The Committee recommends that PCS consider reviewing and streamlining the sign-off process for road maintenance contractor works and recruiting or training additional road maintenance contract managers with the appropriate skills and qualifications to assist in the delivery of the road maintenance program.

The Committee recommends that the ACT Government ensure that senior PCS management (Director, planning officer, operations officer, prescribed burn officer) of the PCS Fire Management Unit have on-the-ground fire-fighting experience or training.

The Committee recommends that PCS adopt a policy and practice that all planned prescribed burning activities be carried out to the greatest extent possible, unless there are compelling reasons relating to inappropriate weather conditions, firefighter safety or lack of resources to not carry out a proposed burn, or to suspend mid-burn.

EPSDD and ESA work together to develop values officer training and accreditation.

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

That the Australian Federal Police and the Emergency Services Agency ensure that personnel in their respective organisations are fully briefed on the agreed policy on evacuations

That a review be conducted of the adequacy of training and the numbers of firefighters experienced in performing effective, safe large-scale back-burning operations

That public land management agencies ensure that their senior personnel have appropriate experience in fire management and are provided with adequate resources and suitable experienced and trained staff to effectively implement fire management programs

That land managers ensure their staff are properly trained in the effective use of large bulldozers at wildfires and that staff are available to be assigned to supervise bulldozer operations

That prescribed burning operations be conducted according to agreed standard burning prescriptions

That the Emergency Services Agency review the level of understanding among firefighting personnel of the latest information available nationally and internationally about wildfire behaviour and suppression and provide additional training if warranted

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

That training of all personnel involved with emergency services be under constant review

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