The prescribed penalty notice penalty amount for section 99(6) of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be increased to $1,100.

The prescribed penalty notice penalty amount for section 66(7) of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be increased to $1,100.

That the Attorney General’s Department’s Crime Prevention Division consider the causes of, and any solution to, the high number of juveniles involved in causing bushfires.

That appropriate officers of the Rural Fire Service be granted the same powers as granted to officers of NSW Fire Brigades under section 19 of the Fire Brigades Act 1989.

That legislation be prepared by the Criminal Law Review Division of the Attorney General’s Department allowing designated officers of the Rural Fire Service to apply for a warrant in certain circumstances.

A working group be established to consider methods of preventing criminal firestarting.

That the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to provide to designated Fire Investigation Officers of the Rural Fire Service the power to enter any land upon which a bushfire has occurred for the purposes of investigation for a period of up to 24 hours after a fire has been declared out.

Energy Security Working Group (ESWG) recommends consideration be given to government and industry working together to understand that investment opportunities in the energy sector are realised in a timely fashion to better manage potential longer term supply shortfalls.

ESWG recommends consideration be given to expanding the role of AEMO in providing market information on gas by: 

ESWG recommends reviewing AEMO’s Gas Bulletin Board (GBB) to ensure it is effectively communicating all publicly available information to market participants to assist in monitoring daily gas supplies, and any changes to the GBB rules required to improve information and awareness of any potential

ESWG recommends consideration be given to consolidating gas and electricity network status and emergency information on one webpage for central communication.

ESWG recommends consideration be given to leveraging AEMO’s expanded responsibilities in gas markets by undertaking the role of the National Gas Emergency Response Advisory Committee (NGERAC) Secretariat while the Commonwealth continue as Chair, with the Chair’s position to be reviewed once the s

ESWG recommends National Gas Emergency Response Advisory Committee maintain its industry, jurisdiction and consumer representation noting the importance of input from each of these groups in developing its advice.

ESWG notes NGERAC already informally advises ministers on the possible effects of gas emergencies on electricity supplies. ESWG recommends formalising this role by acknowledging it in NGERAC’s MOU. ESWG also recommends an editorial review of NGERAC’s MOU to ensure accuracy and consistency.

ESWG recommends consideration of a review of communication protocols with the aim of achieving high level policy consistency of communication across jurisdictions to the maximum extent possible.

ESWG recommends consideration be given to the spokesperson role AEMO can undertake during an electricity and/or gas supply shortfall in its covered markets and relevant jurisdictional emergencies, noting that AEMO has clear responsibility for the bulk supply of electricity as outlined in the Powe

ESWG recommends that as far as reasonably practical, arrangements for load shedding be as transparent as possible to give consumers confidence in the process.

ESWG notes that existing and future contracts and the impending introduction of the Short Term Trading Market will be the primary mechanisms for addressing future gas supply shortfalls.

ESWG recommends consideration of how to ensure good communication and flow of information between the liquid fuels and other energy sectors. One approach that may be considered is that:

ESWG recommends investigation of options to fund NGERAC’s on-going activities including through AEMO’s funding model.

That the Commonwealth Petroleum (Submerged Lands) (Management of Safety on Offshore Facilities) Regulations 1996 regulations be amended to explicitly enable assessment of safety culture, leadership, and consideration of operator past history, motivation and current capacity in approvals of safety

That the Commonwealth and States/Northern Territory legislate to establish a properly resourced and empowered independent national safety investigation capacity to investigate serious oil and gas industry (including pipeline) incidents including near miss events that could have led to a major acc

We recommend that the Commonwealth undertake legislative change that will ensure that when any floating facility reverts to a ‘navigable form’, the relevant provisions of the Navigation Act and the OHSMI Act will apply regardless of any voyage criteria.

We recommend that the Commonwealth Petroleum (Submerged Lands) (Management of Safety on Offshore Facilities) Regulations (MOSO) be amended to ensure that the safety case for a floating facility specifically identifies when command structure changes occur (which may be well before departing the si

We recommend that AMSA should have a role in assuring continuing marine standards that are not inconsistent with Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act (OPGGS) Act provisions and that AMSA needs defined powers to assist NOPSA in minimising risk in the offshore petroleum industry.

We recommend the Commonwealth consider a plain English rewrite of the Navigation Act 1912 with the aim of producing a modern, performance-based Act. 

That the Commonwealth undertake legislative change that will ensure that when any floating facility reverts to a ‘navigable form’, the relevant provisions of the Navigation Act and the OHSMI Act will apply regardless of any voyage criteria.

That Ministerial Council on Mineral and Petroleum Resources continue to support a duty of care safety case regime for best practice offshore petroleum industry regulation augmented to include regulation of integrity.

That the Commonwealth Petroleum (Submerged Lands) (Management of Safety on Offshore Facilities) Regulations 1996 Regulations be amended to ensure that the safety case for a floating facility specifically identifies when command structure changes occur (which may be well before departing the site

That Ministerial Council on Mineral and Petroleum Resources liaise with Ministers with environmental and planning responsibilities, and if necessary Council of Australian Governments, to ensure that environmental requirements for oil and gas projects are not imposed subsequent to safety assessmen

That National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority review the risk assessment of pipelines.

That Australian Maritime Safety Authority should have a role in assuring continuing marine standards that are not inconsistent with Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 provisions and that Australian Maritime Safety Authority needs defined powers to assist National Offshore Petr

That National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority critically review its regulatory manning levels based on its current workload and the recommendations for additional areas of focus and increased auditing presented in this Report.

That the Commonwealth consider a plain English rewrite of the Navigation Act 1912 with the aim of producing a modern, performance-based Act.

That powers should be conferred on National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority to enable it to effectively regulate safety and integrity for all facilities and pipelines in the water and the WA islands which export gas by pipeline.

In relation to safety case development and compliance overall, that National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority revise its approach to interacting with operators prior to the safety case assessment process and subsequently and direct more resources into its advisory functions.

That National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority develop a robust risk assessment matrix for use in assessing and responding to the changing risk associated with each facility and the operator.

That the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 and its subsidiary regulations be amended to enable National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority to have a broader range of graduated compliance tools including the ability to impose a civil fine on an operator per day of non complia

To improve the governance arrangements for business continuity management (BCM) in Centrelink ,the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)
recommends that:

The ANAO recommends that Centrelink develop and promulgate a business continuity plan (BCP) template and require business units to develop BCPs that identify:
(a) risks to the business/service and their impact, based on the respective business impact analysis; and

In order to identify key business processes and provide for the regular comparative assessment of Maximum Allowable Outage periods (MAOs), the ANAO recommends that Centrelink:

The ANAO recommends that the Business Continuity, Crisis Management and Security Sub committee:

The ANAO recommends that Centrelink:
(a) develop performance measures against which its business continuity management preparation and response can be regularly monitored and assessed by the Business Continuity, Crisis Management and Security Sub-committee; and

ACTAS should improve systems to manage its non-emergency transport services, provide training and guidance to staff on use of these systems, and implement a quality assurance process.

ACTAS should:
• develop appropriate guidance and procedures on ambulance dispatch decisions;
• collate and monitor information on ambulance dispatching; and

ACTAS should develop policies and guidelines to assist ambulance officers’ decisions on whether or not to transport a patient to hospital.

ACTAS should specify and document the role of each of its various clinical governance processes, how they relate to each other, and how these will be managed, measured and monitored within an overarching clinical framework.

ACTAS should conduct formal reviews of its clinical procedures manuals in consultation with its Clinical Advisory Committee, and develop guidance to oversight these reviews.

ACTAS should develop a policy that provides direction on what type of feedback it will seek, from whom it will seek the feedback, and how this feedback will be used to improve the patient care experience.

ACTAS should improve patient care processes by:
• developing risk-based procedures for selecting, planning and conducting ‘Patient Care Record Reviews’, ‘Specific Reviews’ and ‘Medical Reviews’;
• monitoring whether these reviews are carried out as planned; and

ACTAS should develop and implement policies and guidance to staff on how complaints should be assessed and actioned, including timeliness targets.

ACTAS should develop a comprehensive performance management framework that includes key performance indicators and targets aligned to its service delivery activities, to help inform management and stakeholders of its performance.

ACT Ambulance Service (ACTAS) should revise its Business Plan to address key priorities and activities for each key service delivery function. This would include clearer expected outputs to be delivered annually and their prioritisation.

ACTAS should log all emergency calls on CAD to document non-ambulance dispatch decisions, and to provide more complete data on demand.

ACTAS should enhance its approach to risk management by:
• systematically identifying risks to the delivery of services;
• developing and implementing appropriate mitigation strategies; and
• systematically monitoring risks and their treatments.

ACTAS should implement systems to enable the accurate collection and measurement of non-emergency ambulance service bookings to facilitate monitoring of performance and the provision of accurate advice to Government.

ACTAS should enhance its approach to demand modelling in order to better guide current and future ambulance resourcing by:
• identifying the drivers of demand and what data it will collect and collate in order to model future demand; and

ACTAS should establish a clinical information database that:
• enables the tracking and analysis of patient care records;
• facilitates improvements to the clinical care of patients; and

ACTAS should develop and implement as a matter of priority, appropriate strategies to address declining response times.

ACTAS should develop a set of standards to measure and monitor patient satisfaction, so that improvements to the service can be made, based on patient satisfaction information.

That the Director of Marine Safety works with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to ensure that State and port emergency arrangements interface appropriately with the National Maritime Emergency Response Arrangements.

That port/channel managers are responsible for funding the preparation of marine emergency risk assessments and marine emergency response arrangements and ensuring the availability of identified marine resources in support of response to a marine emergency, to meet their statutory obligations.&nb

That the Department of Transport ensures that key stakeholders are engaged during the implementation of the approved Review recommendations. 

That legislation is prepared by the Department of Transport to ensure marine emergency management arrangements are clarified and provide:
• declaration of emergency management roles and responsibilities in the relevant marine legislation;

That emergency services are responsible for funding the development of the emergency services marine emergency response capacity/capability to meet their statutory obligations. 

That the nominated marine safety authority is responsible for development of a declared asset system and is required to ensure that port/channel managers utilise and maintain the declared asset system.

Consequential or complementary amendments to the Emergency Management Act are required to ensure that:
• emergency planning and response arrangements for essential services (such as ports) are integrated with current State emergency management arrangements;

That port/channel managers should be able, within the general context of the pricing/cost recovery arrangements established under the Port Services Act 1995 and pricing determinations made by the Essential Services Commission, to recover the reasonable costs of meeting their statutory obligations

That port/channel managers are required to identify in the declared asset system (in conjunction with the emergency services) critical Level 1 declared assets and other Level 2 declared assets, that may be required in support of a marine emergency within the port, and that identified resource ava

That the nominated marine safety authority, in consultation with the Emergency Services Commissioner, senior emergency services personnel and relevant port stakeholders, is responsible for establishing appropriate performance standards, risk management guidelines and good practice guidelines for

That port/channel managers are required to ensure, through service agreements, licensing, direct acquisition or other means as appropriate, the availability of the critical Level 1declared assets.
As a minimum, Level 1 declared assets must include:
• emergency harbour towage;

That the standards and guidelines determined by the nominated marine safety authority require port/channel managers to conduct a marine emergency risk assessment using AS/NZ 4360:2004 Risk Management and, in addition, must require port/channel managers to:

That the accountability relationship between Harbour Masters and the Director of Marine Safety is strengthened in the relevant legislation.

That Harbour Masters have the appropriate powers, authority, accountability, skills, responsibility and indemnity to provide a coordinated response of marine resources in support of emergency services, except where the nominated marine safety authority is the control agency for a marine pollution

That Harbour Masters are the designated principle marine specialists within the port and work directly with emergency services to provide advice and the interface with the marine legislative powers, to manage a marine emergency.

That the nominated marine safety authority, in consultation with the Emergency Services Commissioner and senior emergency services personnel, is responsible for monitoring the implementation and auditing against appropriate performance standards, risk management guidelines and good practice guide

That port/channel managers coordinate marine emergency planning for the port and are required to ensure that marine emergency arrangements are integrated with whole of port emergency management plans.

That the nominated marine safety authority is required to ensure that incident notification and data recording requirements for Victorian commercial ports are consistent and adhered to.

That the nominated marine safety authority undertakes a further assessment to determine the recommendations from this Review that may also be applicable to State waters outside commercial port waters. 

That the port/channel managers coordinate marine emergency management planning in the port and are required to ensure that individual port stakeholder marine emergency management arrangements plans are integrated with the whole of port marine emergency management arrangements.

That the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner ensures that an emergency services multi-agency working group is established to develop a specialist marine emergency response capability for Victoria based on the multi-agency Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) model.

That the port marine emergency management arrangements are integrated with the Victorian Water Division Emergency Response Plan.

That emergency services are required to work directly with ports and the nominated marine safety authority when ports are preparing marine emergency response arrangements.

That emergency services continue to take the lead role in marine emergencies and operate under their respective legislation, the Emergency Management Act and the State’s emergency management arrangements.

That the Water Division Emergency Response Plan is amended, by the Water Division emergency response coordinator, to provide a framework to coordinate a marine response that crosses declared port water boundaries and requires resource coordination and prioritisation.

That emergency services are required to work directly with port/channel managers and the nominated marine safety authority to identify and ensure availability of marine resources necessary for emergency services to meet their statutory obligations in responding to marine emergencies (this recomme

That emergency services increase their capability/capacity to respond to marine emergencies by undertaking the necessary training, increasing their awareness of port and ship operations and ensuring knowledge of the roles/responsibilities of the relevant authorities and stakeholders.

That, where practical, risk assessments, emergency planning, training and exercising are integrated to minimise duplication of effort.

That emergency services are required to work directly with port/channel managers and the nominated marine safety authority to ensure that a training and exercise regime is established to enable emergency services personnel to develop and maintain the skills and knowledge relevant to marine emerge

That, where applicable, consideration is given to legislative amendment that will enable the findings of this report to be applied to areas inside State waters but outside commercial port waters. 

That Harbour Masters are employed by a government body and remain geographically located at the port.

The Department of Primary Industries in consultation with the energy sector develop and implement a Memorandum of Understanding or similar authorising instrument that provides a single contact for emergency

The Bureau of Meteorology contact list for severe weather warning be strategically managed in consultation with Emergency Service Organisations, to identify critical contacts. The Bureau of Meteorology must ensure the detail for these critical contacts remains up to date.

Electricity distribution businesses develop and implement alternative arrangements for monitoring fallen powerlines.

Energy Safe Victoria finalise the development of the passport system to improve interstate mutual aid arrangements allowing operator access to qualified interstate power restoration personnel.

The electricity distribution businesses and retailers work with the Department of Human Services and hospitals to review the registration, notification and removal process for those on life support machinery.

The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority, in partnership with Telstra, consider technological solutions to streamline the handover process for Triple Zero calls.

The Victoria State Emergency Service work with the electricity distribution businesses, Department of Primary Industries and Energy Safe Victoria to develop and implement a joint community education program for public safety during and after storms and power outages.

The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority in partnership with Telstra should develop testing regimes that will ensure the integrity of the call queue arrangements and correct configuration of the Recorded Voice Announcements.

The review of the municipal emergency management planning guidelines being led by the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner clarify local governments’ role in community information about emergencies.