INQ317

TitleLong
Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements
INQAuthor
Air Chief M.M. Binskin AC, The Hon Dr A. Bennett AC SC Commissioner, Prof Andrew Macintosh Commissioner.
Year
InquiryType
DisasterType
State

Recommendations for this Inquiry

INQ-ref REC-UID CODE SubCode SrcNUM Recommendation
INQ317 REC317-4132 F - Research and technology 26 - Research Recommendation 80

The material published as part of this Royal Commission should remain available and accessible on a long-term basis for the benefit of individuals, communities, organisations, businesses and all levels of government. 

INQ317 REC317-4104 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 52 - Prioritising mental health during and after natural disasters

Australian, state and territory governments should refine arrangements to support localised planning and the delivery of appropriate mental health services following a natural disaster. 

INQ317 REC317-4105 F - Research and technology 13 - Mapping and data quality Recommendation 53

Australian, state and territory governments should agree to: 
(1) develop consistent and compatible methods and metrics to measure health impacts related to natural disasters, including mental health, and 

INQ317 REC317-4106 F - Research and technology 13 - Mapping and data quality Recommendation 54 - Environmental data

Australian, state and territory governments should ensure greater consistency and collaboration in the collation, storage, access and provision of data on the distribution and conservation status of Australian flora and fauna. 

INQ317 REC317-4107 B - Preparedness 4 - Fire season preparation Recommendation 55 - Public availability of fuel load management strategies

Public land managers should clearly convey and make available to the public their fuel load management strategies, including the rationale behind them, as well as report annually on the implementation and outcomes of those strategies. 

INQ317 REC317-4108 B - Preparedness 4 - Fire season preparation Recommendation 56 - Assessment and approval processes for vegetation management, bushfire mitigation and hazard reduction

Australian, state and territory governments should review the assessment and approval processes relating to vegetation management, bushfire mitigation and hazard reduction to:

INQ317 REC317-4109 F - Research and technology 13 - Mapping and data quality Recommendation 57 - Classification, recording and sharing of fuel load data

Australian, state and territory governments should develop consistent processes for the classification, recording and sharing of fuel load data. 

INQ317 REC317-4110 A - Responsibility 42 - Culture and Heritage Recommendation 58 - Indigenous land and fire management and natural disaster resilience

Australian, state, territory and local governments should engage further with Traditional Owners to explore the relationship between Indigenous land and fire management and natural disaster resilience. 

INQ317 REC317-4111 A - Responsibility 42 - Culture and Heritage Recommendation 59 - Indigenous land and fire management and public land management

Australian, state, territory and local governments should explore further opportunities to leverage Indigenous land and fire management insights, in the development, planning and execution of public land management activities. 

INQ317 REC317-4103 B - Preparedness 39 - Disaster Risk Management Recommendation 51 - Inclusion of primary care in disaster management

Australian, state and territory governments should develop arrangements that facilitate greater inclusion of primary healthcare providers in disaster management, including: representation on relevant disaster committees and plans and providing training, education and other supports. 

INQ317 REC317-4102 A - Responsibility 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review Recommendation 50 - Australian Medical Assistance Teams

Australian, state and territory governments should review Australian Medical Assistance Team capabilities and procedures and develop necessary training, exercising and other arrangements to build capacity for domestic deployments. 

INQ317 REC317-4094 C - Response 8 - Communications and warnings Recommendation 42 - Development and implementation of the Australian Fire Danger Rating System

State and territory governments should expedite the development and implementation of the Australian Fire Danger Rating System. It should ensure that there is national consistency in the visual display of the AFDRS and action to be taken in response to each rating. 

INQ317 REC317-4095 A - Responsibility 9 - Community education Recommendation 43 - Education on the Australian Fire Danger Rating System

State and territory governments should deliver education to ensure that the public understands the new Australian Fire Danger Rating System ratings, the potential danger attached to each rating, and the action that should be taken in response to each rating. 

INQ317 REC317-4096 C - Response 8 - Communications and warnings Recommendation 44 - The Australian Warning System

State and territory governments should urgently deliver and implement thevall-hazard Australian Warning System. 

INQ317 REC317-4097 A - Responsibility 9 - Community education Recommendation 45 - An education campaign on the Australian Warning System

State and territory governments should ensure that the implementation of the Australian Warning System is accompanied by a carefully developed national education campaign that considers the needs of all Australians. 

INQ317 REC317-4098 C - Response 8 - Communications and warnings Recommendation 46 - The development of national standards for mobile applications

The Australian Government should facilitate state and territory governments working together to develop minimum national standards of information to be included in bushfire warnings apps. 

INQ317 REC317-4099 C - Response 8 - Communications and warnings Recommendation 47 - Exploring the development of a national, all-hazard warning app

Australian, state and territory governments should continue to explore the feasibility of a national, all-hazard emergency warning app. 

INQ317 REC317-4100 A - Responsibility 9 - Community education Recommendation 48 - Nationally consistent air quality information, health advice and interventions

Australian, state and territory governments should:
(1) develop close to real-time, nationally consistent air quality information, including consistent categorisation and public health advice
(2) greater community education and guidance, and

INQ317 REC317-4101 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 49 - National Air Quality Forecasting Capability

Australian, state and territory governments should develop national air quality forecasting capabilities, which include broad coverage of population centres and apply to smoke and other airborne pollutants, such as dust and pollen, to predict plume behaviour. 

INQ317 REC317-4112 A - Responsibility 9 - Community education Recommendation 60

State and territory governments should:
(1) each have a process or mechanism in place to communicate natural hazard risk information to households (including prospective purchasers) in ‘hazard prone’ areas, and

INQ317 REC317-4113 D - Recovery 6 - Insurance and legal liability Recommendation 61 - Guidance for insurer-recognised retrofitting and mitigation

The insurance industry, as represented by the Insurance Council of Australia, working with state and territory governments and other relevant stakeholders, should produce and communicate to consumers clear guidance on individual-level natural hazard risk mitigation actions insurers will recognise

INQ317 REC317-4124 D - Recovery 6 - Insurance and legal liability Recommendation 72 - Review the thresholds and activation process for the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements

In reviewing the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, Australian, state and territory governments should examine the small disaster criterion, and financial thresholds generally. 

INQ317 REC317-4125 E - Agency Organisation 37 - Funding Recommendation 73 - Nationally consistent Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements assistance measures

Australian, state and territory and local governments should develop greater consistency in the financial support provided to individuals, small businesses and primary producers under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. 

INQ317 REC317-4126 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 74 - Develop nationally consistent, pre-agreed recovery programs

Australian, state and territory governments should expedite the development of pre-agreed recovery programs, including those that address social needs, such as legal assistance domestic violence, and also environmental recovery. 

INQ317 REC317-4127 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 75 - Better incorporate 'build back better' within the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements

Australian, state and territory governments should incorporate the principle of ‘build back better’ more broadly into the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. 

INQ317 REC317-4128 E - Agency Organisation 37 - Funding Recommendation 76 - Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements recovery measures to facilitate resilience

Australian, state and territory governments should broaden Category D of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements to encompass funding for recovery measures that are focused on resilience, including in circumstances which are not ‘exceptional’. 

INQ317 REC317-4129 E - Agency Organisation 37 - Funding Recommendation 77 - Streamline the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements processes

Australian, state and territory governments should create simpler Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements application processes. 

INQ317 REC317-4130 A - Responsibility 21 - Role of Commonwealth Government Recommendation 78 - Accountability and assurance mechanisms at the Australian Government level

The Australian Government should establish accountability and assurance mechanisms to promote continuous improvement and best practice in natural disaster arrangements. 

INQ317 REC317-4131 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 79 - An independent accountability and assurance mechanism for each state and territory

Each state and territory government should establish an independent accountability and assurance mechanism to promote continuous improvement and best practice in natural disaster arrangements. 

INQ317 REC317-4123 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 71 - Appropriate sharing of personal information

Australian, state and territory governments should ensure that personal information of individuals affected by a natural disaster is able to be appropriately shared between all levels of government, agencies, insurers, charities and organisations delivering recovery services, taking account of al

INQ317 REC317-4122 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 70 - Evaluation of financial assistance measures to support recovery

Australian, state and territory and local governments should evaluate the effectiveness of existing financial assistance measures to inform the development of a suite of pre-effective pre-determined recovery supports. 

INQ317 REC317-4114 B - Preparedness 1 - Land-use and building regs Recommendation 62

State, territory and local governments should be required to consider present and future natural disaster risk when making land-use planning decisions for new developments. 

INQ317 REC317-4115 B - Preparedness 1 - Land-use and building regs Recommendation 63

The Australian Building Codes Board, working with other bodies as appropriate, should:

INQ317 REC317-4116 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 64 - Debris clean-up arrangements

Governments should create and publish standing policy guidance on whether they will or will not assist to clean-up debris, including contaminated debris, resulting from natural hazards. 

INQ317 REC317-4117 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 65 - Arrangements for donated goods

State and territory governments should develop and implement efficient and effective arrangements to:
(1) educate the public about the challenges associated with donated goods, for example, the storage and distribution of donated goods, and

INQ317 REC317-4118 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 66 - Reform fundraising laws

Australian, state and territory governments should create a single national scheme for the regulation of charitable fundraising. 

INQ317 REC317-4119 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 67

The Australian Government, through the mechanism of the proposed standing national recovery and resilience agency, should convene regular and ongoing national forums for charities, non-government organisations and volunteer groups, with a role in natural disaster recovery, with a view to continuo

INQ317 REC317-4120 E - Agency Organisation 16 - Training and behaviour Recommendation 68 - National recovery resource sharing arrangements

Australian, state and territory governments should establish a national mechanism for sharing of trained and qualified recovery personnel and best practice during and following natural disasters. 

INQ317 REC317-4121 B - Preparedness 41 - Emergency Management exercises Recommendation 69 - National level recovery exercises

Australian, state and territory governments should work together to develop a program for national level recovery exercises, building on the work currently underway through the Community Outcomes and Recovery Subcommittee of the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee. 

INQ317 REC317-4093 C - Response 11 - Evacuation and shelters Recommendation 41 - Evacuation planning - Planning for evacuations across boundaries

State and territory governments should ensure those responsible for evacuation planning periodically review those plans, and update where appropriate, to provide for coordination between states and territories in cross border areas and to provide cross-border access to evacuation centres. 

INQ317 REC317-4092 C - Response 11 - Evacuation and shelters Recommendation 40 - Evacuation planning - Evacuation centres

State and territory governments should ensure those responsible for evacuation planning periodically review these plans, and update them where appropriate, to account for the existence and standard of any evacuation centres and safer places (however described) in the community, including:

INQ317 REC317-4064 E - Agency Organisation 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform Recommendation 12 - Consistent impact data standards

Australian, state and territory governments should work together to develop consistent data standards to measure disaster impact. 

INQ317 REC317-4065 F - Research and technology 13 - Mapping and data quality Recommendation 13 - Collection and sharing of impact data

Australian, state and territory governments should continue to develop a greater capacity to collect and share standardised and comprehensive natural disaster impact data. 

INQ317 REC317-4066 C - Response 2 - Emergency powers Recommendation 14 - Make provision for a declaration of a state of emergency

The Australian Government should make provision, in legislation, for a declaration of a state of national emergency. The declaration should include the following components:

INQ317 REC317-4067 B - Preparedness 39 - Disaster Risk Management Recommendation 15 - Assessment of the capacity and capability of fire and emergency services in light of current and future natural disaster risk

State and territory governments should have a structured process to regularly assess the capacity and capability requirements of fire and emergency services, in light of both current and future natural disaster risk. 

INQ317 REC317-4068 F - Research and technology 13 - Mapping and data quality Recommendation 16 - A national register of fire and emergency services personnel and equipment

Australian, state and territory governments should establish a national register of fire and emergency services personnel, equipment and aerial assets. 

INQ317 REC317-4069 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 17 - Interoperable communications for fire and emergency services across jurisdictions

State and territory governments should update and implement the National Framework to Improve Government Radio Communications Interoperability, or otherwise agree a new strategy, to achieve interoperable communications across jurisdictions. 

INQ317 REC317-4070 B - Preparedness 10 - Infrastructure Recommendation 18 - Delivery of a Public Safety Mobile Broadband capability

Australian, state and territory governments should expedite the delivery of a Public Safety Mobile Broadband capability. 

INQ317 REC317-4071 B - Preparedness 41 - Emergency Management exercises Recommendation 19 - Multi-agency national-level exercises

Australian, state and territory governments should conduct multi-agency, national-level exercises, not limited to cross-border jurisdictions. These exercises should, at a minimum:

INQ317 REC317-4063 F - Research and technology 23 - Climate Change Recommendation 11 - National climate projection

Australian, state and territory governments should produce downscaled climate
projections: