An audit of all local government areas vulnerable to storm tide events is completed and opportunities identified to resolve gaps in evacuation zone planning to ensure consistency with the Queensland Evacuation Guidelines for Disaster Management Groups and neighbouring local government areas.

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.

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

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.

The Department of Energy and Water Supply, in conjunction with SunWater, seek clarification of the dam owners’ legal obligation to comply with Emergency Action Plans and, if required, investigate how a more flexible approach may be adopted.

Local Disaster Coordination Centre capability and capacity should be reviewed to ensure adequate staffing arrangements are in place to fill key positions, and that operational protocols are known and practiced across all functions to provide redundancy.

Banana Shire Council coordinates the development of a strategy to significantly enhance public education regarding local disaster management arrangements within the Banana Shire, focusing on key identified risks.

SunWater provide downstream residents with easily understood information regarding operation of the dam, and the impacts that various outflows may have for them, in accordance with mapping prepared for the Emergency Action Plan.

Banana Shire Council completes business continuity planning as a matter of priority, including documentation and testing of the plan.

The Department of Energy and Water Supply and SunWater, undertake the necessary studies to determine whether or not it is feasible to operate Callide Dam as a flood mitigation dam. Such studies should include matters in relation to, but not limited to:

State Disaster Coordination Centre considers requesting a representative from critical infrastructure owners be present as a liaison officer in the State Disaster Coordination Centre during activations for events that may impact on their assets.

The evacuation sub-plan component of the Local Disaster Managment Plan should be reviewed, including any identified triggers for activation. Ideally, the plan should be tested in a live, multi-agency exercise prior to next summer.

In accordance with recommendations of the BMT WBM report, the Banana Shire Council, SunWater, and the Bureau of Meteorology, under the stewardship of the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, jointly identify the requirements for a suitable gauge network for the Callide Valley to allow meani

Banana Shire Council investigate means to prioritise the commissioning of a fit-for-purpose flood study for high-risk areas across the Banana Shire to better inform flood risk management, including improved town planning.

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

improves engagement with communities to prepare for and respond to bushfires by:
- increasing focus on monitoring the effects of educational materials it develops

State agencies with disaster management roles and responsibilities assess their performance by including a disaster management performance measure in chief executive officers’ performance agreements.

That Queensland’s disaster management arrangements are reviewed to enhance integration.

The Local and District Disaster Management Guidelines are reviewed to align with the Standard for Disaster Management in Queensland.

An integrated risk-based approach to disaster management planning for Queensland is developed that is consistent with the Standard for Disaster Management in Queensland and applicable at all levels of the arrangements.

Responsibilities of functional lead agencies and hazard-specific primary agencies are clearly articulated in state level doctrine, including the Queensland State Disaster Management Plan.

The Queensland Emergency Alert Guidelines is reviewed to reflect current practice and incorporate evidence-based improvements informed by lessons learned and research.

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.

The Warning and Alert Systems training (including the use of Emergency Alert and the requirements of the guidelines) is delivered to:
- relevant local and district disaster management group members
- authorising officers
- other relevant stakeholders.

A dynamic online list of positions and contact details is published for those able to authorise Emergency Alert, and made accessible to local government.

Formal research is commissioned or meta-analysis is undertaken to provide a better understanding of the effectiveness of warnings and other relevant message testing. The outcomes are disseminated to all disaster management entities and learnings used to inform practice.

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

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

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.

The State Disaster Coordination Centre Notification Matrix is reviewed to ensure local governments are notified of any event affecting, or likely to affect, their local government area.

The Queensland State Disaster Management Plan is reviewed to:
- clarify core disaster management functions in relation to the issue of warnings, and provide guidance on state agency lead, co-lead and support roles and responsibilities

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).

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services should consider developing and implementing mechanisms, such as face-to-face forums, for disaster management practitioners to share knowledge, contemporary research findings and document good practice about warnings.

Coordination of Volunteer Support
A key challenge for recovery staff is the coordination across community volunteer groups and
individuals to ensure support provided is complementary and directed to the areas in most

Impact Assessment Data Sharing Project
There is a clear need to train and raise awareness amongst Local and Regional Emergency
Management Committees (LEMC / REMC), as well as community and non-government

Planning for Recovery Centres Recovery Centres are a proven means of providing support to affected communities.

Media Engagement Consideration should be given on future recovery operations to adopting a more structured approach to media engagement, with regular media briefings undertaken at a frequency dependent upon the phase of the recovery activities and the level of media interest.

MP Recovery Reference Group
The creation of the MP Recovery Reference Group enabled a separation of operational
recovery activities, managed by the Recovery Coordinator through the Regional Recovery

Improving Community Preparedness and Resilience
Noting work ongoing to improve the quality of planning at LEMC level, communities should
be encouraged and assisted where possible to make simple assessments of their risks and

Streamlining NDRRA Grants Processes
Noting the need for financial oversight in assessing NDRRA determinations, these grants are
important to the community and opportunities to streamline the approvals process should

Government Communications Coordination
In future events, a more coordinated communications structure across Government, where
planned Government announcements relevant to the region in recovery are developed in

Farm Management Deposits
The Farm Management Deposit Scheme appears to be a well-structured framework for
building rural resilience, however its uptake is low. Recent Commonwealth Government

Improvements to the Targeting of Government Support to Build Primary Industry Resilience
In a climate where Governments at all levels are seeking to maximise the effectiveness of
Australian businesses, including primary production, there would seem to be some benefit in

Transition from Response to Recovery
The management of the transition from the Response Phase of an emergency event to the
Recovery Phase is important to ensure the continuity of effective management of the event.

VIP Visits
The value of visits by senior Government members and Vice Regal representatives to disaster
affected communities cannot be overstated. On all occasions, the visits lifted community

Corrections Volunteer Labour Teams
The employment of volunteer Corrections inmates in community support cleanup work was
well received by the community and should not be overlooked in future recovery operations.

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

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

PES External Surge Program The success of the PES External Surge Program and the willingness of participants to deploy at short notice to support the recovery effort is commendable, as is the readiness of their supervisors to release them from their duties to enable deployment.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) recommends that the Attorney‐General’s Department significantly improve the administration of disaster relief and recovery funding by:

To provide improved oversight and assurance in its administration of the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) recommends that the Attorney‐General’s Department:

DFES should review its training courses and Standard Operating Procedures to satisfy itself that all incident management personnel have the required level of understanding of WA emergency management arrangements, including those that relate to the roles of the Incident Management Team and Inciden

The forthcoming review by SEMC of SEMP 4.4 Recovery Coordination and Westplan – Recovery Coordination and SEMP 4.1 Incident Management should include consideration of:

Procedures should be established to monitor the use of heavy plant during a bushfire incident, including the tasking of support appliances.

Training and awareness raising should be conducted to enhance the appreciation and understanding of DFES State and Regional operational personnel, including potential Incident Management Team members, of the nationally adopted Bushfire Alert and Messaging Matrix, in order to ensure that the most

Standard Operating Procedure 1 (Mobilisation Zone 2, Perth Hills area) should be reviewed to ensure that appropriate escalation triggers and levels of operational readiness are in place for future periods when severe fire weather conditions are forecast.

Automatic Vehicle Location technology should be adopted to enable a better appreciation of the deployment and location of appliances at an incident, in order to increase situational awareness

Whenever a Bush Fires Act 1954 section 13 transfer of control is invoked, the Incident level of an event should also be reviewed and any changes documented.

Every effort should be made to enhance the ability of communications personnel to cope with fast moving and time critical fire events by providing and maintaining: ongoing extensive communications training; advanced vehicle capability for clear communication within areas of radio coverage dead sp

Consultation with the Board of the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund and other disaster appeal organisers should be undertaken to determine the potential for software development to consolidate the application and approval process, including provision of templates and application forms;

The role of the Ground Controller should be reaffirmed in operational doctrine and reinforced in Incident Management Team training. During incidents involving aircraft the appointment of a Ground Controller should be confirmed by the Incident Controller

Staff and consultants skilled in community engagement practice should be specifically included in bushfire risk management planning and preparedness building programs undertaken by State agencies and/or local government.

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.

Development of a template contract for the clean-up of affected properties to speed-up the process;

Procedures should be reviewed to address the risks associated with response aircraft all working from one forward operating base, including the need for a designated fire protection unit to be available in the event of an aircraftrelated fire or other emergency incident

DFES should prepare a Standard Operating Procedure for the conduct of community meetings, and have available the appropriate audio visual and other equipment, to ensure that such meetings are able to fulfil their function in providing information and direction

Future appointments to the role of Incident Controller should be limited to one for the entire duration of the incident, with nominated Deputy Incident Controllers to assist or ‘take charge’ in the Incident Controller’s absence.

Consultation should be undertaken with agencies and organisations that are engaged in emergency welfare provision to identify more effective ways to provide a consistent message to the community that non-cash donations are not required.

EMP 4.4 and Westplan – Recovery Coordination should be amended to: clarify the wording around handing over control of the incident from the Controlling Agency to local government and the transition from response to recovery; include principles and criteria that will assist the Controlling Agency

A Restricted Access Permit system for the entry/ re-entry of residents, based on the one developed for the Parkerville Stoneville Mt Helena Bushfire should be finalised.

DFES, in consultation with bushfire volunteers should develop a procedure for the controlled entry and exit of volunteers to the fire ground

Relevant policies and Westplans should be amended to require that full consultation occurs between the Controlling Agency and the Department for Child Protection and Family Support regarding the location of the evacuation centre(s) in a bushfire incident.

The Executive Teams of both DFES and DPaW should meet quarterly to review and agree joint improvements relating to issues of interoperability, complementarity and the alignment of firefighting doctrine.

In addition to regular meetings of the DFES/DPaW Interagency Bushfire Management Committee, the two organisations should use joint exercises to identify agreed firefighting approaches for common or likely scenarios.

SEMC Secretariat Community Emergency Management Officers should work with the Shire to document the Shire of Mundaring’s learnings from the Parkerville Stoneville Mt Helena fire with a view to sharing this with other local authorities particularly those facing similar situations in order to exten

All agencies engaged in bushfire response should develop expeditious procedures for the mobilisation of resources in support of other agencies. See discussion in Section 7.1.

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.

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.

Radio infrastructure in the Perth Hills should be reviewed to assess whether it is practicable for radio and/or mobile phone coverage to be improved to achieve better coverage across the area.

The State equip itself to undertake rapid air quality monitoring in any location in Victoria, to: • collect all relevant data, including data on PM , carbon monoxide and ozone; and 2.5 • ensure this data is used to inform decision-making within 24 hours of the incident occurring.

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

The State, led by Emergency Management Victoria, develop a community engagement model for emergency management to ensure all State agencies and local governments engage with communities and already identifed trusted networks as an integral component of emergency management planning.

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

The State should continue the long-term health study, and: • extend the study to at least 20 years; • appoint an independent board, which includes Latrobe Valley community representatives, to govern the study; and • direct that the independent board publish regular progress reports

The State establish, for any future incident, integrated incident management teams with GDF Suez and other Victorian essential industry providers, to: • essential industry providers; and require that emergency services personnel work with GDF Suez and other appropriate • implement the Australasia

The State empower and require the Auditor-General or another appropriate agency, to: • oversee the implementation of these recommendations and the commitments made by the State and GDF Suez during this Inquiry; and • report publicly every year for the next three years on the progress made in impl

GDF Suez: • consequences of fire in the worked out areas of the Hazelwood mine, and an assessment of the most effective fre protection for the exposed coal surfaces; conduct, assisted by an independent consultant, a risk assessment of the likelihood and • controls are in place to eliminate or red

The State enact legislation, to: • require Integrated Fire Management Planning; and • authorise the Emergency Management Commissioner to develop and implement regional and municipal fire management plans.

GDF Suez: • practice and ensures that, by taking a risk management approach, it is suitable for fire prevention, mitigation and suppression in all parts of the Hazelwood mine; and review its ‘Mine Fire Service Policy and Code of Practice’ so that it refects industry best • work plan for the Hazel

The State: • bring forward the commencement date of s.16 of the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Amendment Act 2014 (Vic), to facilitate the requirement that approved work plans specifcally address fre prevention, mitigation and suppression; and • acquire the expertise necessary to mon

The State take the lead in advocating for a national compliance standard for PM

The State review and revise the community carbon monoxide response protocol and the firefghter carbon monoxide response protocol, to:
• ensure both protocols are consistent with each other;

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

The State review and revise the Bushfre Smoke Protocol and the PM Health Protection Protocol, to: 2.5 • ensure both protocols are consistent with each other; and • ensure both protocols include assessment methods and trigger points for specifc responses.

The State develop and widely disseminate an integrated State Smoke Guide, to: • incorporate the proposed State Smoke Plan for the management of public health impacts from large scale, extended smoke events; • include updated Bushfre Smoke, carbon monoxide and PM protocols; and 2.5 • provide pract

GDF Suez revise its Emergency Response Plan, to: • require an increased state of readiness on days of Total Fire Ban; • require pre-establishment of an Emergency Command Centre; • require pre-positioning of an accredited Incident Controller as Emergency Commander; and • require any persons nomina

GDF Suez adopt and apply the firefghter carbon monoxide response protocol.

CFA and VICSES should: explore further opportunities to collaborate with each other.

CFA and VICSES should: implement risk management processes within regions, districts, brigades and units to understand and manage the local risks associated with their volunteer workforces

CFA and VICSES should: improve their central and regional oversight of volunteer workforce management by strategically using the available information, such as volunteer demographic data, Brigade Operational Skills Profiles and ERAS-e profiles, and developing new information, such as risk assessm