre lead. The Inquiry notes the importance of a police or security presence in evacuation centres, particularly in the early days of the establishment of the evacuation centres
• welfare services functional area (WELFAC) to the DCJ
• grants administration to the Department of Customer Service (DCS)/Service NSW for immediate relief and the NSWRA for longer term recovery and reconstruction. There should also be a renewed focus on agency, local and state government training.

Risk-based approach to calculating flood planning: That, to take account of greater knowledge of climate change, Government reinforce its adoption of a risk-based approach to calculating the flood planning level for planning purposes and, through the NSWRA, immediately start a process of revising all flood planning level calculations in the state’s high-risk catchments. Flood planning level re-determinations for all high-risk catchments should be completed within 3 years. These revised flood planning levels will need to be factored into all development applications (in-progress and new) in those high-risk catchments. The risk profile of high-risk catchments should be revisited at appropriate time intervals to check that levels are current. A review should take place if there has been a significant trigger event (i.e. changed rainfall, development) or at least every 5 years. As well as reviewing the flood planning level, this 5-yearly review should include reviewing any floodplain lease conditions and adjusting them as necessary in the light of better knowledge of climate change impacts. In working out a tolerable, risk-based flood planning level, consideration should be given to the PMF, 1% AEP, 0.02% AEP, existing development, approved but not yet constructed developments, and existing and approved but not yet constructed evacuation routes.
In coordinating this flood planning level re-determination process, NSWRA should work closely with local councils, DPE, communities, state water authorities and state and national engineering and research organisations. In doing so, the NSWRA should also:
• extend and then maintain the DPE state-wide flood database and associated visualisation interface. This database, which should link to LandiQ, would support:
— monitoring of the flood warning and sensing environment
— monitoring of trends in rainfall activity and impacts, including timing, cause, extent and intensity
— tracking trends and identifying patterns in associated weather and climate signals that contribute to severe floods
— evaluation of the cost and effectiveness of risk mitigation efforts, including land preparation, planning use and management, to enable a better understanding of what works
— simulation of extreme rainfall events and resultant flooding
— identification of ‘at risk’ river and catchment systems for flash flooding
— rapid and effective deployment of resources during a flash flood event
• act as the main coordination point for all NSW hydrological modelling, working with local government, other state agencies, universities, professional bodies (e.g. Engineers Australia) and the Australian Government (especially the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO) to improve future NSW flood risk assessment (and hence accuracy and timeliness of flood prediction) by building more formal connections between the extensive existing physical hydrological modelling (done by various NSW agencies) with the Bureau’s meteorological and climatological research and riverine flood models
• support local councils to improve modelling of and ensure adequate and appropriate alarm systems for flash flooding.

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.

That the NSW Government review the provision of temporary and long term housing options provided to those affected by the February-March 2022 floods, with a view to: • ensuring a range of options are identified and embedded within emergency and recovery plans, so that solutions can be implemented as soon as possible after a natural disaster • ensuring that housing options meet individual and community needs • removing planning impediments that prevent those from accessing more safe and secure housing in times of crisis. 

That the NSW Government consider investing in supporting relocations, land swaps and providing fair and adequate compensation for landowners who wish to relocate from severely flood-impacted areas. 

That the NSW Government consider abolishing Resilience NSW if it is unable to ensure:
• the organisation's role is clear after reviewing its policies, objectives and funding
• the organisation and its policies are focused on meeting community needs.

That the NSW Government consider a restructure of the NSW State Emergency Service with consideration to: realigning the focus of the organisation to harness local knowledge and networks; coordinating more closely with other rescue agencies to bolster its capacity to respond; and increasing salaried staff and resources, and driving volunteer recruitment.

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.

That the NSW Government work with local government, industry and sustainable planning experts, including the Government Architect, on policy initiatives in the New South Wales planning system that will help deliver more resilient and sustainable homes, buildings and places. 

That the NSW Government review its public awareness and communication strategies in relation to natural disasters.

That the NSW Government significantly increase its investment in flood mitigation and preparation, including its support of local governments to do the same, by: • increasing ongoing, long term funding and access to technical guidance and assistance for local councils • ensuring that land-use planning and development takes a risk-based approach. 

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.

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.

The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Maryborough District Disaster Management Group works with the Fraser Coast Local Disaster Management Group to prepare and exercise a communications sub-plan with all responsible agencies, to clarify the roles, responsibilities and communication channels used for restricting access to K’gari.

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.

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.

The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends a public information resource be developed by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to inform the community and stakeholders about aerial assets utilised in bushfire response.

The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends Queensland Fire and Emergency Services examines the use of predictive service capability to inform prevention and preparedness in addition to response activities.

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.

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

We recommend that 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.

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.

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

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

We recommend that DELWP improves the Powerline Bushfire Safety Program's transparency by publicly reporting on activities, costs and risk-reduction outcomes.

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

Recovery governance: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that the Victorian Government establish a permanent and comprehensive entity dedicated to recovery management with the authority, capability, capacity and resourcing to coordinate the planning and delivery of recovery functions for all emergencies.

Relief governance: The Inspector General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria lead the development of relief arrangements to achieve greater clarity of roles, reporting and accountability in relief across state, regional and incident tiers. These arrangements should:
(a) incorporate local knowledge and leverage local capabilities in the development of these arrangements
(b) be used to develop training opportunities and materials to increase relief capability across the sector, with a particular focus on capability development of operational leaders
(c) coordinate multi-agency exercises to practise and refine these relief arrangements.

Relief governance: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that the Emergency Management Commissioner strengthen the State Emergency Management Plan and supporting operational arrangements in accordance with his legislative obligations to ensure the roles and responsibilities of the State Emergency Relief Coordinator and the State Relief and Recovery Team are clear. These documents should enable:
(a) appropriate communication and tasking between the state, regional and incident/local tiers in relation to relief priorities
(b) clear accountability and reporting arrangements for senior operational leaders including the Emergency Management Commissioner, State Response Controller and State Recovery Coordinator.

Public communications: The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria and / or the entity referred to in Recommendation 13, or otherwise responsible government department, work with councils and government to refine an operational relief and recovery public communications strategy that:
(a) ensures time-critical response and safety information is clear and concise
(b) provides a centralised information point for time-critical relief and early recovery information.

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. 

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:
a) documentation reflects relevant risks and potential impacts
b) briefings and training schedules have been tailored and delivered according to seasonal influences
c) recruitment strategies enable the engagement of adequate numbers of appropriately skilled personnel for the entire season. 

Australian, state and territory governments should develop arrangements that facilitate greater inclusion of primary healthcare providers in disaster management, including: representation on relevant disaster committees and plans and providing training, education and other supports. 

Australian, state and territory governments should work together to develop a program for national level recovery exercises, building on the work currently underway through the Community Outcomes and Recovery Subcommittee of the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee. 

Australian, state and territory governments should expedite the delivery of a Public Safety Mobile Broadband capability. 

Australian, state and territory governments should develop an Australian-based and registered national aerial firefighting capability, to be tasked according to greatest national need. This capability should include:
(1) a modest, very large air tanker/large air tanker, and Type-1 helicopter capability, including supporting infrastructure, aircrew and aviation support personnel, and
(2) any other aerial firefighting capabilities (eg Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), line-scanning, transport, and logistics) that would benefit from a nationally coordinated approach. 

State and territory governments, working with local governments and fire and emergency service agencies, should ensure that there are appropriate arrangements for roadside vegetation management that take into account, among other things:
(1) priority access and egress routes
(2) road priority, utility and strategic value
(3) cost, and
(4) residual risk to national natural disasters. 

The Australian Building Codes Board, working with other bodies as appropriate, should:
(1) assess the extent to which AS 3959:2018 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas, and other relevant building standards, are effective in reducing risk from natural hazards to lives and property, and 
(2) conduct an evaluation as to whether the National Construction Code should be amended to specifically include, as an objective of the code, making buildings more resilient to natural hazards. 

Australian, state and territory governments should continue to explore the feasibility of a national, all-hazard emergency warning app. 

State and territory governments should have a structured process to regularly assess the capacity and capability requirements of fire and emergency services, in light of both current and future natural disaster risk. 

The Australian Government should work with state and territory governments and critical infrastructure operators to improve information flows during and in response to natural disasters:
(1) between critical infrastructure operators, and
(2) between critical infrastructure operators and government. 

State, territory and local governments should be required to consider present and future natural disaster risk when making land-use planning decisions for new developments. 

The Australian Government should facilitate state and territory governments working together to develop minimum national standards of information to be included in bushfire warnings apps. 

The National Disaster Risk Information Services Capability should include tools and systems to support operational and strategic decision making, including integrated climate and disaster risk scenarios tailored to various needs of relevant industry sectors and end users. 

The Australian Government, working with state and territory governments and critical infrastructure operators, should lead a process to:
(1) identify critical infrastructure
(2) assess key risks to identified critical infrastructure from natural disasters
of national scale or consequence
(3) identify steps needed to mitigate these risks
(4) identify steps to make the critical infrastructure more resilient, and
(5) track achievement against an agreed plan. 

Australian, state and territory governments should review the assessment and approval processes relating to vegetation management, bushfire mitigation and hazard reduction to:
(1) ensure that there is clarity about the requirements and scope for landholders and land managers to undertake bushfire hazard reduction activities, and
(2) minimise the time taken to undertake assessments and obtain approvals. 

State and territory governments should urgently deliver and implement thevall-hazard Australian Warning System. 

Australian, state and territory governments should support the implementation of the National Disaster Risk Information Services Capability and aligned climate adaptation initiatives. 

Australian, state and territory governments, in consultation with local governments and the private sector, should review supply chain risks, and consider options to ensure supply of essential goods in times of natural disasters. 

Public land managers should clearly convey and make available to the public their fuel load management strategies, including the rationale behind them, as well as report annually on the implementation and outcomes of those strategies. 

State and territory governments should expedite the development and implementation of the Australian Fire Danger Rating System. It should ensure that there is national consistency in the visual display of the AFDRS and action to be taken in response to each rating. 

The Australian Government should establish a standing entity that will enhance national natural disaster resilience and recovery, focused on long-term disaster risk reduction. 

Australian, state and territory governments should conduct multi-agency, national-level exercises, not limited to cross-border jurisdictions. These exercises should, at a minimum:
(1) assess national capacity, inform capability development and coordination in response to, and recovery from, natural disasters, and
(2) use scenarios that stress current capabilities. 

The PICC be exercised in conjunction with any and all Emergency Plan exercises to test and refine strengthened arrangements.

The role, level, requirements and expectations of an ECC LO be clarified in the Emergency Plan and ECC Ops Sub-plan.

Concurrent and/or non–standard emergencies such as energy supply impacts be included in future exercise programs.

That when determining their Management Executive, at a minimum the EC should consider appointing Director-General JACS and the PIC as standing members.

Establish a Communications Working Group (CWG) with representatives from across key Directorates (CMTEDD, ESA, ACT Policing, Health, CHS, EPSDD for example) to review the CCIP and to further identify how the CCIP can be best implemented and utilised. The CWG should report its progress though SEMSOG and coordinate with other WG’s. Bringing together a small Taskforce of staff from across government for a set period would assist the working group in delivering the work needed to address these and other recommendations.

Any changes to the ECC structure and role be exercised both within ESA and across a WHoG exercise and testing program.

That the Emergency Plan be amended to include considerations for declaring a State of Alert or Emergency (and also wind back from these) and guidance as to what actions and decisions at a minimum should be taken as a consequence of such a declaration.

Government give consideration to investment in professional specialities such as fire behaviour analysts, airbase managers, aerial firefighting technical specialists etc for the RFS.

An opportunity to exercise and test the formation and functioning of a Management Executive through desktop and/or limited scenario-based exercises be provided.

The working group should report to SEMSOG on progress.

The ESA hold bi-lateral executive level meetings with the utility providers on a regular basis in consultation with other relevant Government stakeholders.

All organisations who have a role in the ECC should review their existing arrangements to ensure there is a sufficient cohort of staff to maintain a presence in the ECC at a level and with an imprimatur sufficient to make decisions and allocate resources and have access to senior executive levels if needed.

That, in order to ensure all firefighters understand how local situational awareness reflects (or may not reflect) the broader scale situation presented by a large/extreme bush fire and the implications this may have on asset protection and fire suppression strategies, the NSW RFS:
a) develops information packages for all types of operating environments to improve out-of- area crews’ understanding of the local terrain and fuels, and distributes information to out-of-area crew members from all fire authorities
b) accelerates the roll out of Mobile Data Terminals into all fire fighting vehicles to improve delivery of briefings and incident information/intelligence to field commanders.

That Government, acknowledging that a strategic approach to planning for bush fire will take time, and in order to protect, prepare and build resilience into existing communities better, should immediately:
- prepare, in association with the insurance sector, a model framework and statutory basis for the establishment of an enforcement, compliance and education program which adopts a risk-based approach to routine inspection of local bush fire prone developments to ensure that every local development on bush fire prone land is prepared for future bush fire seasons in accordance with bush fire protection standards of the day, that account for worsening conditions
- ensure local government is resourced to enable effective audit, enforcement and compliance powers in respect of local developments and assets on bush fire land
- consider the introduction of subsidies for property owners to undertake site mitigation works to reduce bush fire risk and work with the Insurance Council of Australia to develop an agreed set of measures to insure against with a view to risk reductions resulting in lower insurance premiums
- review vegetation clearing policies to ensure that the processes are clear and easy to navigate for the community, and that they enable appropriate bush fire risk management by individual landowners without undue cost or complexity.

That, to ensure mobile generators are sourced and distributed on a priority basis during natural disasters, the EUSFAC work with the NSW Telco Authority, relevant NSW government agencies and commercial stakeholders to develop a mobile asset deployment strategy. The strategy should reduce duplication in purchasing, maintaining and housing mobile generators and improve agility in deployment.

That in order to provide greater consistency in public information and warnings, especially in border areas:
a) the finalisation of the Australian Warning System be prioritised to provide greater consistency in public information and warnings
b) the NSW State Emergency Management Committee, including the Public Information and Warnings Sub-Committee, prioritise the implementation of the Australian Warning System and data standards for relevant hazards within NSW.

That, in order to ensure timely payment and maintain positive ongoing supplier relationships during large-scale bush fires, the NSW RFS implements an automated logistics solution, informed by the outcomes of the Emergency Logistics Project.

That Government commit to shifting to a strategic approach to planning for bush fire, and develop a new NSW Bush Fire Policy similar to the NSW Flood Prone Land Policy in order to accommodate changing climate conditions and the increasing likelihood of catastrophic bush fire conditions; to build greater resilience into both existing and future communities; and to decrease costs associated with recovery and rebuilding.

That as a matter of urgency, in order to accelerate and finalise a State-wide strategic fire trail network, the NSW RFS Commissioner and Bush Fire Coordinating Committee (BFCC):
- set a deadline for Bush Fire Management Committees to complete all outstanding Fire Access and Fire Trail (FAFT) Plans for submission to BFCC for approval, and a related deadline for BFCC consideration of these
- assess the completed suite of FAFT Plans to identify high-priority trails of relative strategic importance across the State for urgent construction or upgrades with particular reference to the needs of upcoming fire seasons
- enforce completion of annual fire trail condition assessment reporting by relevant landholders. Following this, the BFCC should, as part of its standard business, undertake an audit of all FAFT Plans and annual fire trail condition assessment reports
- develop a single asset management system to capture the outcomes of annual fire trail condition assessment reporting on a tenure-blind basis to support BFCC strategic and budgetary prioritisation and inform funding allocation to agencies for capital works programs
- commission a review of FAFT Plans, with particular assessment of containment line potential, following a significant bush fire event in their area, as part of the planned review of BFCC Policy and NSW RFS Standards in 2020-21.
Where it is not feasible to construct a fire trail completely on public land, and private landowners are not satisfied with proposed negotiated arrangements to construct the trail across their land, Government should negotiate acquisition of an easement interest, with appropriate compensation, over private land.

That, in order to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of heavy plant used in dry fire fighting techniques, the NSW RFS expand and introduce the following in respect to heavy plant:
a) increase the number of trained Heavy Plant Supervisors and Managers to ensure an appropriate level of supervision in future significant fire seasons and to facilitate better the identification and tasking of appropriate localised heavy plant contractors; and review the feasibility of linkage to the SAP system for invoicing improvements. This should be introduced prior to the 2020-21 fire season
b) expand ARENA software to include the Heavy Plant Register, including the introduction
of GPS tracking for all agency and contracted plant, to improve contractual compliance
c) review the existing contractual process to ensure all heavy plant is categorised into types, size and functionality along with exploring potential for a standardised hourly rate for that category of equipment
d) work with Soil Conservation Service to ensure appropriate standards for the engagement and management of heavy plant to deliver safe and effective heavy plant service, including the delivery of standards and auditing.
 

That government agencies managing land (at all levels and through all agencies) be the best neighbours possible by considering their neighbours when undertaking activities related to bush fire preparation and having clear, two-way communication about these activities, with the aspiration that government landholders will be seen as highly desirable neighbours.

That, in order to ensure outcomes-based roadside vegetation management to reduce roadside tree fall and grass ignitions in planning and preparing for bush fire, Transport for NSW, working with local government and NSW RFS, establish a consistent framework for roadside vegetation management that analyses road priority, utility, amenity, strategic value and risk. The framework should:
- take into consideration landscape characteristics like distance, slope, set back, vegetation maturity and type. Acceptable outcomes under this framework could include clear verges, or alternatives such as safe zones/pull-outs
- tie in formally with other strategic land use and biodiversity processes.

That the NSW RFS include the following priorities in the Fires Near Me improvements roadmap:
a) text enlargement functionality
b) a clear statement about the app’s limitations and the importance of heeding public warnings and relying on personal observations
c) fire spread prediction maps on extreme/catastrophic days d) update fire map information as technology improves.

That, in order to ensure suitably skilled and experienced personnel operate as Divisional Commanders during major fire incidents, Bush Fire Management Committees identify appropriate personnel as part of their plan of operations.

That Government, noting that hazard reduction targeted in proximity to assets is on balance more likely to provide help than hinder, should:
a) support local councils and partner agencies to implement more comprehensive hazard
reduction at a local level around towns/cities, communities and local infrastructure assets, and provide incentives for communities to organise themselves to prioritise and implement local hazard reduction initiatives. This will involve a suite of hazard reduction techniques depending on the landscape including prescribed burning, clearing, mowing, and mechanical treatments, and easy disposal of green waste into processors turning it into bioenergy or biofuels
b) beyond the local level priorities for hazard reduction, prioritise prescribed burning in parts of the landscape where fuel treatment may help reduce probability of fires escalating quickly and where terrain and potential atmospheric interactions are likely to escalate fires into fire-generated thunderstorms. This will likely involve a proactive program of treating ridge tops that are prone to dry lightning where reduced fuels may help reduce speed of spread when the fire first starts, or particular windward or lee-slopes that are susceptible to generating extreme fire behaviour and drive fire towards towns.

That, in order to minimise communication outages and extend basic communication coverage during bush fires, the NSW Government work directly, or together with other Australian governments and/or their relevant power and telecommunications regulatory, policy and market bodies, to:
- ensure there are sufficient redundancy options available (e.g. backup diesel generators, deployed temporary telecommunications facilities, etc.) to supply power to essential telecommunication infrastructure or alternative telecommunications infrastructure
- ensure that the telecommunication entities’ and electricity network providers’ Bush Fire Risk Management Plans are updated annually and reported on in the NSW RFS Commissioner’s annual statement to Parliament on the upcoming bush fire season and include details of all actions taken to mitigate those risks including maintenance of APZs and access roads
- ensure there is appropriate auditing of distributors’ preparedness for risks arising from network assets being affected by bush fire, as well as the risk of networks initiating a bush fire
- facilitate cross-carrier roaming arrangements between carriers and the public for basic text, voice and data during the period of emergency in areas directly affected by fire
- enable NSW RFS to require carriers to provide regular information on the status of outages and areas affected by fire.

That, in order to improve information flows and increase public awareness of ABC emergency broadcasts, Government:
a) include an ABC Manager in the Public Information Functional Area Coordinator (PIFAC) team within the State Operations Centre
b) strategically place roadside signage with local/regional ABC station frequency band throughout the State.

That Government re-commit to the current, regionally based approach to planning and coordinating hazard reduction activities across all tenures through Bush Fire Management Committees but ensure that it is actually being implemented at a high-level of quality across NSW. Getting it to a high-level of quality requires:
a) implementing the Inquiry’s recommendation about performance auditing of Bush Fire Risk Management Plans
b) prioritising implementation of revised processes for bush fire risk management planning that incorporate new modelling and methods for quantifying risk and the residual risk profile as a result of proposed hazard reduction works
c) ensuring regional priorities for hazard reduction, and how they are determined, are communicated clearly to the community, and their implementation is reported on transparently. This will include being very clear about the objectives of hazard reduction activities and communicating that hazard reduction does not eliminate the risk of fire affecting properties
d) the methodology for assessing and planning for risk reduction becomes an ongoing area of research and the frameworks are formally reviewed every three years.

That, in order to maximise the protection of critical infrastructure in a bush fire, Australian governments revise the regulatory framework for the provision to government authorities of information about all critical infrastructure (public and private) including a possible change to compel the owners of critical assets to provide all needed metadata, updated annually, for appropriate planning, preparation and response for bush fire. This would include information about location, ownership, access, details of service the infrastructure supports, and fire treatments of building and surrounding zones.

That, in order to improve response times to Triple Zero calls, the NSW RFS implements the integrated dispatch system before the 2020-21 fire season commences.

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:
- a public education campaign (like sun exposure), to help people make their own decisions about exposure to bush fire smoke
- tailored messaging to target:
* smoke-vulnerable cohorts of the community
* general practitioners, particularly in rural and regional areas, so they can advise patients with relevant, susceptible comorbidities
* employers, to support development of appropriate workplace health and safety guidance for outdoor workers
* an improved air quality alert system such as an enhanced Air Rater app.

Incorporate Farm Firefighting Units (FFUs) into the Australasian Inter Service Incident Management System (AIIMS) so that IMTs are aware of their presence on the fireground and their welfare and risks are understood.

Clarify business continuity and restoration of critical infrastructure in the planning and response phases to facilitate water replenishment, fireground remediation and access to businesses (including farming properties).

Clarify and streamline processes and educate the community about their roles and responsibilities in managing native vegetation to improve hazard reduction on both public and private land. Provide additional resources to manage fuel in a shorter off fire season and develop a risk reduction target linked to prioritised objectives.

Invest in upgrading and integrating ICT platforms to eliminate manual data transfers, and ensure IT and radio communication interoperability across the agencies, together with a dedicated focus on the development of a coordinated risk intelligence capability to provide all stakeholders with a common operating picture and rapid damage assessments.

Better coordinate public information and warnings including evacuation plans and provide a single source of information about, the location and direction of fires, how and when to use Safer Places, Places of Last Resort, relief and recovery centres and directed evacuations.

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. 

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. 

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). 

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:
- the State Disaster Coordination Group (SDCG) in accordance with their responsibilities under the State Plan
- QFES for ensuring the development of the state-wide risk assessment. 

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. 

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). 

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. 

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. 

To increase understanding of hazards and manage risks, dam failure for Paradise Dam be included as a separate risk within the Bundaberg LDMP. 

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
arrangements:
a. State-level roles and responsibilities of:
i. the Leadership Board Sub-committee (Recovery)
ii. the State Recovery Policy and Planning Coordinator
iii. the State Recovery Coordinator
iv. the Queensland Reconstruction Authority
v. functional recovery groups
for coordinating and reporting on recovery should be made more distinct from each other, and any overlap between them removed for greater clarity. Roles and responsibilities should be published on relevant websites.
b. A capability that delivers the effectiveness of the State Disaster Coordination Group and its supporting apparatus for response should exist for recovery. The capability should support coordination and reporting, and improve communication arrangements and sharing of operational information between functional recovery groups and agencies. Such a capability may be established by revising the State Disaster Coordination Group terms of reference and membership, or investigating the capacity for Queensland Reconstruction Authority to deliver it.

Entities with disaster management responsibilities need to integrate the eight priorities identified within the Emergency Management Sector Adaptation Plan for Climate Change into their disaster management planning cycle.

Exercising should focus on vertical integration and include all levels of the system. A strategic program of exercises should be developed and implemented.

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.

Local disaster management groups should focus on the business continuity of local critical infrastructure and its integration with other plans.

Planning and warnings for storm tide should be based on modelling that shows the chances of an event occurring (probabilistic).

Efforts are made to improve the timeliness, accuracy and targeting of Emergency Alert messaging by:
 • educating the sector about how Emergency Alert works in detail, and involving them in its testing.
 • ensuring the preparation and authorisation of Emergency Alert campaigns consider those to be warned, and are not limited by disaster management boundaries.
 • allowing the operation of Emergency Alert and the authorisation of its campaigns by disaster management practitioners at a district and local level.

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.

Communications protocols about hazard-specific events should be developed to clarify responsibilities and the principles for the release of information and warnings. They should be included in all related hazard-specific plans and published on relevant websites, and used during events.

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.

The national messages for catastrophic fire danger ratings should be integrated with all existing and new community bushfire safety information. 

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.

Create new seasonal paid positions to coordinate and support groups of volunteer brigades.

Authorise Bushfires NT to establish volunteer bushfire brigades and to give authority to volunteer firefighters to take part in fire suppression and mitigation operations.

Clarify and streamline the allocation of powers to Bushfires NT staff and volunteers involved in bushfire management operations, using a system of delegation through a chain of command similar to the arrangements described in the NT Fire and Emergency Act.

Retain the Regional Bushfires Committees as regional planning and consultative bodies tasked with monitoring, reviewing and making recommendations on fire management in a Fire Control Region.

Establish a capacity to prescribe bushfire management arrangements for individual properties based on bushfire risk assessment.

Clarify and streamline the allocation of powers to Bushfires NT staff and volunteers involved in bushfire management operations, using a system of delegation through a chain of command similar to the arrangements described in the NT Fire and Emergency Act.

Discontinue the automatic allocation of Fire Warden powers to Council and Committee members and substitute an option for members to be appointed as Fire Wardens.

Authorise the Director of Bushfires NT to intervene in volunteer brigade affairs where necessary to maintain an effective fire management capacity in a brigade area.

Maintain independence of volunteer brigades as community-based organisations and clarify the status and role of volunteers within the chain of command.

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

Take steps to ensure that both fire commissioners are seeking opportunities to engender a culture in their respective organisations that seeks to attract and foster the volunteer ethos and experience

While the proposal to establish an integrated call and dispatch centre is being implemented, Fire and Rescue NSW should take steps to civilianise ComCen and maintain experienced senior officers from both agencies as supervisors similar to how the NSW Police Force and Ambulance Service of NSW operate

Use the model and system in place at the Ambulance Service of NSW as a benchmark for call taking, dispatch and the provision of situational awareness when deploying resources. This will overcome the lack of a feedback loop in current bushfire operations

TFS, PWS and STT should jointly carry out work to identify acceptable shift lengths and patterns – including requirements for rest days – for all personnel working on emergency operations. Once these have been identified, systems should be put in place to ensure that HR rostering practices follow these fatigue management guidelines. And senior staff should lead by example and ensure that they, as well as the people working under them, take adequate rest breaks.

TFS, PWS and STT should jointly reach a decision on whether a winch capable remote area firefighting capability should be maintained in Tasmania; which agency or agencies should be responsible for that program; and how a winch capable remote area firefighting capability can be safely trained and kept current, to include consideration of the availability of winching aircraft. If the decision is taken not to maintain this capability in the state, TFS, PWS and STT should identify how the gap in capability that this represents should be filled in future fire seasons.

The proposed Tasmania State Air Desk should have a finance officer attached to its staff.

TFS should engage in discussions with government about the construction of purpose-built State Control Centre facilities for emergency management in Tasmania.

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.

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.

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.

That, to provide greater clarity for building development, design and approval within tolerable risk levels, the Tasmanian Planning Scheme, including a relevant Riverine Flood Hazard Code, is finalised and approved as soon as practicable.

That the organisations responsible for construction, maintenance and ownership of bridges review their design guidelines and, if necessary, update them to specifically include consideration of debris and flood impacts on bridge design. A review of existing bridges by the responsible organisations could also be undertaken to highlight any potential issues.

That emergency management authorities react with heightened awareness and action when BoM issues flood watches and related warnings.

That Government supports the anticipated SES State Flood Warning proposals aimed at improving public warnings and communication, and that the proposed warning system is consistent with the National Frameworks.

Renegotiate the maintenance contract at the end of the current contract and have DPTI through AGFMA take on the maintenance contract.

Regular annual testing at 100% on a load bank needs to be scheduled into a maintenance schedule.

If the existing generator is capable of providing the current essential power requirements then the generator needs a major inspection and overhaul all items that may need to be replaced due to age and condition. This includes checking compression, oil pressure, coolant pumping and all other critical components and may actually require providing a temporary generator while the Hospital generator receives a major inspection and possible re build. A ball park figure to do this would be $50,000.00 plus cranage and transport to Detroit workshop probably another $10,000.00 then a temporary generator would need to be hired and installed which could run into $10’s of thousands of dollars depending on how long the engine was out of service. For the money that would be spent checking and rebuilding the existing engine it would be recommended to replace the generator with a new generator.

Due to the age of the generator, reliability and reparability risk due to age and the apparent under capacity of the generator it is recommend to replace the generator with a new generator and associated control system designed for the current load requirements and allowance for some future expansion.

A monthly testing regime needs to be developed that will allow the generator to be tested at full essential load capacity and to ensure that 4 hour monthly testing can be done every month.

Monthly test results need to be accurately recorded.

Carry out a detailed audit of the current Hospital essential loads to determine the current load requirements of the Hospital.

From the above assessment determine the existing generator load requirements and provide a new generator to meet those loads.

Accurate records need to be provided as to what is done for each service.

Prepare and carry out a testing regime and testing strategy and ensure testing of the generator is done every month for 4 hours over that month and under full Hospital load with test result recorded every 15 minutes.

Remove any loads that do not need to be on essential power.

Replacement of all original pipes and hoses not yet done.

Carry out regular load bank testing on the generator with a load bank large enough to fully load the generator to 110% which will clean out the engine and also identify whether the generator is capable of providing full load for a sustained length of time.

Conduct an assessment of the current essential loads and determine if there are loads that should not be on essential power.

Monthly and annual maintenance servicing needs to be scheduled for the generator to DPTI or CHSA schedule requirements.

Explore alternative emergency management models including the alternative model proposed above to establish a South Australian Emergency Management Office and State Relief and Recovery Office within the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission, to ensure that all the objects and guiding principles of the Emergency Management Act 2004, and State Emergency Management Plan are addressed efficiently and effectively.

That the SES in collaboration with MFS Communications Centre (Comcen) investigate and implement options to reduce the number of calls coming into the Comcen, (particularly on 132500). Options could include better utilisation of the available options on the Interactive Voice Recording and community education to increase community resilience.

Review and reinstate the State Emergency Management Training Officer and State Emergency Management Planning Officer (capability development) positions to operate with a broad, strategic and leadership focus.

Consider opportunities to identify synergies between the incident management systems used in SA being the, Australasian Interservice Incident Management System (AIIMS) and ICCS Plus. This might include joint training and exercising in roles that are common across both systems.

That the Attorney General’s Department consult with local government regarding potential for them to provide logistical support associated with backup power supply to SA Government Radio Network towers in the event of an emergency.

That the State Emergency Service, in consultation with key stakeholders, identify and implement a robust system and procedures for prioritising, allocating and coordinating multiple tasks.

Install UPS on traffic lights on main Central Business District (CBD) and arterial roads to allow an effective movement of traffic during a loss of power.

Review and update Part 3, Annex C, of the SEMP ‘Public Information and Warnings’ to: a) clarify the role and responsibilities of the Public Information Functional Support Group and control agencies in relation to public information b) define requirements and processes for liaising with the community, including holding community meetings

I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force review its procedures to ensure that handovers between negotiation teams are staggered so that a fully briefed officer is always available to receive a call from the stronghold.

I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force consider expanding the panel of psychological advisers it retains and the range of disciplines it consults.

I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force review its personnel arrangements and structures for the monitoring of surveillance devices, including the number of officers allocated to a listening or viewing post for monitoring purposes, and the demarcation of roles, including primary monitor, scribe/log keeper, and disseminator. I also recommend that clear communication channels be established for reporting data captured during such surveillance, including via integrated electronic intelligence sharing platforms or applications.

I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force investigate the development of an integrated intelligence system that allows selected officers secure access to all information platforms and to record and share operational decisions.

I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force review its policy of requiring negotiators to relinquish that role when they are promoted to commissioned officer rank

I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force establish procedures and the technical capability to ensure that phone calls from hostages in sieges or the victims of other ongoing high-risk situations are expeditiously transferred to officers involved in responding to the incident.

I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force review the number, rank and function of the officers comprising the Negotiation Unit

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services, utilising the Office of Bushfire Risk Management, to develop a simplified and fast track hazard reduction burn (and other fuel mitigation techniques) planning and approval process to ensure the timely conduct of township and asset protection burns by Bush Fire Brigades and individual property owners. The process is to be agile and adaptable for the range of stakeholders which may participate in low risk, small scale, low complexity burn planning and approvals.

The Departments of Parks and Wildlife and Fire and Emergency Services to develop options for the expansion of the ‘Bushfire Mitigation Grant Scheme’ 20 January 2016 Waroona Fire Special Inquiry utilising both State and Commonwealth Government funding to enable the implementation of hazard reduction works identified through the Bushfire Risk Management Planning process. This will target hazard reduction projects on land owned by private landholders in rural-urban interface areas, critical infrastructure protection, local government land, roadsides and land managed by utilities.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services to investigate and adopt a system that will allow the public to opt in, monitor and receive, through a ‘push mechanism’, bushfire and other emergency warnings, maps and information using a wide variety of devices including personal hand held smart devices.

The Department of Parks and Wildlife to continue emphasis on landscape hazard reduction burning with the annual objective of treating 140,000 hectares per annum in Land Management Zone C. In combination with Recommendation 2 (above) the strategic objective will be that a fuel age of less than six years will be maintained across 45% of the landscape on State Forest, National Parks and other Parks and Wildlife managed lands in the South West and Perth Hills. This will address the current backlog (created from under achievements of the recent two decades of burn programs) by the end of the 2020-2021 burning season (i.e. within the next 5 years).

The State Emergency Management Committee, in consultation with Western Australian Farmers Federation, the Association of Bush Fire Brigades, the Contractors Association of WA, and the Forest Industries Federation of WA, to establish systems for the voluntary registration of: · farmer firefighting units; · contractor firefighting resources; and · forestry industry brigades.

The Department of Parks and Wildlife to plan for the highest priority hazard reduction burning effort around settlements and critical assets in the South West and Perth Hills. The annual objective is to treat a total of 60,000 hectares of priority hazard reduction per annum, comprising 20,000 hectares per annum of Land Management Zone A and 40,000 hectares per year of Land Management Zone B.

Appropriate and scalable resourcing models for remote locations

IAP formats and processes appropriate to the nature of the emergency response.

Resolve reoccurring issues with systems and processes

Resourcing models appropriate to local needs, including fire risk and remoteness

A unified and integrated fire sector across the whole fire hazard

The Committee finds that on the evidence presented, that the Fuel Reduction Burn Program should be maintained and have its budget directly funded to ensure that the program continues and does not hinder other services or programs.

Review and exercise the Tasmanian Mass Vaccination Plan.

Improve the understanding of the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.

Improve information about electricity demand during heatwaves.

Develop and exercise Severe Storm Emergency Management Plan.

Review all hazards response and recovery plans to ensure they address likely earthquake consequences.

Develop linkages between landslide risk assessors and building engineers/structural works.

Monitor effectiveness of new Land Use Planning and Building System reforms to evaluate effectiveness of delivering desired outcomes.

Develop arrangements to identify and communicate with people vulnerable to heat stress

Promote the use of Water Sensitive Urban Design in stormwater systems.

Review Ambulance Tasmania surge capacity.

Utilise coastal mapping to assess need for coastal defences.

Exercise heatwave arrangements with a focus on the public administration sector and management of vulnerable people

Establish emergency services ICT redundancy arrangements for damage loss of communications infrastructure.

Assess options for managed coastal retreat.

Increase SES Capability and Capacity to respond to flood event.

Further development of Landslide Hazard Banding of the State (MRT).

Actively manage riparian vegetation to manage flood dynamics.

Establish arrangements to enable the buy-back of specified landslip prone land.

Assess vulnerability of ecosystems and species to coastal inundation.

Locate and design new public infrastructure so that it can continue to operate during flood events.

Undertake inter-agency severe storm exercises.

Review building controls to ensure they are adaptive to changing coastal inundation risks.

Review flood response sustainment capacity of organisations.

Nuance the exercises for flood / dam-break / debris flow to incorporate consideration.

Identify and anlalyse the location of critical infrastructure within defined flood areas.

Ensure landuse planning and building systems, including appeal mechanisms, are transparent, equitable and integrated at the municipal, State and national levels.

Develop, implement, review and exercise inter-agency community evacuation and recovery plans across the State.

Improve maintenance of flood mitigation infrastructure.

Engage with industry bodies to explore opportunities to better understand and manage risks.

Improve understanding of the allocation of ownership across government, business and individuals.

Monitor effectiveness of new Land Use Planning reforms to evaluate effectiveness of delivering desired outcomes.

Exercise time-critical decision making processes within the context of an earthquake scenario.

Pro-actively manage landslide areas.

Continue the Fuel Reduction Program.

Continue the enhancement of forecast and warning services.

Review environmental risks associated with hazardous uses within flood prone areas.

Build flood capable infrastructure.

Advocate for an National Notifiable Diseases Database.

Include consideration of coastal inundation in land use planning for new developments and uses.

Integrate existing capabilities into a Total Flood Warning System.

Make property level information on landslide hazards publicly available

Identify and analyse statewide storm hazard risk.

Develop enablers and capacity for Tasmanian earthquake risk owners.

Incentivising safer sites (charge people less rates and discounts for defensive actions by land managers).

Continue the development and implementation of community level Bushfire Mitigation Plans.

Review community information and warning systems to ensure they cater for heatwave messages

Raised access routes.

The report recommends that Ambulance Tasmania reinforce the requirement to record factors contributing to response time outliers and the remedial action undertaken to address the contributing factors.

The report recommends that Ambulance Tasmania develop strategies to improve response times to those of other jurisdictions and undertake cost benefit analysis of those strategies before deciding on implementation.

The electrical master plan for the site should be updated to include planning for the scheduled replacement or refurbishment of those parts of the infrastructure that have not been renewed in the last 10 years. This planning to consider other upgrades or plans for the FMC overall.

Review control system for the main generator normal/essential changeover system and ensure that it has effective backup/manual or redundant operations, and suitable testing facilities. The Essential board that supplies the main generator power to Blocks A, B, C (except theatres), D, E (except certain critical engineering plant) (MD-1-4P-10E), is a potential single point of failure of a significant portion of the emergency power system and as part of the Master Plan update should be considered as a priority.

Review all generator locations for arrangements for temporary generator installation, including design of modifications as required for electrical connections and spatial requirements at installation locations, to be documented in an emergency procedure.

Provide walls around critical electrical infrastructure within the main plant area to provide security and protection from catastrophic water system failures.

Improvements to installation to be implemented as follows: - Lighting within the generator enclosure and immediately adjacent to be emergency battery-backed type. - Improvements to the spatial layout within the main generator enclosure should be investigated, including allowance for the control panel door to open 180o (only 90o currently); moving the fuel pumps to a more accessible location, and ensuring clear access to the day tank for manual filling if required. - Improvements to communications facilities between critical areas, including fixed phone line connections between the main control room, main generator control panel in the P (energy) Building, and the generator enclosure, and allowing link to offsite specialist advice. - Where generator maintenance requires operations outdoors (not applicable to main generator, but applicable to others), a shelter over the relevant area should be provided to allow safe work during wet or hot weather. - Written emergency procedures to be prepared covering credible failure scenarios with step by step checklists and recommended actions.

Review generator installations details as noted in report and implement physical improvements where possible.

Add to generator test procedure a checklist at the end of testing which includes checking that all systems are back to normal positions and includes a requirement to leave the day tank full where there is a bulk tank/day tank arrangement.

As part of the electrical master plan update recommended above, a complete and consistent set of single line diagrams describing the electrical distribution network be prepared. Relevant diagrams to be laminated and displayed in the main substations. Labelling to all main electrical equipment be reviewed and updated in accordance with the final documents. 

A detailed review of the fuel control and BMS systems (for all generators) be carried out and actions taken to: 1) Ensure that the fuel alarm system is operational and properly calibrated, and ensure that the alarms are connected to the BMS. 2) Ensure that the BMS transmits these alarms effectively to the maintenance staff. 3) If this review demonstrates risk of fuel control systems not adequately reporting alarms, consider an independent day tank level switch to be installed in each generator fuel tank, directly connected to the BMS. 4) Consider the feasibility of adding a “fuel system not in auto” or “fuel system fault/fail safe watchdog” or “pre-alarm identifying that the generator is about to shut down without intervention” feature to current systems – subject to details of each individual generator system.

Generator dual redundant starter systems should be considered.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service establish a regime of frequent mosaic burning within the Warrumbungle National Park, where conditions permit, to be monitored and evaluated via a formal fully funded research program. This program should then inform the Service’s approach to the wider national park estate.

That the NSW Government improve the protection of media and telecommunications towers around New South Wales by:
-increasing the asset protection zone around the towers on Mt Cenn Cruaich and other comparable sites to a radius of at least 100 metres
-conducting an audit of all New South Wales media and telecommunications sites to examine their fire safety in respect of land clearance, fire trails and fuel loads
-implementing a strategy to ensure that licensees of these sites fulfil all their hazard reduction obligations.

That the NSW Government commit to and fund a long term program of prescribed burning based on the recommendation of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission of an annual rolling target of a minimum of five per cent of public land per year, and that the NSW Government commit to extending the funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service five year hazard reduction program past 2016.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, at the direction of the NSW Rural Fire Service, enhance the network of fire trails within national parks across New South Wales by:
-reopening those fire trails that have been closed within the last ten years
-establishing new fire trails where appropriate
-providing sufficient fire vehicle turning areas
-ensuring adequate fire trail maintenance over the long term.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service remove from its boundary fencing policy and standard contract the condition that requires adjoining land owners to maintain a fence that has been damaged by trees falling from national park land.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service review the decision not to construct additional fire trails in the Warrumbungle National Park following the Wambelong fire.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service:
-ensure that where a park is adjacent to a rural land holding, its side of the boundary fence is cleared to the same legislative requirement as the land holding, that is, six metres
-examine the fairness of the policy whereby, in the event of a fire originating on national park land, the Service provides the fencing materials to construct or replace boundary fences, while the neighbour erects the fences.

That the Minister for Police and Emergency Services examine the feasibility of relocating the NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters to a rural or regional location.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service:
-streamline the regulatory system for hazard reduction burns, including the permit system, in order to identify and remove any unnecessary impediments to timely, planned hazard reduction burning

-improve accountability in relation to the implementation of bush fire risk management plans as a means of delivering more hazard reduction.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service investigate the cost and feasibility of installing infrared cameras at the Siding Springs Observatory and key sites in other national parks to facilitate fire spotting.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service:
-alter the standard procedures for Remote Aerial Response Teams to enable them to operate at night
-in conjunction with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, enhance the capability of both Remote Aerial Response Teams and Remote Area Firefighting Teams to fight fires at any time including at night.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service, in collaboration with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, review and improve the system of bush fire management zones to ensure that greater priority is given to hazard reduction on land classified within land management zones.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service consider the feasibility, on a case by case basis, of closing public roads through national parks on days with catastrophic fire danger rating, to mitigate the risk of bush fire ignition in national parks.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service examine its staffing policy for periods of extreme and catastrophic weather conditions to ensure that sufficient staff are available on site on fire watch.

Recruitment Guidelines and Resources: By April 2015, update its recruitment guidelines and resources, and support units in better targeting recruitment

IGEM recommends that fire agencies review their resource allocation recording mechanisms and systems to ensure that an accurate reflection of resources deployed to an incident at any given time can be ascertained

IGEM recommends that fire agencies review their documentation systems and information recording processes to ensure that all operational activities are captured, and to maintain the accuracy and relevance of all developed products. This includes the need to ensure that all significant points of reference entered into mapping products are geo-coded to facilitate accurate transfer of information from one mapping product to another.

That the Department of Health & Human Services' and the Department of Justice & Regulation's public reporting of response time measures clearly attribute accountability for each phase of emergency response, including call-taking time involving the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority.

That the Department of Health & Human Services and Ambulance Victoria focus emergency response time reporting on highest priority cases. 

That Ambulance Victoria, Country Fire Authority, Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board and Victoria State Emergency Service improve the transparency of public reporting on response times by including regional performance, times, trends and analysis of the factors affecting performance.

That the Country Fire Authority, Victoria State Emergency Service and Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board improve controls over response time data collection and reporting.

That the Department of Justice & Regulation applies a consistent approach to emergency response time measures including data capture, calculation and reporting.

That the Department of Health & Human Services and Department of Justice & Regulation verify that response time data used in their reports on output performance measures is accurate and auditable.

That future declarations be undertaken to ensure that the areas affected by the declaration are clear and concise.

Review all current SACFS operational facilities (Group, ICC, RCC and SCC) to provide more effective communications, connectivity and resource management.

Plan the establishment of one multi-agency Coordination Centre with sufficient capacity and capability to deal with all incidents in South Australia.

Reviewing how Regional resources are managed and tracked and incorporate into COSO’s to ensure that there is complete situational awareness as to the location and tasking of CFS resources.

Review the current practise of issuing an ‘emergency alert’ telephone message or an emergency warning and/or watch and act alert to ensure that it is consistent, relevant and necessary. Prior to issuing an emergency alert message, consider state level involvement so that other agencies are made aware of message and intent.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services should consider examining regulatory provisions to improve disaster management and business continuity planning for aged care providers.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services coordinate the development of an integrated risk based approach to disaster management planning for Queensland that is consistent with the Standard and applicable at all levels of the arrangements.

As part of the above, both the Banana Shire Council and SunWater ensure Emergency Alert messages are pre-formatted, consistent, polygons are identified according to risk, and that they are tested and practiced with the State Disaster Coordination Centre.

Prior to September 2015, SunWater and the Banana Shire Council jointly develop a multi-channel, common warning strategy, including common language and consistent messaging, for residents downstream of
SunWater assets within the Banana Shire Council, and clearly articulate procedures for dissemination.

Prior to September 2015, the Banana Shire Council develops a multi-channel warning strategy and associated public information campaign, including common language and consistent messaging, for the Banana Shire.

Strengthens its oversight role as lead agency for mitigating Queensland's bushfire risk to acceptable levels by: · coordinating land managers' efforts to assess and mitigate bushfire risk · formalising the role of fire management groups to manage Queensland's fuel loads, including reporting planned and conducted hazard reduction burns and the effectiveness of hazard reduction burns · amending its bushfire mitigation planning to address prevention, preparedness, response and recovery and to manage Queensland's residual bushfire risk · developing and implementing a coordinated strategy to address arson, deterring would-be offenders and rehabilitating convicted offenders · working with local councils to develop and communicate local bushfire plans for communities located in high risk, bushfire-prone areas

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services should consider supporting local government in the annual development of at least one pre-formatted Emergency Alert message and polygon map based on a risk assessment and hazard modelling.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services should consider new and emerging technologies for issuing warnings (including opportunities for Emergency Alert to be distributed in other languages or to people with vision or hearing impairment).

The Warning and Alert Systems training package is updated to align the content to the Standard for Disaster Management in Queensland and to include advice and scenarios from the Information Commissioner.

A qualitative assessment of public information and warnings arrangements is undertaken as part of the 2016 disaster management plan assessment process.

The Public Information and Warnings Sub-plan Guide is reviewed to include:
- good practice examples
- a broader range of considerations for barriers to effective communication
- guidance to ensure warnings and public information is linked with state agency arrangements, when the event is led by a hazard-specific primary agency.

Telecommunications and Power Infrastructure
Noting the high reliance within the community on power and telecommunications
infrastructure, there would be benefit for Governments at both State and Federal level to
work with power providers and telecommunications companies to better define disaster
response and recovery responsibilities, and to identify options for increasing redundancies in
networks in order to improve surety of service

Planning for Access to Potentially Isolated Communities
The challenges faced by Dungog Council in resolving the Torryburn access issue resulted in
extended delays that impacted adversely on the Torryburn community. The issue arose
because the community is accessed by a single access route. The challenges faced by Dungog
Council could well be experienced again in future events for similar communities with single
means of access. Emergency access options for such communities, including alternate routes
or transport means to be utilised in an emergency, should be considered in local emergency
plans. In addition, the criteria, likely requirement for, and means of re-supply during the
recovery phase should be clarified.

DFES should increase and maintain urban interface bushfire skills and expertise. Appointments to senior roles within the agency should include people with experience and credibility in bushfire firefighting and management.

Consideration should be given to an automatic ‘Advice’ notice being issued as soon as a fire is reported in a pre- determined high risk area such as the Darling Scarp on days when adverse fire weather conditions are forecast.

Appropriately equipped Incident Control Centres should be identified and/or established throughout the Perth Hills to meet the requirements of a fully resourced Incident Management Team in future bushfire events.

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.

GDF Suez improve its crisis management communication strategy for the Hazelwood mine in line with international best practice.

The State review and revise its communication strategy, to: • needed for effective and rapid public communications during an emergency; and ensure all emergency response agencies have, or have access to, the capability and resources • ensure, where appropriate, that private operators of essential infrastructure are included in the coordination of public communications during an emergency concerning that infrastructure.

VicSES should: align ERAS-e profiles with its planning cycle

That the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority critically reviews:
- the current Computer Aided Dispatch 9.1 upgrade project against business case objectives, including system and network reliability and system redundancy, once the project is completed
- the ESTA Triple Zero telephony platform telecommunications upgrade project against business case objectives, including system and network reliability once the project is completed.

That the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority reclassifies its State Emergency Communications Centres as critical national infrastructure.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service, in collaboration with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, review and improve the system of bush fire management zones to ensure that greater priority is given to hazard reduction on land classified within land management zones.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service consider the feasibility, on a case by case basis, of closing public roads through national parks on days with catastrophic fire danger rating, to mitigate the risk of bush fire ignition in national parks.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service establish a regime of frequent mosaic burning within the Warrumbungle National Park, where conditions permit, to be monitored and evaluated via a formal fully funded research program. This program should then inform the Service’s approach to the wider national park estate.

That the NSW Government improve the protection of media and telecommunications towers around New South Wales by:
- increasing the asset protection zone around the towers on Mt Cenn Cruaich and other comparable sites to a radius of at least 100 metres
- conducting an audit of all New South Wales media and telecommunications sites to examine their fire safety in respect of land clearance, fire trails and fuel loads
- implementing a strategy to ensure that licensees of these sites fulfil all their hazard reduction obligations.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, at the direction of the NSW Rural Fire Service, enhance the network of fire trails within national parks across New South Wales by:
- reopening those fire trails that have been closed within the last ten years
- establishing new fire trails where appropriate
- providing sufficient fire vehicle turning areas
- ensuring adequate fire trail maintenance over the long term.

That the Minister for Police and Emergency Services examine the feasibility of relocating the NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters to a rural or regional location.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service:
- ensure that where a park is adjacent to a rural land holding, its side of the boundary fence is cleared to the same legislative requirement as the land holding, that is, six metres
- examine the fairness of the policy whereby, in the event of a fire originating on national park land, the Service provides the fencing materials to construct or replace boundary fences, while the neighbour erects the fences.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service review the decision not to construct additional fire trails in the Warrumbungle National Park following the Wambelong fire.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service:
- alter the standard procedures for Remote Aerial Response Teams to enable them to operate at night
- in conjunction with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, enhance the capability of both Remote Aerial Response Teams and Remote Area Firefighting Teams to fight fires at any time including at night.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service investigate mechanisms to enhance the predictability of megafires and how this information is communicated easily to the public.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service adopt an interim fencing agreement in the immediate aftermath of a fire. This will enable emergency and interim works to commence, but features such as length, fencing components and site of the fence line are not binding. A final fencing agreement would be negotiated no earlier than six months following a major national park fire.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service:
- streamline the regulatory system for hazard reduction burns, including the permit system, in order to identify and remove any unnecessary impediments to timely, planned hazard reduction burning
- improve accountability in relation to the implementation of bush fire risk management plans as a means of delivering more hazard reduction.

That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service examine its staffing policy for periods of extreme and catastrophic weather conditions to ensure that sufficient staff are available on site on fire watch.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service investigate the cost and feasibility of installing infrared cameras at the Siding Springs Observatory and key sites in other national parks to facilitate fire spotting.

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.

The NPWS to consider developing a land management policy that requires hazard reduction around identified assets within the Park and the clearing of fire trials within the Park before the bush fire season commences. Consideration should also be given to developing additional fire trails in the Park, bearing in mind the lack of available fire trails to the south of the John Renshaw Parkway in the park.

The NPWS conduct a review of its prescribed burns program to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that all necessary managerial approvals for a prescribed burn are provided as promptly as possible.

That the National Parks and Wildlife Service consider reviewing its guidelines and protocols in respect of hazard reduction planning and burning-off operations in the light of the evidence from experts witnesses in these proceedings that the incidence of, and intensity of, major fires is increasing and in the light of expert evidence given in these proceedings concerning the dangers of vorticity-driven lateral spread.

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.

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.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority establishes a safety oversight risk management hierarchy based on a categorisation of operations. Rule making and surveillance priorities should be proportionate to the safety risk.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority establishes small offices at specific industry centres to improve monitoring, service quality, communications and collaborative relationships.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau transfers its safety education function to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority changes its organisational structure to a client-oriented output model.

The next Director of Aviation Safety has leadership and management experience and capabilities in cultural change of large organisations. Aviation or other safety industry experience is highly desirable.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority applies a project management approach to the completion of all Civil Aviation Safety Regulation Parts not yet in force, with drafting to be completed within one year and consultation completed one year later, with:
a. a Steering Committee and a Project Team with both CASA and industry representatives
b. implementation dates established through formal industry consultation.

All governments should put in place best-practice institutional and governance arrangements for the provision of public infrastructure, including road infrastructure. These should include:
• stronger processes for project selection that incorporate requirements for cost–benefit analyses that are independently scrutinised and publicly released
• consideration of natural disaster risk in project selection and asset management planning
• a clearer link between road-user preferences and maintenance and investment decisions.

In due course, acts of bravery are considered and recommendations for awards are submitted, including commendations for the delivery of First Aid.

St John Ambulance should build on its regionalisation model and improve engagement with local services in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions

St John Ambulance should explore opportunities for extending the community paramedic model to other areas of identified need

Western Australia Health should develop criteria with St John Ambulance for the allocation of paramedics across the state

Western Australia Health should re-engage with St John Ambulance at a senior level to address strategic and complex issues including long term solutions to ramping

The Department of Human Services should develop an improved model for communication for future disasters that provides a single point of information and contact for disaster affected communities

Ambulance Victoria should review support for team managers who also perform paramedic duties and implement improvements to maximise team managers’ ability to perform their roles

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should provide operational commanders, senior station officers the personal unplanned leave of firefighters in their teams

Victoria Police should improve the management of police members undergoing performance and discipline procedures

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should strengthen performance management of firefighter effectively manage personal unplanned leave

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should continue to strengthen human resource management processes and controls to reduce avoidable overtime costs.

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should review the impact of its enterprise agreements on the efficiency of frontline management, and on the implementation of audit recommendations, in preparation for enterprise agreement discussions in 2013

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should review and strengthen controls over staff fulfilling their evidence to support personal unplanned leave

Ambulance Victoria should closely monitor in rural regions the outcomes of its strategy to strengthen team management and adjust the strategy to address gaps or underperformance.

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should provide one comprehensive source of information on leave

Ambulance Victoria should review processes for managing personal unplanned leave evidence to reduce the risk that personal unplanned leave is incorrectly recorded

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board should improve specialised human resources support to frontline managers

Victoria Police should monitor the use of online tools for accessing unplanned leave data, to make sure that the tools are accessible and meet the needs of police managers

That the State Emergency Management Committee includes in its planning, the development of contingency emergency management plans for areas of high risk due to local conditions.

That the State Emergency Management Committee makes timely decisions and resource commitments on the appropriate use of social media in emergency management.

That the State Fire Management Committee considers developing a structured, systemic and proactive bushfire hazard reduction program with municipal councils and Tasmania Fire Service; and advises the Government on any legislative or other changes required to implement such a program.

That Tasmania Fire Service ensures that the priority on warning communities at risk of active bushfires is not confined to when bushfires are burning out of control.

That Tasmania Fire Service develops a research base from which to inform the design of communication campaigns for communities threatened by bushfire.

That the Government considers whether a peak body should be established, with authority to effectively implement a bushfire mitigation plan.

That the Government makes land use planning and building construction to prevent and mitigate bushfire risk a high priority and establishes a means to progress improvements in this area, such as a designated body or group, as soon as possible.

That Tasmania Fire Service actively uses predictive modelling to design emergency communications for communities threatened by bushfire, unless there is a compelling reason for not doing so.

That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its approach to communicating with communities threatened by bushfire and consider the matters referred to in this Report.

That a specific risk prevention and mitigation advisory body be established for the State Emergency Management Committee.

That Tasmania Fire Service conducts a review of the fire permit system in the Fire Service Act 1979, and implements change to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the system by: • considering whether it is appropriate to authorise persons or organisations to conduct fuel reduction burning during a permit period • providing a better match between the period, area and fire risk • maintaining a timely and efficient process for issuing permits • naming the period in a way that draws attention to bushfire risk • establishing a reporting and accountability process.

That the Government consider whether it should discuss options for greater mobile phone coverage and redundancy in areas of high risk in emergency situations where there are presently telecommunications limits.

That Tasmania Fire Service and Tasmania Police review their use of modern forms of communication with the community, including social media, and commit resources to fully use this capability where appropriate.

That the Department of Infrastructure Energy and Resources consult Aurora Energy on the use of wooden poles for overhead infrastructure with a view to mitigating the risk in bushfires.

That Tasmania Fire Service or another suitable agency provides information to the community which shows, in simple form, the legislation applicable to approvals for lighting fires on private property and the various relationships between that legislation.

That a public information plan be developed as a part of the State Special Emergency Plan–Recovery, for implementation in the immediate recovery phase.

That the State Emergency Management Committee makes arrangements to actively manage the use of social media in the community during an emergency, to avoid negative consequences for emergency operations.

TFS review the restriction on interstate personnel filling positions such as Incident Controller and obtain definitive advice on the legal reasons for this. If immunity legislation is unclear then legislative change could be sought to ensure that the immunities enjoyed by Tasmanian incident controllers apply equally to personnel from interstate performing incident controller roles.

That TFS develop a strategy to manage the workloads on career staff to reduce the risk of single point failures through spreading workloads and capability to ensure a level of redundancy and resilience in a number of critical portfolios. This should include deploying volunteer and retained personnel to maximise both its operational and support capacity during major and/or protracted fires and incidents, both in operational centres and in the field in command roles. Other sources of expertise should also be identified in advance of incidents occurring and called upon if necessary.

TFS continue to develop and publish RFOC policy and procedures, ensuring that all partners who perform roles within the RFOC are included in the consultation and training.

That:
- TFS, Ambulance Tasmania, Forestry/Parks and SES set reliability standards and monitor against them
- TFS, Ambulance Tasmania, Forestry/Parks and SES establish a register to record service outages and complaints regarding their networks
- all service and complaint issues are resolved within pre-set targets.

A thorough consultative process be developed and implemented between the CFS and local government. This will determine how bushfire management planning can enable improved process and practice to mitigate bushfire risk, and ensure that fire permits are issued and complied with.

If possible the terms of election for CFS Health and Safety Representatives be aligned with group elections.

Should the SES be given the power ‘to register suitable organisations’, then the ‘other person’ in Section 127 – Protection from liability, could be defined to include members of organisations affiliated to emergency service organisations.

SES be given a power ‘to register, subject to any conditions the Chief Officer SES considers appropriate, suitable organisations (such as Volunteer Marine Rescue Associations) as affiliated organisations of the State Emergency Service’. 

Notification of a total fire ban should be broadcast to the public via any means reasonably available. Section 80, parts (2), (5) and (6) be amended so that broadcast fire ban warnings include, but not be limited to, radio stations, internet sites, social media outlets etc.

Government in conjunction with the CFS identify the ownership of disused railway corridors which may pose a significant fire risk and ensure the agency or individual responsible for the land complies with legislative requirements. 

That the obligation (following the passage of the Fire and Emergency Services (Review) Amendment Bill 2009) for Chief Fire Officers (CFS & MFS) to require State agencies to clean up fire risk on their land, and to make similar requests to Commonwealth agencies, be strongly implemented.

That Government agencies work closely with the Bureau of Meteorology and radio stations that broadcast emergency service announcements, to ensure the earliest possible determination of, and communications about, dangerous bushfire conditions.

That the obligation (following the passage of the Fire and Emergency Services (Review) Amendment Bill 2009) for Chief Fire Officers (CFS & MFS) to require State agencies to clean up fire risk on their land, and to make similar requests to Commonwealth agencies, be strongly implemented.

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.

That District offices be located in areas that enhance ease of access for out of town volunteers and the general public and also provide suitable parking, onsite storage and be suitable for operational use.

That members of Village and Izone classified Brigades only be required to conduct a criminal history check when they first join a Brigade. Criminal history checks will no longer be required when a Member who has already undergone a criminal history check takes an office bearing role within a Brigade or changes Brigades. Criminal history checks are to still be conducted on Rural Fire Service volunteers undertaking interstate deployments. Members of other voluntary organisations in Queensland (e.g. State Emergency Service, Volunteer Marine Rescue) who wish to join the Rural Fire Service Queensland will not be required to undertake an additional criminal history check with an internal check to be conducted by the Department of Community Safety.

That the planning system is to have a two tiered structure comprising District Fire Management Groups and linking to the State Disaster Management Group.

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.

That Rural Fire Service Queensland District offices report directly to the Deputy Chief Officer.

That Brigades’ financial contributions to groups must be voluntary and approved by a recorded minute at a meeting of that brigade.

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.

That the position of Regional Manager Rural Operations be re-designated to Regional Co-ordinator in the North, Central and South-East regions to emphasise the supporting role the position will take.

That a local committee consisting of Elders and community leaders be formed in remote and Indigenous communities to determine Brigade membership applications.

That to assist the Rural Fire Service Queensland and other agencies in managing wildfire risk, a planning system for wildfire management be established in legislation that complements the existing disaster management arrangements.

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.

That the Rural Operations division currently sitting within the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service become an autonomous unit called Rural Fire Service Queensland and be led by a Deputy Chief Officer. Structure and Leadership of the Rural Fire Service

That fire groups can only be formed through the agreement of all brigades that will become a part of that group, and the management and operational procedures of the group must be approved by the contributing brigades. Local District Inspectors are to provide mentoring and support when brigades form a group.

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.

That there be three (3) RFSQ regions in Queensland - North, Central and South-East.

That the Rural Fire Service Queensland should engage a private provider offsite and outside the Government firewall to establish an email address for each Brigade and Fire Warden. The email address would reflect the Brigade name and Fire Warden district. E.g.: GreenbankRFB@msn.com.au

That the founding principle of the Rural Fire Service, that Brigades are formed on the principle of neighbour helping neighbour to collectively manage fire events, remains on of the foundation of Rural Fire Service Queensland.

That District Inspectors retain the discretion to allocate gratuity to Fire Wardens for out of pocket expenses if required.

That a strong emphasis be placed on the establishment and recruitment of PCYC emergency cadets.

That wherever possible, for future appointments of Fire Wardens, where that Wardens’ district is totally covered a by Rural Fire Brigade, consideration should be given that the appointed Fire Warden is a Rural Brigade Member.

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.

That Rural Fire Service Queensland consider service delivery needs with a view to establishing boundary/ staff/budget changes according to State standards.

That where a Brigade supports another community and this involves the use of any brigade equipment it shall be the decision of that brigade in relation to the deployment and use of their equipment and resources.

That employee selection panels for field staff positions only comprise three members and include a Rural Fire Service Queensland representative, a Rural Fire Brigades Association of Queensland representative and one representative from the District Fire Management Group.

That Rural Fire Service Queensland and its staff be exempt from the Travel Management System. The Travel Management System does not work in the rural fire operation areas as it is not flexible in the rapid escalation of wild fire events or cater for volunteering timeframes. It has been proven to be inefficient and costly.

That a separate area of responsibility be established to provide independent oversight and monitor disaster readiness across all hazards.

Membership of the District Fire Management Group is at the discretion of the Chair of the District Fire Management Group, however members must have the necessary expertise and experience for the role and membership should include where applicable, the District Inspector - Rural Fire Service Queensland, a representative of relevant local governments and representatives of agencies responsible for parks and wildlife, transport and main roads, forestry and natural resources among other appropriate representatives.

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.

That staffing at Rural Fire Service Queensland District offices remain at current levels within establishment and, if needed, base staffing levels be increased.

That the colour of Rural Fire Service Queensland Brigade operational vehicles remain yellow and that they retain the Rural Fire Service Queensland logo.

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

That Rural Fire Service Queensland designate a position of Lands Procurement Officer to support volunteers by project managing the acquisition of land for Brigade sheds and their construction where required.

That Brigades that do not have a truck and are currently classified as Rural conduct a self-determination to ascertain if they wish to be reclassified as a Primary Producer Brigade.

That an operational organisation be established comprising of three streams – a. urban fire service; b. rural fire service; and c. the state emergency service. Each of the three organisations will be led by a Deputy Chief Officer, reporting to a Chief Officer.

That the first tier comprise at least one District Fire Management Group in each Rural Fire Service Queensland District. The District Fire Management Group will be chaired by a person with the necessary expertise and experience, nominated by the community and appointed by Government. Chairs will hold the deciding vote in matters related to fire management at the local level.

That District Inspectors be responsible for consultation with Fire Wardens during the development of District fire management plans.

That Rural Fire Service Queensland District offices remain at least at their current number of 14, with consideration given by the Rural Fire Service Queensland to expanding the number of District offices by opening an office in the South Burnett, considering a new office in the southern Central Highlands, and the option of part time offices on a risk/need/growth basis, particularly in north-west Queensland.

That the Rural Fire Service Queensland consider a less formal uniform which volunteers can better identify with, and that National rank markings be retained.

That the Queensland Ambulance Service is maintained as a state-wide service into the future.

That the current Queensland Fire and Rescue Service model of functional management be expanded, shifting line management responsibility for community safety operations and professional development from Regional Assistant Commissioners to the State Commanders. Regional Assistant Commissioners become responsible for operations and coordination of departmental support within geographic locations and report to the Deputy Commissioner operations.

Recommendation:
- That the Queensland Police Service in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer Portfolio Business move to re-establish assessment centres and establish a transparent succession planning model that values diversity and looks at options other than police for key positions; and
- That the Chief Executive Officer Portfolio Business adopts such arrangements on a whole-of-portfolio basis (including for Fire and Emergency Services).

That prisoner transport and non-managerial roles within watch-houses should be a priority for contestability.

That the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service reduce the number of communication centres to two, with one being a primary site and the other site providing redundancy and business continuity functionality.

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.

The establishment, management, support and education of the State Emergency Service (SES) become the responsibility of a Deputy Commissioner, Fire and Emergency Services and this person should also be responsible for Rural Fire Service Queensland.

That the Emergency Service Cadet Program take a full spectrum approach to emergency services

That the remainder of the current Emergency Management structure transition to the Commissioner, Fire and Emergency Services for further consideration regarding the most appropriate reporting alignment giving due consideration to existing capacity. This should be done in consultation with the Commissioner, the Queensland Police Service to ensure proper collaboration with the Queensland Police Service Disaster Management Unit staff.

That the Chief Executive Officer Portfolio Business promote innovation and drive cultural change in terms of business practice.

That specific business cases should be developed for contestability of correctional services in Queensland, including:
a. develop business cases for contract management of each facility (noting that business cases may be for individual facilities, or for groups of facilities)
b. ensure any new facilities are contestable on a full greenfield basis (i.e. first the building, then the facility management).

That the CEO Portfolio Business and the Commissioner Queensland Fire and Rescue Service find a more appropriate method of accounting for part time and volunteer staff when considering the support required to raise, train and sustain this very large part of the workforce.

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.

That the Deputy Commissioner, Operations (of the proposed new Department of Fire and Emergency Services) should be responsible for ensuring the readiness of the disaster operations system, including the State Disaster Coordination Centre, enabling seamless transition to police control when required.

That the revitalised PCYC Emergency Service Cadet Program continue to be supported by government.

That the Disaster Management Standards Branch element of Standards Improvement, transition to the Inspector General Emergency Management.

That the Chief Executive Officer Portfolio Business and Commissioners establish a high level working group with the ABC and commercial media to identify and implement an improved information flow to the community on disasters.

That planning, especially for infrastructure, must take into account the service delivery model (e.g. the fact that prisoners have high level health needs).

That the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service actively progress initiatives for flexible employment including:
- part-time employment and casual employment (with no degradation of competency)
- abridged recruit courses for transition from auxiliary to full-time
- flexible roster models based on a risk approach.

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.

That the fire service takes a broader view of its role as an emergency management organisation.

That where practicable, the consideration for new or enhanced facilities include an assessment of the viability of creating a Rural Fire Service /SES common user facility.

That the following units of Emergency Management Queensland transition to the control of the position of Deputy Commissioner Rural Fire Service Queensland and State Emergency Services:
- SES Management and Support Services
- part of Regional operations
- part of Governance and Performance Branch.

That a suitably qualified Chief Information Officer with whole of portfolio responsibility is appointed to oversight corporate support and capability development

That the Commissioner of Queensland Corrective Service report directly to the Director-General the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.

That the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service should introduce alternative means of response to automatic alarms such as small first response investigative crews e.g. two fire–fighters in a sedan (not responding under lights and siren).

That biometric tools be leveraged for other demands (e.g. bail reporting).

That the recommendations of The Malone Review in relation to Criminal History checks, so far as supported, by the Review team in this report be progressed inclusive of SES issues.

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.

That the following units of Emergency Management Queensland transition to the control of the Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations (Department of Fire and Emergency Services):
- disaster management services and State Disaster Coordination Centre operations.
- disaster information capability.
- part of regional operations.
- part of Governance and Performance Branch.

That the Chief Executive Officer Portfolio Business should overhaul portfolio information and communication technology and appoint a Chief Information Officer with appropriate qualifications and significant industry experience as a first priority.

That the Queensland Ambulance Service maintains its own identity to:
- ensure their role is not lost
- focus on key performance indicators, such as response times
- build on the goodwill the Queensland Ambulance Service has with the community.

That a reduced regional model for fire and emergency services be generally aligned to that of the Queensland Police Service with a district structure that accords with disaster districts.

That Queensland Corrective Service conduct business analysis and planning to clearly identify its customers and its contribution to the Government’s priorities

That a new Deputy Commissioner position be created to manage volunteer emergency services including the Rural Fire Service and the State Emergency Service.

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.

That the Inspector General Emergency Management ensures that improvement strategies identified are acted upon and improvement strategies embedded within agencies as standard practice.

That collaboration on new initiatives such as the co-responder model in Cairns continue and if successful, initiatives should be considered for state wide or service wide adoption.

Establish a dedicated group or body within an existing agency to provide a more integrated, coordinated and regional approach to land use, infrastructure and evacuation planning and flood modelling in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley.

Improve regional transport infrastructure to address current and projected flood evacuation capacity constraints and timelines.

Ensure appropriate consideration of flood risk in regional and subregional planning

Provide improved land use planning tools for managing flood prone land.

Develop a NSW Planning Policy and Guideline to improve land use planning practices on flood prone land.

Ensure future road infrastructure planning considers flood evacuation requirements throughout the Hawkesbury-Nepean floodplain.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service hold discussions with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and Local Government NSW on ways to improve compliance with development consents under section 76A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

The committee recommends that all meetings between the ATSB and CASA, whether formal or informal, where particulars of a given investigation are being discussed be appropriately minuted.

The committee recommends that an expert aviation safety panel be established to ensure quality control of ATSB investigation and reporting processes along the lines set out by the committee.

Governments and other stakeholders consider reviewing their existing emergency management arrangements to ensure public communications are clear and the public is kept informed of the incident response.

Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) to work with the Triple Zero Awareness Work Group through Australian Communications and Media Authority's (ACMA) Emergency Service Advisory Committee to review Triple Zero awareness messages with regard to telecommunications outages.

Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy will work with the Communications Sector Group within the Trusted Information Sharing Network to develop best practice guidance for owners of critical communications infrastructure regarding public messaging during a prolonged telecommunications outage covering:
- the provision of early and accurate advice to the community;
- the dissemination of information to business, government, community service providers and critical industry sectors such as banks;
- engagement with emergency service providers and the appointed local incident manager;
- public communications over radio, by personal contact etc. - avoiding a reliance on phone and internet;
- communications with other wholesale providers including on matters dealing with compensation;
- public notices, such as the use of prominent notices on websites, explaining the outage to customers and clients outside the affected area; and
- the use of recorded voice announcements to inform incoming callers of the outage.

The Australian Government, in consultation with consumers and other relevant federal, state and territory agencies, develop a national communication strategy for consumers to be used in the event of an infectious disease outbreak.

The Australian Department of Health and Ageing consult with members of the general public or representatives of health consumers in the pandemic planning process, including in pandemic exercises designed to test the ability of government to respond to a pandemic event. Consumer involvement should include testing the ability of any communication strategy designed to inform and engage consumers about a pandemic event.

The Australian Government test Australia’s ability to respond to a widespread outbreak of infectious disease other than influenza, by undertaking a pandemic exercise across the relevant Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies.

The committee recommends that the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy issue a Ministerial Direction to the Australian Communications and Media Authority to allocate 20 MHz of contiguous spectrum in the 700 MHz band for the purposes of a public safety mobile broadband network.

If recommendation 1 is not supported by the Australian Government, the committee recommends that the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy issue a Ministerial Direction to the Australian Communications and Media Authority to allocate as a minimum requirement, 20 MHz in the 800 MHz band for the purposes of a public safety mobile broadband network.

The committee recommends that the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy take appropriate measures to secure, for public service agencies, priority access to an additional 10 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band for public safety purposes.

The committee recommends that building codes incorporate mitigation measures that take into account foreseeable risks from extreme weather events.

The committee recommends that credible and reliable flood mapping activities and the development of other information that would best inform landowners or prospective landowners of potential risks from extreme weather events are prioritised and used to inform land use planning laws.

The committee recommends relevant authorities work with community service organisations in both planning responses to and responding to extreme weather events, in particular those organisations that provide vital services to vulnerable groups.

The Emergency Services Agency should:
a) review the ACT Rural Fire Service’s target for its members holding recognised units of competency, and the timeframe for achieving the target level of competency;
b) review its training and development activities in order to meet its model of service, and the Rural Fire Service’s contribution towards the ACT’s strategic bushfire capability (Recommendation 19), taking into account the level of cross crewing that is feasible;
c) continue liaising and collaborating where possible with the Parks Brigade over the Brigade planning and implementation of its training and development activity;
d) prepare and maintain medium-term training and development plans for the ACT Rural Fire Service; and
e) determine a target for incident management team capability and identify how this will be achieved.

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

The Emergency Services Agency (ACT Rural Fire Service headquarters) should implement a system to provide assurance to the Chief Officer of the ACT Rural Fire Service that personnel and equipment readiness meets requirements.

The Emergency Services Agency and the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should clarify the timing of the requirement for meeting firefighter fitness requirements, as set out in ACT Rural Fire Service operating procedures and the Territory and Municipal Directorate’s Enterprise Agreement, and give priority to meeting that requirement.

The Emergency Services Agency should develop and test administrative procedures for the communications systems used for the distribution of public warning and emergency alerts.

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

I recommend that BPC establish an onshore presence as recommended by Lieutenant Commander Livingstone. 

I recommend that the Christmas Island VMRS be given autonomy to maintain operational readiness for the VMRS rescue vessel(s) and an appropriate budget be provided to allow this to take place. 

There should be clearly established criteria for burns which are specially challenging, and these criteria need to extend beyond the intended boundaries of the prescribed burn.

Timely alerts and updates to the community are essential.

A risk management approach is needed which considers risks both inside the prescribed burn and the risks that will need to be managed if the fire escapes. This risk assessment should be dynamic in line with the four day and seven day weather forecast.

Experienced forecasters and fire behaviour experts should be embedded in DEC at least at a state level to ensure that fire risks are properly understood by decision makers.

Rolling risk assessment conducted during ignition of prescribed burns should identify whether an escape is likely to develop into a Level 3 incident. As soon as possible after it has been identified that the escape cannot be contained, the incident should be declared a Level 3.

Radio bulletins need to be up to date and time stamped. Where social media is used the messages need to be up to date and accurate. Websites need to be up to date and accurate.

All forms of fuel modification should be available to fire managers.

Expand the exploitation of social media, including graphical content for state alerts and warnings. Consider increasing the graphical content of web-based warnings.

Prescribed burns which meet the ‘red flag’ criteria should have mandated risk Establish risk management criteria for management criteria imposed.

The process for initiating and releasing State Alert messages requires review.

The Minister for Emergency Services should urgently review the technical issues with the Western Australia Emergency Radio Network  program that is forcing the State’s firefighters to revert to their older radio networks.

The Department of Environment and Conservation review the utility of its current regional model in terms of the capability of operational centres such as Kirup to service major fire activity on land proximate to the rural urban area (this recommendation should also be considered in the context of Recommendation 5).

The Department of Environment and Conservation urgently undertake a review of its risk management practices as they relate to prescribed burns including but not limited to: *reviewing risk management practices to ensure that they are in accordance with AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009; * finalising and implementing the new complexity model developed in house by the DEC; * considering a broader set of parameters of risk by conducting an environmental scan or similar tool for areas under consideration for a prescribed burn; *updating the prescribed fire plans to reflect the broader risk considerations discovered through environmental scanning; *better informing the risk considerations by updating the ‘Red Book’ to reflect current research on burning in coastal heath; and * reconsidering the utility of the ‘Red Flag Burn’ notification on files and either adopting it as a policy across the State or removing it as a consideration.

The Department of Environment and Conservation review its current policies and operational guidelines in particular by: * strengthening the governance of operations by ensuring the Guidelines are relevant and practical; * ensuring the processes that are implemented for prescribed burns are: (a) value adding to the decisions and approvals required (b) informed by substantive input (c) focussed on outcome rather than process; *completing the draft management plan for the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Capes Area Parks and Reserves in accordance with the provisions of the Conservation and Land Management Act 1989; * exploring the possibility of automating and streamlining the various processes for formulating a prescription for prescribed burns for ease of access and updating; and * clarifying the guidance provided to decision makers as to the ‘edging’ and security of prescribed burns.

The Minister for Emergency Services and the Minister for Police provide additional resources so that the Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the Western Australia Police can at least double their number of peer support officers, with an aim to increase the number in regional areas of the State.

The Ministers for Emergency Services, Environment and Police request their departments to place some of their staff and resources providing trauma-related services in regional Western Australia.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority should expand their use of social media to better inform the Western Australian community.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority, Department of Environment and Conservation and Western Australia Police explore the usefulness of using retired staff as mentors or peer supporters, either directly employed or through a suitable nongovernment organisation.

The Ministers for Health, Emergency Services, Environment and Police provide additional funds to their agencies so that a detailed exercise is held on a regular basis based on a disaster that will create the worst outcome for the State.

The State’s emergency response agencies should offer exit interviews to all of their staff and volunteers and use the information they gather to improve their trauma management procedures.

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:
• the public authority with ownership and management responsibilities for the levee;
• the beneficiaries of the levee;
• clear standards and expectations for the levee’s performance and its maintenance;
• where appropriate, a rationale for the rating of beneficiaries for ongoing maintenance; and
• all ad hoc township levees deemed to be permanent priority levees must be brought under an approved scheme.

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.

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.

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:
• as part of their revised Regional Flood Strategies, CMAs will identify and prioritise levees within their catchments;
• that the Statements of Obligations for CMAs under the Water Act 1989 be amended to reflect these assigned roles and responsibilities; and
• prioritisation will be underpinned by the beneficiary pays principle.

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:
• the construction of appropriately designed rural ring levees around private assets;
• maintenance works on existing levee banks that do not exceed the original height of the levee, or alter the footprint of the levee; and
• where exemptions are granted, councils will ensure that an inspection regime remains to ensure new levees do not adversely impact others, and are not raised above their original height. The state government to also consider changing the referral role of CMAs under the Planning and Environment Act 1987, to that of an advisory role.

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:
• CMAs are confirmed as the responsible authority for the management and ongoing maintenance of waterways, including vegetation management, for the purposes of flood protection; and
• CMAs will negotiate with landholders, councils and other authorities, and conduct agreed flood mitigation works on the basis of beneficiary pays.

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:
• the beneficiary pays principle will determine ownership and management;
• outside Melbourne, the ownership of, and responsibility for, the management and ongoing maintenance of all urban levees, including modern urban levees created under formal schemes, is assigned to local councils;
• in all other non‐metropolitan areas, CMAs are confirmed as the responsible authority for the management and ongoing maintenance of priority rural levee systems, where such levees, (a) have clearly identified beneficiaries who are willing to fund ongoing maintenance, and (b) are located, at least in part, on public land;
• in situations where there is a clear benefit and the majority of stakeholders are in agreement, consideration should be given to a special charge scheme, as determined by the Water Act 1989 (section 196); and
• privately built rural levees on private land remain owned and managed by the landholder.

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:
• the public land manager and beneficiaries reach agreement on types of access and upgrading or maintenance works to be performed, and the limits to such access; and
• the land manager consults with the floodplain manager to ensure reasonable standards are adhered to – modification of the levee will require a permit.
If required, legislation, such as the National Parks Act 1975, be amended to allow access to public lands by local landholders.

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.

Responsible authorities will identify low priority levees for potential removal, and have them removed when funding becomes available.

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.

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.

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.

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:
• in the aftermath of a flood event, CMAs, in liaison with local councils, will manage debris posing a high risk to public infrastructure;
• the In‐stream Management Policy of CMAs will guide the post‐flood management of debris affecting the assets of private owner beneficiaries;
• DSE will review the woody debris removal practices of CMAs and develop new management guidelines; and
• engagement with stakeholders, including councils and landholders will take place prior to any large scale removal of woody weeds, such as willows, is undertaken by CMAs.

Efficient and effective supporting tools and processes: streamlining the authorisation processes for urgent warnings.

Efficient and effective supporting tools and processes: developing tools and workflows to quickly and reliably transform technical data into intelligence that can be used to construct messages for community information that are timely, relevant, tailored and effective.

Fire services can improve outcomes by implementing standard procedures that ensure the welfare and safety of crews and the public are not compromised

Regulators can help to achieve improved outcomes by considering the issues identified by this review

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

Fire services can improve outcomes by using a pre-planned response to provide appropriate resources

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

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.

Emergency Management Queensland should ensure its staff, SES members and disaster managers are familiar with the directive when it is developed.

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.

The Queensland Government should consult with councils to formulate a definition of ‘levee’ to identify what should be regulated.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Emergency Management Queensland, in consultation with councils, should develop a directive that makes clear the authority of an officer of that agency to command a major SES operation. This could be expected to occur when a deployment of additional SES members is made to a region because the response needed is beyond the capacity of its local units. The directive should make clear the powers of the officer and his or her reporting responsibilities to disaster managers in these circumstances. Emergency Management Queensland must also ensure that any officer who assumes such a role has adequate training and skills in the conduct of disaster operations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

The fire service should ensure that station officers are familiar with the procedure for contacting management when requesting the calling in of additional staff; and, in particular, that they have available to them the names and current telephone numbers of the officers to be contacted in the first instance, with alternative contact details in the event that those officers prove unavailable.

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.

Levees should be regulated.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Councils should consider using the limited development (constrained land) zone in their planning schemes for areas that have a very high flood risk.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Emergency Management Queensland should ensure its staff, SES members and disaster managers are familiar with the directives it develops in relation to these matters.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Queensland Government should include in the model flood planning controls a model flood overlay code that consolidates assessment criteria relating to flood.

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.

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.

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.

Emergency Management Queensland, in consultation with councils, should develop clear directives about: • the communication and reporting that should take place between the SES and disaster managers, including in relation to task allocation and completion, once disaster management groups have been activated • the communication and reporting that should take place between the SES and disaster managers, including in relation to task allocation and completion, once disaster management groups have been activated • the process for dealing with requests for assistance that exceed an SES unit’s capacity to respond them • the process for seeking extra support for an SES unit that has been overwhelmed by a disaster (whether by way of Emergency Management Queensland or the disaster management arrangements or both) • the role of SES liaison officers in communications with disaster managers about SES disaster operations • the role of incident controllers, and their teams, relative to those SES (or Emergency Management Queensland) personnel charged with the command of SES operations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Annual property inspections assessing access and fuel loads are conducted in all peri urban areas.

Review Bushfires NT brigade boundaries to increase the catchment for possible volunteers and maximise the availability and allocation of equipment.

Prepare a formal proposal for the creation of pastoral/Indigenous Lands Fire Management Teams.

Review Bushfires CRC initiatives as the basis for the implementation of a recruitment drive in the Territory.

Investigate the application and cost of the creation of District Coordination Officers to key high demand brigade districts.

PowerWater Corporation be consulted with the intention of establishing a Memorandum Of Understanding for the maintenance of PowerWater land for the purpose of coordinated fire reduction.

Regular rotation of staff across other regions of the Territory to increase knowledge, skills and expertise that can be called upon to increase response effectiveness.

A regular program that tests fire based incidents of command, control and coordination of operational procedures using scenario planning, training simulations and coordination of emergency responses between NTFRS, NTES and NT Police be instituted.

That the concession holder of the rail corridor be approached to formalise a Memorandum of Understanding for the maintenance of the railway corridor for the purposes of fuel load reduction.

Continue the use of Warnings and Alerts, in various languages, and through multiple broadcast media, including Indigenous language versions to engage with all people as to the risks of bushfire.

Maintain DNRETAS as the lead agency for all aspects of Bushfires NT’s role and maintain Bushfires NT as the lead organisation for both fire prevention and fire fighting operations in its specified districts and zones.

That a trial be commissioned to assess the most effective means of road verge management, including regional variations, for future application across the Territory.

Develop a long term forecast of volunteer requirements, by region, and then review the adequacy of volunteer operational grants, equipment and facilities to meet this forecast.

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.

Review disaster recovery and business continuity plans.

As a priority, state and territory governments should ensure that land-use planning systems are sufficiently flexible to enable a risk management approach to incorporating climate change risks into planning decisions at the state, territory, regional and local government levels. Consideration should be given to:
• transparent and rigorous community consultation processes that enable an understanding of the community’s acceptable levels of risk for different types of land use
• the timeframe of risks and the expected lifetime of proposed land use
• the costs and benefits of land use.
State and territory governments should provide appropriate guidance to local governments to implement these provisions in local government schemes.

The Council of Australian Governments’ Building Ministers’ Forum should provide formal direction to the Australian Building Codes Board to:
• monitor projections of climate change risks to buildings
• revise the standards in the National Construction Code to take into account these projections where this delivers a net benefit to the community.
This body of work should be transparently and formally incorporated in the Australian Building Codes Board’s annual work program.

Tourism WA must give specific regard as to whether land use approvals need to be sought, particularly from Department of Regional Development and Lands, when conducting due diligence for event sponsorship proposals that require sign off by both departments.

Department of Regional Development and Lands and Department of Environment and Conservation should consider how their respective land use approval processes can incorporate the input of Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) as part of risk assessments for high risk events and adventure sport activities.

As part of the current revision of its contract template for sponsorship agreements, Tourism WA should ensure that:
- Risk management plans are submitted for approval with all relevant agencies and local and state authorities no later than two months prior to a sponsored event being staged.
- Milestone payments should be linked to the strict adherence of this deadline 
- Evidence of approval of the risk management plans by all relevant local and state authorities is provided to Tourism WA by the event organiser.

A risk-management approach is needed which considers risks both inside the prescribed burn and the risks that will need to be managed if the fire escapes. The risk assessment should be organised and in line with the four and seven day weather.

The burn prescription should capture the fuel characteristics and potential rate of spread for those areas outside the burn that will likely be critical during the initial attack on any escaping fire.

Local emergency management committees and planning should identify modes of community contact

There should be clearly established criteria for burns which are specially challenging, and these criteria need to extend beyond the intended boundaries of the prescribed burn. The criteria should be clarified and adopted as agency S OPs.

Prescriptions need to be interpreted by experienced and knowledgeable personnel to ensure risk is fully understood. It is important that the background and justification for these decisions are captured at each stage and are visible to all levels in WA fire management hierarchy.

The agencies need to develop techniques to ensure accuracy of information across all media.

Decisions taken on the basis of this risk assessment need to be captured and distributed across district and state.

There would be benefit in progressively aligning the geographic boundaries of each of the agencies and seeking to co-locate their headquarters within those boundaries.

Contingency plans for escaping burns should be prepared in advance.

Further community education may be needed on how to interpret messages.

A rolling risk assessment is required which captures the risks of the burn escaping and provides adequate resources.

Once a burn is ignited, it needs to be the subject of continuing risk assessment and appropriate mitigation.

A high level review of alerts, warnings and messaging is needed to match community expectations with what is practical and achievable.

DEC should investigate embedding an experienced forecaster in the state operations centre.

Prescriptions should mandate consideration of measures to retire risk.

Web sites need to be kept updated.

Core ignition, particularly of red flag burns, should be informed by the 4 & 7 day forecasts (including a longer term perspective over 3 to 4 months)

The Minister for Emergency Services report to Parliament by May 2012 on the resources required to ensure a ‘One Source One Message’ multi-layered information system, as recommended by the Keelty Report, including any upgrades required for FESA’s current State Alert system.

Initial StateAlert messages should provide timely broad advice to a wide audience authorised by the SDD, while subsequent messages may provide more detail.

The State Government reaffirm its 2009 decision to approve DEC exercising greater flexibility in managing smoke within national guidelines, in order to achieve its prescribed burn program.

The State Government restructure the Fire and Emergency Services Authority as a Department. 22 As part of this restructure, Emergency Management Western Australia should either be: 1. clearly separated from the fire and emergency services response function (see figure 2); or 2. moved to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (see figures 3 and 4) or 3. moved to the Attorney-General’s department (see figures 3 and 5).

FESA develop in partnership with other emergency service agencies develop a 'one source: one message' multi layered system similar to that recommended by the Victoria Bushfire royal Commission.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority, the Department of Environment and Conservation and local governments take proactive steps to conduct their prescribed burning programs as joint exercises. This will give effect to:
- Reducing fuel load
- Improving inter-operability
- A mutual understanding of the fire fighting techniques of each agency.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the ABC commence a thorough review of emergency warning messages. This review should give consideration to: The content, structure and presentation of emergency warning messages Media access to the Incident Management Team and State Operations Centre. This review should be expanded to include other media organisations should they demonstrate a willingness and capacity to contribute. 20

Emergency Management Western Australia and the State Emergency Management Committee amend WESTPLAN-BUSHFIRE to require State Emergency Coordination Group meetings to be held at the State Coordination Centre in West Leederville.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority, the Department of Environment and Conservation and local governments take proactive steps to conduct their prescribed burning programs as joint exercises. This will give effect to: Reducing fuel load Improving inter-operability A mutual understanding of the fire fighting techniques of each agency.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the ABC commence a thorough review of emergency warning messages. This review should give consideration to: 
- The content, structure and presentation of emergency warning messages
- Media access to the Incident Management Team and State Operations Centre.
This review should be expanded to include other media organisations should they demonstrate a willingness and capacity to contribute.

The State Government consider resourcing the Department of Environment and Conservation and local governments to develop and administer a comprehensive prescribed burning program in Perth‟s urban/rural interface to compliment DEC's existing landscape-scale program.

FESA and local governments jointly review radio communications capability prior to the 2011/12 bushfire season with a view to improving the current delivery of service to firefighters.

The State Government consider resourcing the Department of Environment and Conservation and local governments to develop and administer a comprehensive prescribed burning program in Perth’s urban/rural interface to compliment DEC’s existing landscape-scale program.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority work in partnership with Main Roads Western Australia and local governments to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for the use of mobile variable message boards to alert the community to the declaration of a total fire ban and what it means.

The State Government mandate that the title deeds for relevant properties be amended to indicate if the property is in a declared bushfire prone area.

Main Roads Western Australia undertake more frequent examinations of its bridges located in areas prone to bushfire and ensure that the risk posed to loss of infrastructure in a fire is understood by local authorities.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority work in partnership with the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia to develop a package of information for new residents moving into bushfire prone areas, and a process to ensure this information is provided through real estate agents.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority consider alternative wording to Total Fire Ban that ensures people gain a more complete understanding of what actions are prohibited.

State and locals governments: a) recognise that regardless of future declarations of bushfire prone areas, the existing planning and building problems in the Perth Hills related to bushfire risk will persist; b) urge residents in these areas to retrofit their homes and evaporative air conditioners in compliance with AS 3959 - 2009; c) examine options to retrospectively bring these areas into compliance with Planning for Bushfire Protection Guidelines.

The Interagency Bushfire Management committee develop and oversee a work program to:
- conduct site specific assessments to assess current fuel loads
- assess, analyse and prioritise bushfire risk on land within and adjacent to communities
- develop a three year rolling mitigation works program with annual implementation and review.
This work should commence independently of any decision on the most effective online integrated system. All data collected should be uploaded to the SLIP.

The State Government transfer responsibility for declaring bushfire prone areas from local government to the Western Australian Planning Commission. The Western Australian Planning Commission should urgently assess those areas that should be declared bushfire prone.

The Interagency Bushfire Management committee develop and oversee a work program to: conduct site specific assessments to assess current fuel loads assess, analyse and prioritise bushfire risk on land within and adjacent to communities develop a three year rolling mitigation works program with annual implementation and review. This work should commence independently of any decision on the most effective online integrated system. All data collected should be uploaded to the SLIP.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and local governments ensure that Community Emergency Service Managers are physically based in local government.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority, the Department of Environment and Conservation and local governments jointly develop a single, integrated system for fuel load assessment and management.
The system should enable public access to allow members of the community to access information about the fuel load in a given locality.

FESA develop in partnership with other emergency service agencies a ‘one source: one message’ multi layered system similar to that recommended by the Victoria Bushfire royal Commission.

Emergency service agencies undertake more consultation and joint exercising involving the Fire and Emergency Services Authority, the Department of Environment, the Western Australian Police, the Department for Child Protection, local governments and volunteers – including Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades.
This should include field exercises which test:
- Evacuation centres
- Critical infrastructure (including at the local level)
- Traffic management, including road blocks.
Consideration should also be given to involving the community in exercising (see Recommendation 7) and using prescribed burns as exercises (see Recommendation 14).
More detailed planning for exercises should be included in a revised WESTPLANBUSHFIRE to be endorsed by the State Emergency Management Committee.

the state require that agencies operate in compliance with the guidelines of the Victorian Warning Protocol to ensure efficacy of warning messages.

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.

the state review its Memoranda of Understanding with official emergency broadcasters to take account of increased usage of internet based information, including social media and the ability to broadcast community meetings

the state develop and implement standards for Emergency Alert to ensure consistent use, training and application by accredited operators within agencies across ‘all hazards’.

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

the state investigate the ability to refine the Flood and Storm Information Line to enable it to receive as well as provide information.

the state develop and implement a single web portal as a means of providing emergency information to communities and local government on an ‘all hazards’ basis, including the information referred to in recommendations 74, 89 and 92.

the state engage with local government to ensure emergency services’ public information and warnings reflect the community demographic.

the state develop a flood warning system for each basin and location with community input and make relevant documents publicly available. Each warning system should include key performance indicators.

the state develop a standard approach to the provision of emergency warnings and information in formats – spoken and written – that recognise diverse community needs, including language and disability

the state and the commonwealth, during a flood event, make information available on providers who have capacity to accommodate patients and residents who require evacuation.

the state put in place appropriate measures to inform the community of the intended purpose of the Emergency Alert warning system.

the state actively pursue the use of social media as part of its emergency warning and public information system.

The Fire Services Commissioner ensures that policy, operational procedures, systems and training relating to information and warnings that have been applied to bushfires are now also applied to other emergencies. In particular:
- information and warning messages are consistent as well as relevant, timely and accurate
- a formal arrangement is established to ensure twenty-four hour availability of information officers for the issuing of information and warning messages
- advice messages are issued to the community as soon as practicable to prevent ‘information gaps’
- integration of MFB with the One Source One Message (OSOM) system is expedited.
 

The CFA revisit with the UFU the arrangement relating to the recruitment of volunteer firefighters as an employee.

The CFA continue with its initiatives to implement the Garnock Report, keeping volunteers and paid personnel fully informed of progress and consulting with them in relation to the implementation. This implementation should be given priority, having regard to its importance.

The CFA continue, in consultation with volunteers, paid personnel and their representatives, its review of disciplinary arrangements and as part of that review consider the concept of the establishment of a Volunteer Ombudsman.

A. The CFA, in consultation with its volunteers and employees, determine and adopt a statement of Vision, Mission and Values.
B. Position descriptions and key selection criteria require knowledge of, and commitment to, this statement.
C. Membership of the CFA by a volunteer be on the basis of the volunteer being committed to this statement.

The CFA continue its consultations with the UFU to establish a satisfactory and workable process for the use of sessional instructors.

The CFA, in relation to developing any process for brigade support or career structure or position description for Brigade Administrative Support Officers, as referred to in Clause 8 of the 2010 Deed, consult with the VFBV and volunteers before reaching any decision on those matters.

A. The CFA, in consultation with employers and volunteers, explore the establishment of employer consultation and support mechanisms along the lines of those developed by the Australian Defence Force.
B. Consideration be given to enactment of legislation along the lines of the federal legislation relating to employers and Defence Reservists.
C. Consideration be given to the establishment of an Employer Support Payment Scheme along the lines of that operated by the Australian Defence Force.

The CFA revisit with the UFU the arrangements contained in industrial agreements relating to the engagement of instructors with a view to increasing the ability and flexibility of the CFA to fill instructor positions and thereby ensure maximum training capacity to the benefit of CFA members, both volunteer and paid.

The CFA, in consultation with the VFBV and volunteers, develop a comprehensive strategy for the administrative support of volunteer brigades to ensure that such brigades can operate efficiently and effectively.

The CFA and the Chief Officer continue to develop the initiatives outlined in relation to service delivery and standards, decision‐making and allocation of resources.

The CFA revisit with the UFU the arrangements relating to the employment of part‐time and casual employees.

The CFA, in consultation with the VFBV and volunteers, explore and develop initiatives whereby qualified volunteers may be more utilised in Incident Management Teams.

The CFA revisit with the UFU the arrangements relating to lateral entry and secondment.

The CFA as part of any examination of the utilisation of the NBN give priority to the establishment of internet access for brigades.

Allow the MFB and SES access to using OSOM.

Review OSOM to enable monitoring or tracking of where messages were sent, who they were sent to and when they are due for review.

Review the suite of community bushfire warning systems available to tourists across the State.

Amend SOP J4.01and other strategic and procedural documents to reflect the goal of ‘timely, relevant and tailored’ for community bushfire warnings.

Improve links and interactions between the communication systems e.g. customise OSOM messages to each of the communication mechanisms, link OSOM with Emergency Alert.

Develop a robust evaluation framework to review community bushfire warning policies, processes, systems and procedures both internally and with communities at regular intervals and immediately after a major bushfire event.

Review Emergency Alert and OSOM systems to improve ease of use.

Educate and engage with fire-affected landholders about the types of warnings, what they might expect from the warnings and their responsibility for response to prevent loss of life.

Ensure that warning terminology used in the templates and FireWeb is consistent.

Review the potential use of ‘crowdsourcing’ sites such as Bushfire Connect in community bushfire warnings.

Review the use of the terms in the templates e.g. ‘out of control’ so that community misconceptions are minimised.

Consider the ‘secondment’ of staff into Information Section roles during the fire season along the lines of the seasonal Project Fire Fighters model

Integrate social media into the OSOM system.

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.

The Fire Services continue working towards a common and integrated information and communication platform to improve interoperability at state, regional and local levels.

The Fire Services ensure information and warning projects are able to be integrated with a common operating platform.

The Fire Services ensure that information and warnings are developed in accordance with the Victorian Warning Protocol

The Fire Services evaluate the new information and warning systems to identify ways to integrate them and improve their capacity to issue timely, relevant and tailored messages. This should include the use of social media.

The Fire Services, in consultation with media outlets, develop a more effective strategy for informing the community of Total Fire Ban days.

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.

Local government councils implement a zoning approach to fuel management as recommended by COAG 2004.

Tasmanian entities with responsibilities for bushfire management actively pursue national consistency of warning systems and emergency warning signals through national bodies such as the National Emergency Management Committee.

that QFRS implement procedures to provide a clear grievance process which is available to rural fire brigade volunteers.

that QFRS update its website to include the Rural Fire Service as part of its www.fire.qld.gov.au web presence.

that QFRS investigate and implement an internal email system for rural fire brigades.

that QFRS establish the position of Assistant Commissioner, Rural Fire Service to lead the proposed Rural Fire Service division within QFRS.

that QFRS include consultation with rural fire brigades as mandatory when boundary changes are proposed.

that QFRS should establish a Rural Fire Service division within QFRS with the aim of integrating and strengthening the relationship between the urban and rural fire services.

that QFRS implement procedures to ensure that rural fire brigades receive written confirmation of the Commissioner’s approval after office bearer elections in compliance with section 81 of the Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990.

The committee recommends the government consider granting public broadcasters priority access to fuel during times of emergency for the purpose of broadcasting emergency warnings and information, and in a way that does not impede the ability of emergency service organisations to access fuel.

It is sensible that, in considering planning development proposals on land adjacent to the DEC estate, that development authorities invite comment from DEC on the fire management consequences of development proposals.

A DEC fire management staff succession plan would minimise the loss of core fire management skills and experience in the future and provide a planned approach to development of prospective fire management staff.

The DEC corporate statement should affirm a strong commitment to fire management.

FESA identifies and documents its information requirements for end-to-end information exchange and then assess the adequacy of current systems to meet these information requirements.

FESA establishes a process (and associated systems and policies) to mobilise staff to an incident, incorporating pre-formed multi-agency Incident Management Teams. The development of Incident Management Teams should align with the principles of seamless and integrated escalation of command and control arrangements, and be based on a whole of capability approach (people, organisations, systems, training, procedures etc.).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.