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.

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 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 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 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 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.

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 Maryborough District Disaster Management Group works with the Fraser Coast Local Disaster Management Group to plan for the evacuation of K’gari due to bushfire. Once developed, the plan should be exercised and regularly reviewed.

A Relocation and Evacuation working group be established from stakeholder organisations to consider and develop an Evacuation and Relocations Sub- Plan. The Sub-Plan should consider the lessons learned this year and address principles, lead agency, WHoG coordination, trigger points etc. This could be the same working group formed for reviewing the Emergencies Act, Plan and sub-plans.

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

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

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

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

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. 

Energy Queensland and local groups consider establishing formal arrangements that embed measures that assist evacuation plans to increase levels of safety. 

Evacuation centre plans be revised to better manage vulnerable persons, including the safe storage of medications and providing alternate arrangements for evacuees with additional needs. (e.g. evacuation centre for aged persons). 

The Queensland Chief Health Officer should work with the Office of the Inspector-General Emergency Management to raise, with the Commonwealth, the need for all aged care providers to plan and exercise for evacuation to a similar safe establishment.

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

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.

Relevant authorities should work with the tourism sector to clarify future arrangements for evacuation. In particular they should look closely at differentiating voluntary and directed evacuations in their messaging,
ensure the differences are explained to the community in pre-season campaigns, and that necessary information is passed on to tourists. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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

Planning and consultation be undertaken by EMQ with all levels of the Disaster Management system to ensure that necessary risk-based disaster evacuation plans are prepared at Local, District and State levels, supported by necessary community education and preparedness programs.

The SDMG commission the Department of Community Safety and seek the necessary funding to develop and enhance the Statewide Disaster Management information and communications system building on alternatives already in place and in consultation with all levels of Government.

The Committee recommends that the ESA hold discussions with NSW with a view to developing a joint exercise program with the NSW Rural Fire Service on an ongoing basis.

The Committee recommends that the ESA develop a schedule of proposed exercises as a five year rolling plan, in order that all the elements of emergency services are able to be tested over that time and in differing
situations.

That consideration be given to additional ways and means to improve broadcast capability into disaster-affected regions, particularly for the early aftermath of any disaster when a loss of power characterises the event.

An early and high priority task in recovery from a natural disaster should be the development of a coordinated, succinct, practical and flexible public communications plan.

In any future large-scale disaster or event, consideration be given to a centrally located Media Operations Centre.

That a system of public warnings that uses grid references shown on the maps in the Canberra telephone directory be adopted

That the Emergency Services Agency conduct investigations - and liase with emergency services agencies in other jurisdicions - in order to ascertain what technologies exist and are effective for use in disseminating warnings and associated information to the community of the ACT

That the Emergnecy Services Agency publicise and demonstrate the use of the Standard Emergency Warning Signal and provide to the community adequate explanation of the application of the signal. This should occur at least annually, in conjunction with any pre-summer fire awareness initiatives

That the Australian Federal Police and the Emergency Services Agency agree on a policy on community safety and evacuation during bushfires, based on the Australasian Fire Authorities Council position outlined in its paper Community Safety and Evacuation during Bushfires. Community education programs should incorporate advice on this, including the ‘stay or go’ policy