Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC316-4048 | 37 - Funding | Government consider adopting a similar model to NSW for the management of emergency costs and reimbursements within ACT Government agencies. |
REC316-4047 | 37 - Funding | Government consider an alternative funding arrangement for extraordinary costs borne by Government agencies in combating emergencies such as bushfires. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC291-1234 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC291-1237 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC291-1235 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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). |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC276-1176 | 36 - Volunteers | Within 12 months, improve its processes for collecting and maintaining volunteer membership, availability and training records. To do this it will need to work with local information. governments to improve the accuracy of LG volunteer membership |
REC276-1175 | 36 - Volunteers | Continue to implement the major change projects it has in place, including Professional Pathways, and review them to assess if they will address all the key findings in this report. In particular, within six months DFES should set priorities and Sustainability Strategy. begin implementing the Emergency Services Volunteer Workforce |
REC276-1177 | 36 - Volunteers | Within 12 months, develop volunteer specific policies and procedures, including fatigue management, consistent with the Guidelines for Successful Partnerships between Public Sector Agencies and Volunteers. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC252-2563 | 37 - Funding | Western Australia Health should develop and agree with St John Ambulance a new funding model for emergency ambulance services focusing on standards, performance and allocation of risk |
REC252-2564 | 37 - Funding | Western Australia Health should collate and centrally monitor financial data including the cost to government of IHPT |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC228-1616 | 37 - Funding | The Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should enhance internal monitoring of its implementation of bushfire management activities and spending under the Bushfire Operations Plan by routinely reconciling figures in this plan with those in the Directorate’s corporate financial system. |
REC228-1619 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Territory and Municipal Services Directorate, in consultation with the Emergency Services Agency, should improve its management of Land Management Agreements, with respect to rural leaseholders’ fire management responsibilities, by: |
REC228-1617 | 37 - Funding | The Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should annually (and on a cumulative basis) track and report on funds allocated for, and spent on, its Bushfire Operations Plan to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC226-0553 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC226-0544 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | Prescribed burns which meet the ‘red flag’ criteria should have mandated risk Establish risk management criteria for management criteria imposed. |
REC226-0543 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC226-0542 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC223-0515 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC223-0514 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC222-1858 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The Ministers for Environment, Police, Child Protection and Emergency Services fund additional chaplaincy services, particularly for staff and volunteers based in rural and regional Western Australia. |
REC222-1852 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The Minister for Health immediately establish the road trauma counselling service to be funded by the Road Trauma Trust Account. |
REC222-1850 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The Ministers for Emergency Services, Environment and Police ensure that their departments develop as a high priority a computer system for tracking their staff and the number of traumatic events they have attended over a particular period. |
REC222-1856 | 37 - Funding | The Ministers for Emergency Services, Environment and Police provide additional funds in the 2013-14 Budget so that the State’s emergency response agencies can implement a Psychological First Aid approach to preparing staff to deal with critical incidents and disasters, as is used in other Australian jurisdictions. |
REC222-1854 | 36 - Volunteers | The Premier amend Clause 35 of the Public Sector Award 1992 so that State Government employees who volunteer to assist the Australian Red Cross during a disaster are not required to take personal or annual leave. |
REC222-1849 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | Departmental chief executives of the Western Australia Police, Department of Environment and Conservation and the Fire and Emergency Services Authority should be made personally responsible for the psychological health (as a result of critical incident trauma) of their staff and volunteers. This obligation should be reflected in their performance agreements. |
REC222-1848 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The Western Australian Government amend current State occupational health and safety legislation so that it includes a definition for ‘health’ that includes psychological health. |
REC222-1859 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The Attorney General and the Ministers for Health and Mental Health fund their departments to establish a peer support program by the end of 2013 for their staff undertaking stressful tasks during a disaster or critical incident. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC204-1918 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC204-1919 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC203-0280 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | Contingency plans for escaping burns should be prepared in advance. |
REC203-0285 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | A rolling risk assessment is required which captures the risks of the burn escaping and provides adequate resources. |
REC203-0279 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | Once a burn is ignited, it needs to be the subject of continuing risk assessment and appropriate mitigation. |
REC203-0284 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | DEC should investigate embedding an experienced forecaster in the state operations centre. |
REC203-0278 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | Prescriptions should mandate consideration of measures to retire risk. |
REC203-0283 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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) |
REC203-0277 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC203-0282 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC203-0276 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC203-0281 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC203-0286 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | Decisions taken on the basis of this risk assessment need to be captured and distributed across district and state. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC202-0509 | 36 - Volunteers | The Minister for Emergency Services and the Minister for Environment develop by December 2012 a Volunteer Charter that recognises the important work undertaken by the State’s volunteer bushfire and emergency services personnel. |
REC202-0508 | 36 - Volunteers | The Minister for Emergency Services and the Minister for Local Government review and report to Parliament by May 2012 on ways in which the State’s volunteer firefighters and rescue workers can be more effectively managed and valued. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC201-0257 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | FESA needs to place greater priority on the appointment of Safety Advisors to Level 3 incidents as is reflected in WESTPLAN Bushfire. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC200-1705 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) review its program to decommission vehicles and ensure that when such vehicles are offered during an incident that FESA staff adhere to FESA‟s own policy of „Use of Private Vehicles in Fires‟ |
REC200-0377 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The State Government mandate that the title deeds for relevant properties be amended to indicate if the property is in a declared bushfire prone area. |
REC200-0385 | 37 - Funding | The State Government move the responsibility for the management and distribution of the Emergency Services Levy to the Department of Finance. |
REC200-1692 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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: |
REC200-1707 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC200-0356 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC200-0376 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC200-1691 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC200-0351 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC200-0346 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority work in partnership with the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia to develop a package of information for new residents moving into bushfire prone areas, and a process to ensure this information is provided through real estate agents. |
REC200-1725 | 37 - Funding | The State Government move the responsibility for the management and distribution of the Emergency Services Levy to the Department of Finance. |
REC200-0350 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | 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. |
REC200-0340 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC183-0109 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC182-0133 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | FESA reviews its approach to safety and safety culture. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC173-0104 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | That FESA assess the cost and other implications of proposed changes to bushfire prone zone declarations which would allow the whole State to be declared bushfire prone. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC172-0030 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | A strategically located Staging Area serviced with check in/out personnel should be considered as early as possible at incidents involving an extended attack. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC144-3393 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | The Committee recommends that the responsibility for land management issues lie within a single portfolio, specifically the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC143-3589 | 37 - Funding | That consideration be given to the establishment of a ‘Heritage Reserve Fund’ that might underwrite urgent initial repairs to private heritage listed properties. |
REC143-3586 | 37 - Funding | That the ‘opportunity cost’ for Local Authorities in meeting the 25% contribution to the restoration of eligible public assets damaged by a natural disaster event be considered when FESA and Main Roads Western Australia, in consultation with Western Australian Local Government Authority, investigate a more equitable means of calculating the local government contribution to road and infrastructure restoration costs as recommended in Recommendation 1. |
REC143-3582 | 37 - Funding | That the Department of Treasury and Finance, in consultation with FESA, consider alternative funding arrangements to alleviate the need for FESA to ‘underwrite’ NDRA costs during the year. |
REC143-3581 | 37 - Funding | That, in tandem with their consideration of local government cost sharing arrangements under WANDRA (refer Recommendation 1), the Fire and Emergency Services Authority and Main Roads Western Australia also establish ‘exceptional circumstances’ criteria to provide for additional assistance to local government where it may be warranted in order to avoid undue financial pressure caused by delays to secure reimbursement. |
REC143-3576 | 37 - Funding | That Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia and Main Roads Western Australia, in consultation with the Western Australian Local Government Association, investigate a more equitable means of calculating the local government contribution to road and infrastructure restoration costs. In particular consideration should be given to regulations applying in the eastern states i.e. Queensland. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC126-1971 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That a hazard-reduction program be introduced, involving regular and strategic burning in all areas of the ACT – including the catchment areas – with a view to having fuel-reduced areas in a pattern across the landscape, excluding only small areas of particular ecological or conservation importance |
REC126-1958 | 37 - Funding | That the ACT Government allocate sufficient funds to enable full-time and volunteer firefighters to participate in relevant courses and programs |
REC126-1975 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That prescribed burning operations be conducted according to agreed standard burning prescriptions |
REC126-2002 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | That consideration be given when building to the positioning of outbuildings around residential structures such that their potential impact on the main structure is reduced |
REC126-1973 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | If it is not part of the proposed version 2 of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan, that the plan be revised to provide for a fuel-reduction burning regime in the ‘Land Management Zone’ that is equivalent to that contemplated for the corridors designated as the ‘Landscape Division Zone’ and that the regime involve burning areas in rotation to achieve an appropriately varying fire age spectrum across the entire landscape |
REC126-2000 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | That the ACT Government consider taking measures to implement the provisions of Australian Standard 3959, Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas, for the ACT urban area |
REC126-1972 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | That clarification be provided and information be made public in connection with the hazard reduction proposed under the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan for the area designated ‘Land Management Zone’, which appears to cover about 70 per cent of the ACT landscape and might be excluded from fuel-reduction burning |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC019-4152 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | The Forests Department make every endeavour to improve and extend the practice of control burning to ensure that the forests receive the maximum protection practicable consistent with silvicultural requirements. |
REC019-4143 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | It be made clear to all fire control officers that the conditions for burning prescribed in the Bush Fires Act are minimal only, and that it is their duty to prescribe such further conditions as will ensure that should unfavourable weather conditions un-expectedly develop a situation would not arise which the local bush fire control organisation could not reasonably be expected to handle. |
REC019-4142 | 5 - Hazard reduction burns | Landowners desiring to carry out developmental burns be required to inform the local authority sufficiently early to enable that body to direct them or request the local bush fire brigade to carry out protective burning around the area before the prohibited season starts. |
REC019-4145 | 37 - Funding | A fund be established to subsidise the purchase of equipment for bush fire brigades but that the granting of subsidies depend upon a certificate being received from the Bush Fires Board that the brigade in question is of a standard that will be available at all times for effective use and that adequate facilities are available for its storage and maintenance at a centre suitable for the brigade. |