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

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 the ACT Government consider amending the Coroners Act 1997 to include what were ss. 56(1)(d) and 56(2)(c) of the 1956 Coroners Act

That the ACT Government allocate sufficient funds to enable full-time and volunteer firefighters to participate in relevant courses and programs

That the Canberra Urban Development Working Group referred to in Mr Peter Dunn's letter consider the report prepared by Mr Leonard and note particularly that the community awareness information currently available to householders in connection with measures they can take to better protect their h

I recommend that, as appropriate, the ACT cooperate with the Commonwealth in the implementation of the committee's recommendations and, in particular, give careful consideration to adoption of the following recommendations:

That before each fire season the Emergency Services Agency, in conjunction with the Bush Fire Council – after consultation with the relevant ACT agencies, the Bureau of Meteorology, relevant NSW agencies and the community – conduct a qualitative risk analysis of the conditions and circumstances p

That the Emergency Services Agency be relocated into accommodation that is purpose-built and more sited to the agency’s operations than the current facility at Curtin

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 version 2 of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan be completed and introduced without delay

That community education programs provide information about fire behaviour, urban design principles that contribute to a specific level of risk, and the benefits of fitting basic ember protection materials in areas at risk from bushfire

That a taskforce be established to give effect to the recommendations in this report

That responsibility for fuel management lie with the land management agency that controls the area and that land managers be given authority to implement prescribed fuel-reduction burns within their area

That priority be given to ensuring that the ACT has an adequate resource of remote area firefighting teams consisting of personnel with high levels of fitness and training in remote fire suppression

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 all firefighting agencies adopt a policy and practice that all fires in remote areas of the ACT be responded to as quickly as possible, with vigorous and sustained efforts made to suppress the fires and not leave them unattended – especially at night – unless there are compelling reasons rel

That the community be made aware of the risk presented by heavy loads of garden fuels and certain types of vegetation around their houses and take active, regular measures to reduce that risk

If they are willing and available to participate, that the taskforce's membership include Mr Phil Cheney, Mr Tony Bartlett, Mr Val Jeffery and Mr John Lowe

That a program be implemented to ensure that existing fire tracks and trails are cleared and accessible at all times and that a network of additional fire trails be established so as to allow direct fire suppression operations without undue delay in the event of a wildfire

That the Emergency Services Agency staff the Media Unit within its planning Section with profesisonal, experienced information officers skilled in dissemination of information and media management and liaison

That remote area firefighting resources be deployed to a fire in a remote area as a matter of priority and in preference to the deployment of large tankers

That community education programs include unambiguous information that at times of unusually high water demand there might be a drop in or loss of water pressure and it might be appropriate for residents who intend to remain and fight a fire to have auxilary water pumps or booster pumps

That helicopters be used wherever possible to facilitate the rapid deployment of remote area firefighting crews

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.

That the Emergency Services Agency review the communications systems used by the four services (the ACT Ambulance Service, the ACT Rural Fire Service, the ACT State Emergency Service and the ACT Fire Brigade), by the Australian Federal Police, by NSW emergency services and by aircraft and ensure

That the Emergency Services Agency investigate and implement arrangements that will provide the capacity to use fire retardant in remote areas

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 modifi

That measures be taken to ensure that ACT and NSW Rural Fire Service radio communications systems are integrated, so that ACT and NSW firefighting units can communicate with each other

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.

That it be a matter of policy and practice that the relevant land management agency is responsible for the initial response to any fire or fires on the land under its care or management – within the overall operational response of the ACT Rural Fire Service

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 senior officers of the Emergency Services Agency give greater recognition to the skills, knowledge and experience of people from other agencies – particularly the land management agencies – as well as rural residents and private individuals and use these people in roles commensurate with the

That formal protocols be developed and agreed with NSW authorities, so that a concerted effort that combines the resources of both NSW and the ACT can be brought to bear in the future - without impediment caused by lines on a map that make the ACT an island within the state of NSW

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 courses and programs be conducted to increase the level of Incident Control System training and augment the expertise of people who are likely to perform functions in an incident management team

That the Emergency Services Agency give priority to ensuring it has guaranteed access to an adequate number and type of bulldozers, as well as experienced operators, during the fire season, for immediate deployment as required

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

That senior officers in the Australian Federal Police and the Emergency Services Agency maintain regular and meaningful contact during fire emergencies, to ensure full dissemination of information and thus facilitate the making of good operational decisions

That the ACT Attorney-General and the ACT Government - in consulation with the Chief Justice of the ACT and the ACT Chief Magistrate - take legislative action that would have the effect of funds being directly appropriated annually to the courts, preferable along the lines of the Commonwealth mod

That appointments of personnel to functional positions within the incident management team be based solely on competence and experience and be made by the Chief of the ACT Rural Fire Service or, in the absence of that officer, the Deputy Chief of the ACT Rural Fire Service

That the views and concerns expressed by the ACT Sustainable Rural Lands Group be taken into account when implementing the recommendations in this report

That the Emergency Services Agency be removed from the Department of Justice and Community Safety and transformed into an independent statutory authority reporting directly to the responsible Minister.

That, if he is willing to participate, Mr John Lowe be made a member of the implementation taskforce to which I refer in recommendation 70

That the Emergency Services Agency take measures to ensure that the community regularly receives up-to-date information on the risks of bushfires

That the Emergency Services Agency adopt a more rigorous risk management approach to incident management and prediction – with particular emphasis on the development of improved community information strategies and protocols

That, because of the small jurisdiction of the ACT (equivalent to one fire district in NSW) the ACT Government consider all possible options for the provision of fire services to the ACT, among them:

That the Emergency Services Agency reconsider and revise the arrangement that exists between the ACT Fire Brigade and Canberra airport in relation to the provision of assistance

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

That the Emergency Services Agency establish annual targets for the introduction of community education programs and provide resources to conduct regular independent assessments of the level of community preparedness engendered as a result of the programs

That the ACT and NSW authorities conduct a comprehensive risk analysis based on the most up to date knowledge relating to fire behaviour and spread in order to establish the degree of risk to each others' jurisdiction from fires ignitting in the other jurisdiction and to ensure that both jurisdic

That the Emergency Services Agency have authority over the land management agencies and other landholders in order to implement preparedness and prevention measures – including fuel-reduction works where there are failures in compliance

That the ACT Government commission a review of coroners’ jurisdiction in order to determine whether that jurisdiction ought to be limited or expanded and, if so, to what extend

That the ACT Government and ActewAGL jointly develop and implement protocols that will create a procedure whereby each of the water and sewerage, electricity and gas distribution networks, or parts thereof, can safely and promptly be manipulated, controlled, shut off, isolated or disconnected und

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

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 importan

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

That agencies integrate condition information into their asset management decision-making practices and use it as the basis for validating asset valuations and depreciation calculations.

That agencies assess the cost-effectiveness of establishing a dedicated and proven asset management information system which is integrated with the other information systems used to manage drainage assets.

That Melbourne Water ensures stakeholder expectations are fully considered when setting flood risk reduction targets.

That councils develop flood risk management practices consistent with best practice risk management, and that these incorporate:

That Melbourne Water ensures that stakeholders (and especially local councils) are fully consulted before and during the development of drainage strategies and plans. These plans should consider councils’ drainage systems.

That all agencies develop drainage asset management plans, consistent with best practice, and that these incorporate:
- service levels and community expectations
- a demand management plan
- a condition assessment and monitoring program
- lifecycle costing principles

That councils plan for, and implement, formal consultation arrangements with stakeholders to set drainage goals and objectives, and desired service levels.

That councils implement a condition assessment and monitoring program conforming to best practice principles.

That councils formulate, track and report on measures that show their performance in managing drainage assets.

That Melbourne Water and councils explore opportunities for working collaboratively to address the management of flooding risks with a view to optimising the efficient and effective use of their flood mitigation resources.

That agencies develop a detailed improvement plan and commit resources to its implementation.

Update education and training programs relating to prescribed burning to reflect revised organisational priorities including year round (365 day) fire management program:
• update training manuals
• revise content of training programs

Clarify, strengthen and document roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of DSE and its partner organisations in the prescribed burning program: 
• fire management should be added as core business • update and reissue policies and procedures

Give priority to the establishment of risk management processes across all stages of prescribed burning within the Department’s broader risk management strategy: 
• incorporate risk management skill development in training programs

Strengthen internal and external communications to ensure adequate stakeholder involvement throughout the prescribed burning program: 
• coordinate public information and media about prescribed burns in the DSE corporate communications policy

Develop new prescriptions for prescribed burning to accommodate local conditions in those areas where standard prescriptions are assessed to be inappropriate: 
• develop prescriptions for heathland/peat at Wilsons Promontory
• finalise development of prescriptions for the Mallee

Align policies and processes, within the year round 365 day focus on fire management, to provide consistency in the approach to fire regardless of its origins,- that is fuel reduction burning, regeneration and ecological burning or unplanned fire;

Integrate information management systems relating to the prescribed burning program to provide consistency across the networked emergency organisation:
• upgrade FireWeb as a map based application
• include risk management tools on FireWeb

Develop a component of the DSE Workforce Strategy to build organisational capacity and sustainability of the prescribed burning program across the networked emergency organisation: 

Melbourne Airport Emergency Planning Committee review the Airport Emergency Plan, to consider the use of alternative locations for staging, evacuation, assembly and incident coordination, to increase separation of emergency operations from non emergency activity be adopted.

Victoria Police, Melbourne Airport management, airlines and emergency services develop a Memorandum of Understanding for media coordination and public communications at Melbourne Airport that documents the responsibility for media coordination during emergencies to Victoria Police.

Reference to the Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting service in Part 6 of the Emergency Management Manual Victoria, table of control and support agencies, be extended to include its responsibility for hazardous materials emergencies at the airport.

The Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner convene a working group of key emergency services and emergency management agencies to develop a flow chart based on scenario testing, to support decision making and the assessment of response requirements to medical, hazardous materials and CBR e

Melbourne Airport Emergency Planning Committee review the Airport Emergency Plan to ensure the capabilities of agencies are adequately documented and understood by all stakeholders, and that all agencies including airlines are represented at the appropriate organisational level on the Airport Eme

Metropolitan Fire Brigade and Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting service review and enhance the existing mutual response Memorandum of Agreement to provide more timely notification and therefore immediate access to appropriate resources to respond to emergencies.

All agencies review formal and informal incident notification processes to ensure they support the earliest possible reporting of emergencies to all stakeholders involved in the Airport Emergency Plan and in so doing, ensure early access to specialist advice and support.

Melbourne Airport Emergency Planning Committee review the Airport Emergency Plan to confirm that planning and response arrangements appropriately consider the protection of public safety, the current security environment and the timely restoration of airport operations, and that it is consistent

Melbourne Airport management, the emergency services and airlines develop risk based tactical plans that, where safe and appropriate, allow the staged or progressive closure or re-opening of terminal space to support continuity of airport operations during emergencies.

The Committee recommends that the Native Vegetation Council provide landholders with assistance for applications for prescribed burning (via a guide, a proforma or staff).

The Committee recommends that government consider options for assistance (including cost sharing) for farmers to fence native vegetation areas on private property affected by the Wangary fire.

The Committee recommends that the government undertake public education programs to increase the awareness of the community to bushfires, the role fire plays in ecosystems and what steps they should take to minimise the impact of a fire.

The Committee recommends that the government provide authority to a single community representative body to authorise clearing of native vegetation for fire management. (The community representative body must incorporate the CFS, DEH, Native Vegetation Council and local council)

The Committee recommends that the Native Vegetation Council continue to seek mechanisms to interact with, and educate the individual farmer and landholder with respect to the Native Vegetation Act, its regulations and exemptions.

The Committee recommends that, after a fire, as much vegetation as feasible be retained to minimise soil erosion from wind and first rains.

The Committee recommends that the Native Vegetation Act be amended to allow for prescribed burning.

The committee recommends that the government actively manage native vegetation for fuel loads, weeds and pests.

The Committee recommends that native vegetation, excluding road reserves be fenced.

The Committee recommends that the Native Vegetation Council have a consistent approach to prescribed burning on both public and private lands.

The Committee recommends that when preparing the plan for fire management (including identifying where and when to undertake prescribed burning, firebreaks and fire access tracks) consideration must be given to the impact on local fauna.

The Committee recommends that the native vegetation planning and approval process for prescribed burning be amended to allow flexibility for burning on optimum days.

The Committee recommends that the government assess the impact on fauna movement prior to managing native vegetation.

The Committee recommends that prescribed burning should only be undertaken by professionally trained personnel.

The Committee recommends that relevant government departments implement an ongoing management program for the eradication of feral pests and weeds.

The Committee recommends that the government in cooperation with local authorities identify if: sufficient firebreaks and access track exist; they are strategically located; and they are being managed.