That the Commissioner of Queensland Corrective Service report directly to the Director-General the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.

That the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service should introduce alternative means of response to automatic alarms such as small first response investigative crews e.g. two fire–fighters in a sedan (not responding under lights and siren).

That the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service work to change the culture of entitlement so that firefighters recognise firefighting is only one of a range of skills they bring to their core role of emergency management.

That the Fire and Rescue Act 1990 be amended so that Commissioner’s position is not limited to a “person with professional experience in fire prevention and fire fighting”.

That the current employer and family recognition practices be reviewed with a view to meet the needs of volunteers, their families and their employers.

That efforts by the courts, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the legal profession, Queensland Corrective Services and the Queensland Police Service to adopt technology for court processes should be supported through Government funding in so far as they create efficiencies, result in lower cos

That the Queensland Ambulance Service is transferred to Queensland Health by a machinery-of-Government change as soon as is practicable and that the Commissioner report directly to the Director General Queensland Health.

There be a formation of an Office of Portfolio Business, providing support and governance across a range of corporate functions, which are essential to the delivery of frontline services.

That systems development in the Queensland Police Service capitalises on the advances made by the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service in recent years.

That the Queensland Police Service considers adopting the broader use of ANPR in line with other Australian jurisdictions in consultation with the Privacy Commissioner.

That planning, especially for infrastructure, must take into account the service delivery model (e.g. the fact that prisoners have high level health needs).

That the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service actively progress initiatives for flexible employment including:
- part-time employment and casual employment (with no degradation of competency)
- abridged recruit courses for transition from auxiliary to full-time

That impediments to the publication of an annual training calendar of core skills be removed.

That the new Department of Fire and Emergency Services develop a common doctrine to protect people from fire and emergencies.

That the Queensland Police Service and the Department of Community Safety develop intuitive, easily accessible systems that reduce the administrative burden on volunteers and their time. Greater exploitation of technology to deliver intuitive, simple and practical systems is required.

That as the Queensland Police Service moves to a digital platform the strategy around effective targeting and alternative ANPR models should form part of the design architecture considerations.

Develop and implement a program of cost-effective road improvement works that can enhance flood evacuation capacity in the short-medium term.

Develop and maintain a comprehensive flood model and flood modelling framework for the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley.

Improve regional transport infrastructure to address current and projected flood evacuation capacity constraints and timelines.

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.

Ensure future road infrastructure planning considers flood evacuation requirements throughout the Hawkesbury-Nepean floodplain.

Develop a NSW Planning Policy and Guideline to improve land use planning practices on flood prone land.

Provide improved land use planning tools for managing flood prone land.

Ensure the SES has the long-term capacity to plan and exercise for the full range of flood events in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley

Ensure appropriate consideration of flood risk in regional and subregional planning

Undertake, coordinate and evaluate community education programs on flood risk and response.

Monitor, investigate and address community response to flood warnings

Determine the appropriateness and the steps required to allow the reduction of full supply level by up to five metres and/or the implementation of alternative gate operation at Warragamba Dam for the mitigation of minor to moderate flood events in the short-term.

Develop mechanisms and arrangements to promote and provide greater access to flood risk information.

Optimise the configuration of a raised Warragamba Dam for flood mitigation of the full range of flood events and water supply, with due consideration of upstream impacts.

Ensure effective flood gauging arrangements in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley

Develop a Hawkesbury-Nepean Flood Recovery Plan, which identifies strategies and arrangement for recovery from severe floods in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley.

Review the NSW state-wide governance arrangements for flood risk management so that broader issues identified by this Review can be most effectively addressed.

Review the adequacy of current arrangements for infrastructure reconstruction following a major flood event in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley.

Clarify roles, responsibilities and consider funding options for post-event collection of data and flood intelligence.

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.

That section 74 of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to require public authorities to report to the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service within one month of the end of the financial year on activities undertaken to reduce bush fire hazards on managed land during the preceding financial ye

That the NSW Rural Fire Service apply for funding from the NSW Treasury for the development of a multi-agency business case for a BRIMS replacement that includes internal management, risk communication, community engagement capability and publishing activities on websites.

That section 74 of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to require public authorities to report monthly to the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service on activities undertaken to reduce bush fire hazards on managed land during the preceding month and the reasons why any planned activities did n

That section 100I of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to allow hazard reduction certificates to be issued for annual low impact works for a period of three years, where appropriate.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service hold discussions with the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities about hazard reduction and roadside vegetation, including potential changes to the NSW Bush Fire Environmental Assessment Code.

The Panel notes and endorses the NSW bush fire management system based on a multi-agency, tenure blind approach using locally focused Bush Fire Management Committees, Bush Fire Management Plans and the Bush Fire Environmental Assessment Code as best practice.

That Bush Fire Management Committees be required to take into account fuel age and fire frequency thresholds when developing Bush Fire Risk Management Plans

That the NSW Rural Fire Service investigate use of appropriate modelling, such as PHOENIX RapidFire and the Bayesian Network analysis, to quantify the level of bush fire risk to critical values and assets.

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.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service develop a strategy to better inform the community and NSW Rural Fire Service members about the NSW bush fire management system and its components.

That Bush Fire Risk Management Plans be posted on the NSW Rural Fire Service website.

That section 3(c) of the Rural Fires Act 1997, which sets out the objects of the Act, be extended to include protecting infrastructure, environmental, economic, cultural, agricultural and social assets from damage.

That Bush Fire Risk Management Plans be tabled at Local Emergency Management Committees for comment.

That section 9(4)(b) of the Rural Fires Act 1997, which sets out the functions of the NSW Rural Fire Service, be amended to include protecting infrastructure, environmental, economic, cultural, agricultural and social assets from damage.

That section 56 of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to give the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service the power to direct a Bush Fire Management Committee to amend its Bush Fire Risk Management Plan if it is inadequate, in the opinion of the Commissioner.

That the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to allow the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service to carry out hazard reduction on land without the consent of the owner after reasonable attempts to contact the landowner have failed, without serving a notice under section 66 of the Rural Fires Act.

That the definition of “bush fire hazard reduction work” in the Dictionary of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to include the establishment or maintenance of fire trails.

That the NSW Rural Fire Service and the NSW Treasury explore ways to ensure that unspent hazard reduction funds be carried over to the next financial year in a timely manner and to ensure that hazard reduction funding has a seamless transition from one financial year to the next.

The committee recommends that the training offered by the ATSB across all investigator skills sets be benchmarked against other agencies by an independent body by, for example, inviting the NTSB or commissioning an industry body to conduct such a benchmarking exercise.

The committee recommends that, as far as available resources allow, ATSB investigators be given access to training provided by the agency's international counterparts. Where this does not occur, resultant gaps in
training/competence must be advised to the minister and the Parliament.

The committee recommends that the minister, in issuing a new Statement of Expectations to the ATSB, valid from 1 July 2013, make it clear that safety in aviation operations involving passengers (fare paying or those with no control over the flight they are on, e.g.

The committee recommends that the ATSB move away from its current approach of forecasting the probability of future events and focus on the analysis of factors which allowed the accident under investigation to occur.

The committee recommends that the ATSB be required to document investigative avenues that were explored and then discarded, providing detailed explanations as to why.

The committee recommends that the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 be amended to require that the Chief Commissioner of the ATSB be able to demonstrate extensive aviation safety expertise and experience as a prerequisite for the selection process.

The committee recommends that CASA, in consultation with an Emergency Medical Services industry representative group (eg.

The committee recommends that the ATSB-CASA Memorandum of Understanding be re-drafted to remove any ambiguity in relation to information that should be shared between the agencies in relation to aviation accident investigations, to require CASA to:

The committee recommends that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau retrieve VH-NGA flight data recorders without further delay.

The committee recommends that, where relevant, the ATSB include thorough human factors analysis and discussion in future investigation reports. Where human factors are not considered relevant, the ATSB should include a statement explaining why.

The committee recommends that the ATSB prepare and release publicly a list of all its identified safety issues and the actions which are being taken or have been taken to address them.

The committee recommends that the investigation be re-opened by the ATSB with a focus on organisational, oversight and broader systemic issues.

The committee recommends that where the consideration and implementation of an ATSB recommendation may be protracted, the requirement for regular updates (for example 6 monthly) should be included in the TSI Act.

The committee recommends that where a safety action has not been completed before a report being issued that a recommendation should be made. If it has been completed the report should include details of the action, who was involved and how it was resolved.

The committee recommends that CASA processes in relation to matters highlighted by this investigation be reviewed.

The committee recommends that the government consider setting a time limit for agencies to implement or reject recommendations, beyond which ministerial oversight is required where the agencies concerned must report to the minister why the recommendation has not been implemented or that, with min

The committee recommends that in relation to mandatory and confidential reporting, the default position should be that no identifying details should be provided or disclosed.

The committee recommends that a short inquiry be conducted by the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport into the current status of aviation regulatory reform to assess the direction, progress and resources expended to date to ensure greater visibility of the proces

The committee recommends that Airservices Australia discuss the safety case for providing a hazard alert service with Fijian and New Zealand ATC (and any other relevant jurisdictions) and encourage them to adopt this practice.

The committee recommends that the ATSB review its process to track the implementation of recommendations or safety actions to ensure it is an effective closed loop system.

The committee recommends that an expert aviation safety panel be established to ensure quality control of ATSB investigation and reporting processes along the lines set out by the committee.

The committee recommends that the Aeronautical Information Package (AIP) En Route Supplement Australia (ERSA) is updated to reflect the need for caution with regard to Norfolk Island forecasts where the actual conditions can change rapidly and vary from forecasts.

The committee recommends that the relevant agencies review whether any equipment or other changes can be made to improve the weather forecasting at Norfolk Island. The review would include whether the Unicom operator should be an approved meteorological observer.

The committee recommends that all meetings between the ATSB and CASA, whether formal or informal, where particulars of a given investigation are being discussed be appropriately minuted.

The committee recommends that the government develop a process by which the ATSB can request access to supplementary funding via the minister.

The committee recommends that the relevant agencies investigate appropriate methods to ensure that information about the incidence of, and variable weather conditions at, Norfolk Island is available to assist flight crews and operators managing risk that may result from unforseen weather events.<

The Australian National Audit Office recommends that the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport improve the arrangements for conducting value for money reviews of Victorian reconstruction projects by pursuing amendments to the operating protocol with Victoria to requir

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) recommends that the Australian Government Reconstruction Inspectorate and the National Disaster Recovery Taskforce seek to maximise the benefits from their value for money review activities by obtaining more timely and comprehensive information on proje

To strengthen its oversight of Queensland reconstruction progress, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)  recommends that the National Disaster Recovery Taskforce:

In order to maximise the envisaged benefits from the Inspectorate’s program of value for money reviews, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)  recommends that the National Disaster Recovery Taskforce improve the application of the sampling approach to make it more representative of the

In order to further build on the value for money review work being undertaken by the National Disaster Recovery Taskforce (on behalf of the Australian Government Reconstruction Inspectorate), the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)  recommends that the Taskforce:

Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to work with the Trusted Information Sharing Network’s Communications Sector Group to develop general telecommunications continuity advice for businesses and individuals to assist in developing continuity plans.

Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to review the content of the Government’s digital business website at www.digitalbusiness.gov.au and liaise with the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, which manages the www.

Community service providers consider updating their business continuity plans to take into account the possibility of a major telecommunications outage involving both fixed and mobile voice and data services.

Community service providers consider developing information and advice regarding telecommunications outages for clients managed remotely using telecommunication services, including personal alert devices.

Providers of personal alert devices consider telecommunications outages in their service continuity plans and provide clear advice to their customers regarding their options during a telecommunications service outage.

Community service providers consider, in consultation with relevant government authorities, reviewing their current privacy practices concerning personal information about vulnerable persons to ensure they are able to appropriately share information during major disruptive incidents.

Community service providers consider in their business continuity planning how they could assist with facilitating access to telecommunications services for the public during mass outages.

Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy will work with the Communications Sector Group within the Trusted Information Sharing Network to develop best practice guidance for owners of critical communications infrastructure regarding public messaging during a prolonged teleco

Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) to work with the Triple Zero Awareness Work Group through Australian Communications and Media Authority's (ACMA) Emergency Service Advisory Committee to review Triple Zero awareness messages with regard to telecommunications

Governments and other stakeholders consider reviewing their existing emergency management arrangements to ensure public communications are clear and the public is kept informed of the incident response.

Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy seek regular updates from Telstra on the implementation of the recommendations of its inquiry into the Warrnambool exchange fire.

Individuals without a mobile phone who are concerned about access to Triple Zero during a prolonged telecommunications outage could consider purchasing a low cost mobile phone with a charger to keep at home for use during such outages.

While noting the importance of voice communications, telecommunications providers should consider as part of their mass outage business continuity planning, options for the provision of interim mobile broadband services for the community e.g. local wireless broadband access hubs (i.e. Wi-Fi).

Telstra and other service providers to consider improving processes to assist customers with setting up temporary call diversions during future outages.

When businesses review their business continuity plans they should take into account the prospect of a major telecommunications outage that affects both mobile and fixed voice and data services.