Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC324-4300 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Simplify the planning system disaster provisions: That, to simplify and improve the state planning processes especially when anticipating and recovering from a disaster, Government: |
REC324-4304 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC324-4308 | 26 - Research | Compound mental helath studies: That, to inform Government policies and programs for mental health and disasters, Government commission a longitudinal study on the effect of consecutive disasters on community mental health. |
REC324-4293 | 17 - Assets and technology | Essential services and floodplain infrastructure: That, to minimise disruption to essential services (power, communications, water, sewerage) and to ensure flood infrastructure is fully serviceable before flooding, Government ensure: |
REC324-4312 | 17 - Assets and technology | Impact to essential services: That, to minimise disruption to essential services, including outages which compromise basic communication coverage, and to ensure access to safe water supply and power during flood events, Government work directly or together with the Australian and other state governments and/or their relevant power and telecommunications regulatory, policy and market bodies to: |
REC324-4296 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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). |
REC324-4319 | 26 - Research | Climate and weather research: That, to enable effective mitigation and adaptation measures in response to changing climate risks, Government establish NSW as a world centre of disaster research and technology development. This should include: |
REC324-4299 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Relocating communities most at risk with good homes and amenities: That, to empower vulnerable people and communities to relocate, Government through the NSWRA: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC323-4263 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the NSW Government prioritise support for the full restoration of sewage treatment facilities on the Richmond River, for the benefit of communities in the Northern Rivers region. |
REC323-4285 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the NSW Government, in consultation with telecommunication providers and satellite communication providers, investigate ways to minimise the complete loss of telecommunication services in natural disasters, including: |
REC323-4266 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC323-4286 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the NSW Government advocate through the National Cabinet for the Bureau of Meteorology to review its rain data infrastructure and flood modelling tools, to ensure forecasting locations, rain and flood gauges and other infrastructure are appropriately placed, maintained and updated. |
REC323-4267 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC323-4256 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the NSW Government work with relevant agencies and local landowners to find ways to improve the management of drainage channels including looking for recommendations to reduce red and green tape. |
REC323-4257 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC316-4037 | 17 - Assets and technology | Consideration be given to developing alternate website contingency in the event of a critical failure and an assurance review across all community facing Government websites. |
REC316-4030 | 17 - Assets and technology | Continue to explore options in the short term to improve the functionality and relationship with NSW RFS ‘Fires Near Me’ with respect to ACT specific information before the 2020-21 bushfire season. |
REC316-4029 | 17 - Assets and technology | ACT Government continues to develop the concept for an ACT specific emergency app whilst also using national coordination mechanisms to support an affordable nationally standard all-hazards mobile app. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC315-3815 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to equip NSW RFS with comprehensive information on all structures and assets at risk of bush fire, Government ensures that: |
REC315-3836 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to ensure frontline personnel have appropriate personal protective clothing during bush fires: |
REC315-3843 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to improve early fire suppression, the NSW RFS trial initial aerial dispatch in areas of high bush fire risk. The trial should identify the most appropriate and cost-effective mix of aircraft, and any associated infrastructure improvements that would be required. |
REC315-3802 | 26 - Research | That Government establish NSW as a major world centre of bush fire research, and technology development and commercialisation. This should include: |
REC315-3831 | 26 - Research | That, in order to capture and understand the impacts of bush fire smoke better, Government invest in operational air quality forecasting and alert systems, and public health research and policy development. This would involve investment to: |
REC315-3840 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | That, in order to ensure firefighter sustenance is of sufficient volume and quality, the NSW RFS reviews food standards and procedures in consultation with volunteers. The review should include catering service standards, including food safety, as well as the viability of sourcing commercial contracts and providing 12-hour food packs to firefighters. |
REC315-3801 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | That, in order to improve capability to detect ignitions and monitor accurately all fire edge intensity and progression automatically across the State in near real time, Government establish a spatial technology acceleration program to maximise the information available from the various remote sensing technologies currently in use and to plan for inclusion of new remote sensing systems that can sense precisely and rapidly through heavy smoke, cloud, fog and dust. This will require work within the State and with partners nationally and internationally. |
REC315-3849 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to enhance NSW’s fire fighting capacity, Government trial aerial fire fighting at night in the 2020-21 season with a view to full implementation if successful. |
REC315-3824 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC315-3839 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | That, to ensure firefighters can access mental health support through GPs, Government work with the Commonwealth Government to: |
REC315-3800 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | That the NSW Government, along with other Australian governments, ask AFAC to establish a national bush fire database. This database would enable: |
REC315-3848 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to enhance NSW’s ability to improve situational awareness, Government expand FRNSW’s Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS) capability (both capital assets and trained operators) to major regional centres and ensure the NSW RFS and other NSW government agencies can access this capability as required. |
REC315-3819 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | That, as part of the spatial technology acceleration program, Government support deployment of remote sensing and picture processing technologies to monitor and audit how well Asset Protection Zones and defendable space are being maintained, especially around towns. |
REC315-3838 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | That, in order to ensure all NSW RFS members can access the mental health support they need, the NSW RFS expands in-house mental health support for members. |
REC315-3847 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to ensure Australia’s fire fighting aerial capacity capitalises on existing assets and is made up of the right mix, Government: |
REC315-3818 | 26 - Research | That, in order to improve understanding of optimal hazard reduction techniques and their application in the landscape: |
REC315-3837 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to improve firefighter safety, Government fire authorities: |
REC315-3845 | 26 - Research | That Government commission further research on the potential risks and benefits of backburning during severe, extreme and catastrophic conditions and/or in particular terrain, and that the NSW RFS use this research to inform future backburning protocols and training. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC302-2402 | 17 - Assets and technology | Explore better options for call and dispatch, telecommunications and information sharing capability across the emergency management portfolio including the adoption of a multi-agency emergency management operations complex |
REC302-2398 | 17 - Assets and technology | As a matter of priority commence the roll out of AVL capability for the Rural Fire Service fleet, completing as much work as possible before the 2018/19 bushfire season, capitalising where necessary on current and future work undertaken with the NSW Government Radio Network to ensure both officer safety and situational awareness |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC002-4006 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Commisison would not insist upon a barometer being provided at each mine. Experience has proved that this is a tardy index to atmospheric conditions. Serious changes in the atmospheric pressure occur and are felt before they are indicated by a barometer. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC292-2342 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | The development of an integrated intelligence system that allows police officers secure access to all information platforms should also provide for the recording of all command decisions, the reasons for them, and the dissemination of those decisions. |
REC292-2369 | 26 - Research | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force evaluate whether the use of noise-attenuation devices should be mandated when explosive distraction devices are used. |
REC292-2348 | 17 - Assets and technology | I recommend that if it has not already done so, the New South Wales Police Force acquires the audio surveillance technology that in similar circumstances would allow a device to be monitored in the Police Forward Command Post and/or the Police Operations Centre and that the organisation ensures that its capacity in this regard keeps pace with technological advances in the area. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC281-1202 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | Impact Assessment Data Collection: The Office of Emergency Management continues to progress the Impact Assessment Data Collection Project and: · incorporate recovery schema in Rapid Impact Assessments · review procedures for collection of Rapid Impact Assessment Data · review and combine current templates into one, single template for Impact Assessment Reports that is used by all agencies · further develop Impact Assessment Guidelines for agency personnel undertaking impact assessments |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC280-1385 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC280-1383 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | That the NSW Government improve the protection of media and telecommunications towers around New South Wales by: |
REC280-1380 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | That the NSW Rural Fire Service investigate mechanisms to enhance the predictability of megafires and how this information is communicated easily to the public. |
REC280-1399 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC280-1398 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC267-1152 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | Impact Assessment Data Sharing Project |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC261-1514 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC261-1513 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the Minister for Police and Emergency Services review the communications technologies used by the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Forestry NSW during fire fighting operations, to ensure that systems are standardised and effective. Within this context, the potential value of satellite phone technology should be investigated. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC260-1049 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | That the Rural Fire Service consider proposing an arrangement with the Bureau of Meteorology to deploy weather balloons specifically for the purpose of assessing atmospheric instability during periods of severe to catastrophic fire danger in locations most likely to be severely affected, for example, areas in which a very high C-Haines index reading is registered and local fires have been identified. |
REC260-1050 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | Alternatively, I recommend that the RFS consider developing such capacity to deploy weather balloons itself, in conjunction with mobile weather stations, for this purpose. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC238-0800 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Improve regional transport infrastructure to address current and projected flood evacuation capacity constraints and timelines. |
REC238-0813 | 26 - Research | Develop and maintain a comprehensive flood model and flood modelling framework for the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley. |
REC238-0808 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Ensure future road infrastructure planning considers flood evacuation requirements throughout the Hawkesbury-Nepean floodplain. |
REC238-0807 | 26 - Research | Develop a comprehensive road evacuation network model for floods in the Hawkesbury-Nepean floodplain to inform evacuation capacity assessments and strategic transport and land use planning, and to assist with the real-time operational management of evacuation during floods. |
REC238-0816 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Ensure appropriate consideration of flood risk in regional and subregional planning |
REC238-0804 | 26 - Research | Clarify roles, responsibilities and consider funding options for post-event collection of data and flood intelligence. |
REC238-0815 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Provide improved land use planning tools for managing flood prone land. |
REC238-0801 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
REC238-0814 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | Develop a NSW Planning Policy and Guideline to improve land use planning practices on flood prone land. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC237-0825 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | 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. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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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: |
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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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 |
REC126-2000 | 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 |
REC126-1960 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | That an appropriate geographic information systems capability be maintained to enable the production of fire-specific maps as the need arises and that personnel from the Emergency Services Agency and other agencies be trained in the operation of map production systems, so that 9maps can be modified to include fire-specific information as required |
REC126-1959 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | That the Emergency Services Agency introduce a program with land management agencies in the ACT to ensure that maps of all public and private land in the ACT are subjected to regular review and amendment as required. Maps of a scale sufficient to facilitate fire management operations should be available in printed form and maintained on an electronic database capable of modification to add relevant features during a firefighting operation |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC121-3656 | 17 - Assets and technology | Satellite telephones should be provided by RailCorp to all rail commanders at any emergency. |
REC121-3737 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | There must be a minimum of two independent methods of self-initiated emergency escape for passengers from all trains at all times. |
REC121-3706 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | RailCorp should establish a comprehensive safety document management system. |
REC121-3743 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | All passenger trains operating in New South Wales must have the external emergency door release clearly marked with the words “Emergency Door Release”. |
REC121-3725 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | The data and information management system should be compatible with any data and information management system established by the ATSB for the designated interstate rail network, provided that the establishment of a compatible system does not reduce the amount or quality of the information obtained by ITSRR below the optimum levels which it needs to conduct trend analysis, and otherwise properly manage the safety of rail operations in New South Wales. |
REC121-3755 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The RailCorp Board should require a full review of the safety competence of RailCorp managers to ensure that each has the ability to bring about those safety reforms recommended in this report which are applicable to his or her position. |
REC121-3735 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | Risk assessments of occupational health and safety issues by RailCorp should include an analysis of broader public safety risks and not be confined to narrow occupational health and safety issues. |
REC121-3702 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | Random alcohol testing should be continued. |
REC121-3741 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The operation of the train doors should have an override facility whereby the train driver or the guard can override an internal passenger emergency door release system if the door release is interfered with when there is no emergency. There should be an alarm, together with an intercom, in the train guard’s compartment so that, if a passenger attempts to initiate an emergency door release, there is an appropriate delay during which time an alarm sounds in the train guard’s compartment and the guard can then, after first attempting to speak via the intercom to the person concerned, if necessary, override the door release, and make an appropriate announcement over the intercom system in the train. |
REC121-3724 | 13 - Mapping and data quality | The ITSRR should establish a data and information management system, containing all data and information that it requires, to continually monitor the safety of the New South Wales rail system. |
REC121-3754 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The RailCorp Board should ensure that RailCorp has an adequate and integrated safety management system, including adequate systems for risk assessment, clearly defined safety responsibilities and accountabilities for persons holding management positions, and specific performance criteria against which evaluations can be made of safety performance and accountability for safety performance of all managers. |
REC121-3734 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | RailCorp should integrate its management of occupational health and safety into its overall safety management. |
REC121-3682 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | All new rolling stock should be designed to be compatible with at least level 2 automatic train protection discussed in chapter 7 of this report. |
REC121-3740 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The internal passenger emergency door release should be fitted with a facility which prevents it from operating unless the train is stationary. |
REC121-3711 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The ITSRR should establish an electronic document control system to enable effective and reliable information to be gathered for monitoring the safety of the New South Wales rail system. |
REC121-3749 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | All new rolling stock must be designed with an area of the roof through which emergency services personnel can access a rail car without encountering wiring or other equipment. That access point must be clearly marked with words such as “emergency services cut here”. |
REC121-3733 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | RailCorp’s approach to occupational health and safety should be proactive and involve the systematic analysis of all current hazards, risks and controls and an assessment of their adequacy to reduce the risk of injury to, or death of, employees to an acceptable level. |
REC121-3681 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | RailCorp should progressively implement, within a reasonable time, level 2 automatic train protection with the features identified in chapter 8 of this report. |
REC121-3739 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | All passenger trains operating in New South Wales must be fitted with external emergency door releases which do not require any special key or other equipment to operate. |
REC121-3709 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | RailCorp should provide access to electronic versions of safety documentation for all operational staff at their workplace. |
REC121-3748 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | All new rail cars must have appropriate signage and lighting identifying escape routes in the case of emergency. |
REC121-3732 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | If ITSRR accepts such a plan as an appropriate response to the existing weak safety culture, ITSRR should approve it and monitor the effectiveness of the plan. |
REC121-3764 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The ITSRR should not grant accreditation to any rail organisation unless it has an integrated safety management system in accordance with any safety management system regulation and the guidelines published from time to time by ITSRR. |
REC121-3680 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | All trains must be fitted with a minimum of two independent engineering defences to minimise the risk of derailment or collision in the event of train driver incapacitation. |
REC121-3738 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | All passenger trains must be fitted with an internal passenger emergency door release. |
REC121-3707 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | The safety document management system should provide for the distribution of electronic versions of safety documentation to relevant staff. |
REC121-3747 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | All trains should have windows available through which passengers can escape. |
REC121-3731 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | RailCorp should develop a plan to be submitted to ITSRR to address the deficiencies in the safety culture of RailCorp, including: |
REC121-3759 | 29 - Operational Health and Safety | A Safety Reform Program Director (hereafter referred to as SRPD), reporting directly to the Chief Executive of RailCorp, should be retained to manage, as head of a Safety Reform Program Office, any safety reform program being undertaken by RailCorp. The SRPD should work with the Chief Executive and senior management to ensure the implementation of an integrated safety management system and the cultural change required. The SRPD must have qualifications suitable for recognition by the Australian Institute of Project Management as a master program director. He or she should report to and be under the control of the Chief Executive, to ensure that the accountability of the Chief Executive is not reduced. The SRPD should co-ordinate and integrate any existing rail safety reform programs and, in consultation with and with the authority of the Chief Executive he or she should: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC013_3974 | 1 - Land-use and building regs | To link up fallow paddocks and natural fire breaks by ploughing or burning breaks through private or public property, roads, &c. |