INQ247

That emergency management plans specifically include processes for effectively engaging with local communities and using community resources, including volunteers.

That a bushfire community education and information strategy be professionally developed and coordinated across the fire authorities by Tasmania Fire Service.

That the State Emergency Management Committee develops and coordinates a whole-of-government community resilience strategy for emergencies in a form that can be practically implemented, as a priority.

That the legislation and enforcement arrangements are reviewed to ensure there are suitable offences and penalties, investigation and enforcement capabilities, and a rigorous approach is taken to breaches of the law.

That the Government take into account demographic change in its assessment of the consequences of climate change on emergency events.

That the role of Red Cross in emergency management plans and procedures for the activation of Red Cross be reviewed.

That an independent means of monitoring and reporting on the implementation of approved recommendations is established.

If it is considered more information is required on action to suppress the fires in Dunalley and why fire operations did not continue, the Department of Justice should conduct an independent examination of this matter.

That a process be established for the timely implementation of approved recommendations from the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.

That the plans for social recovery be reviewed, and plans and procedures are established ready for implementation.

That the Strategic Fuel Management Plan includes measurable targets and they are actively monitored and reported on to the community.

That membership of the State Emergency Management Committee, and other processes to link in appropriate agencies and organisations to emergency management, be included in the recommended review of the emergency management arrangements.

That an accountability process be established for managing improvement in the emergency management arrangements, including annual State of Readiness Reports by relevant departments and agencies and on the overall emergency management arrangements.

That the Government makes land use planning and building construction to prevent and mitigate bushfire risk a high priority and establishes a means to progress improvements in this area, such as a designated body or group, as soon as possible.

That a specific risk prevention and mitigation advisory body be established for the State Emergency Management Committee.

That the Government considers whether a peak body should be established, with authority to effectively implement a bushfire mitigation plan.

That the State Fire Management Committee considers developing a structured, systemic and proactive bushfire hazard reduction program with municipal councils and Tasmania Fire Service; and advises the Government on any legislative or other changes required to implement such a program.

That the State Emergency Management Committee includes in its planning, the development of contingency emergency management plans for areas of high risk due to local conditions.

That Tasmania Fire Service or another suitable agency provides information to the community which shows, in simple form, the legislation applicable to approvals for lighting fires on private property and the various relationships between that legislation.

That Tasmania Fire Service conducts a review of the fire permit system in the Fire Service Act 1979, and implements change to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the system by: • considering whether it is appropriate to authorise persons or organisations to conduct fuel reduction burning

That the Department of Infrastructure Energy and Resources consult Aurora Energy on the use of wooden poles for overhead infrastructure with a view to mitigating the risk in bushfires.

That the Government reconsider the current position on emergency declarations in the Emergency Management Act 2006 and the Act is amended to provide: • a graduated scale of emergency declarations; • the ability to make a declaration when an emergency has occurred, is occurring or is about to occu

That the Tasmania Emergency Management Plan enable, and all organisations with a role in emergency management activate, emergency plans at lower threshold events to practice their arrangements and achieve a ‘hot start’ in escalating events.

That Tasmania Fire Service reviews the communication systems used for all emergency management operations, ensures operators are qualified, and ensures there is appropriate accountability.

That evacuation centres and other centres have a standard operating procedure for communications.

That all agencies and the Government support moving to an integrated communications technology for police and the emergency services.

That police and other emergency services examine options for achieving radio interoperability between them in the absence of an integrated radio system.

That Tasmania Fire Service actively uses predictive modelling to design emergency communications for communities threatened by bushfire, unless there is a compelling reason for not doing so.

That a public information plan be developed as a part of the State Special Emergency Plan–Recovery, for implementation in the immediate recovery phase.

That Tasmania Fire Service ensures that the priority on warning communities at risk of active bushfires is not confined to when bushfires are burning out of control.

That the State Emergency Management Committee makes timely decisions and resource commitments on the appropriate use of social media in emergency management.

That the State Emergency Management Committee makes arrangements to actively manage the use of social media in the community during an emergency, to avoid negative consequences for emergency operations.

That Tasmania Fire Service and Tasmania Police review their use of modern forms of communication with the community, including social media, and commit resources to fully use this capability where appropriate.

That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its approach to communicating with communities threatened by bushfire and consider the matters referred to in this Report.

That the Government consider whether it should discuss options for greater mobile phone coverage and redundancy in areas of high risk in emergency situations where there are presently telecommunications limits.

That Tasmania Fire Service develops a research base from which to inform the design of communication campaigns for communities threatened by bushfire.

That evacuation centres and other centres have plans and arrangements for electrical power redundancy.

That a state-level policy on evacuations be developed in the emergency management plans, including specific requirements for vulnerable people and guidelines for its implementation.

That qualifying the evacuation authority in section 47 of the Fire Service Act 1979 be considered — by exempting those people with a pecuniary interest in a property from a directed evacuation where it is reasonable for them to remain.

That arrangements are made and appropriate pre-planning occurs to effectively implement the policy on evacuation.

That Tasmania Police be identified as the lead agency on evacuations.

That decisions to open Community Fire Refuges and evacuation centres be coordinated with Tasmania Police.

That the State Controller (or an alternate if they are not available) be expected to personally take an active role in controlling and coordinating response and recovery operations, depending on the nature and scale of the emergency, and until other identified arrangements for ongoing operations

That Tasmania Fire Service examines options for developing and issuing fire management objectives and tactics from Incident Management Teams in a more timely way, including ‘quick’ plans.

That Tasmania Fire Service and its partner agencies establish a means of monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of centralising the location of Incident Management Teams.

That emergency management plans specifically include processes and resources for effectively engaging with and using local communities, including volunteers

That the Department of Justice conduct an independent review to develop a suitable model for integrated and interoperable emergency management arrangements in Tasmania.

That in multi-agency response and recovery operations, arrangements be made so it is unambiguous who is in charge of these operations.

That appropriate plans are made to mobilise resources quickly to re-open roads affected by emergencies.

That Tasmania Police reviews its Emergency Traffic Management Points policy; and develops a multi-agency policy in the emergency management plans for road closures and traffic management, including clarity in decision making, coordination and sufficient operational flexibility.