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 REC317-4095 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 REC317-4112 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 REC317-4097 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 REC317-4084 A - Responsibility 9 - Community education Recommendation 32 - Disaster education for individuals and communities

State and territory governments should continue to deliver, evaluate and improve education and engagement programs aimed at promoting disaster resilience for individuals and communities.

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 REC317-4130 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 REC317-4085 A - Responsibility 22 - Role of local Gvt Recommendation 33 - Responsibility for local government disaster management capability and capacity

State and territory governments should take responsibility for the capability and capacity of local governments to which they have delegated their responsibilities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural disasters, to ensure local governments are able to effectively discharge

INQ317 REC317-4086 A - Responsibility 22 - Role of local Gvt Recommendation 34 - Resource sharing arrangements between local governments

State and territory governments should review their arrangements for sharing resources between their local governments during natural disasters, including whether those arrangements:
(1) provide sufficient surge capacity, and

INQ317 REC317-4073 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 21 - Improve understanding of Australian Defence Force capabilities

State and territory governments should take steps to ensure that there is better interaction, planning and ongoing understanding of Australian Defence Force capabilities and processes by state and territory fire and emergency service agencies and local governments. 

INQ317 REC317-4058 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 6 - Enhanced national preparedness and response entity

The Australian Government should enhance national preparedness for, and response to, natural disasters, building on the responsibilities of Emergency Management Australia, to include facilitating resource sharing decisions of governments and stress testing national disaster plans. 

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 REC317-4078 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 26 - Developing the aerial firefighting industry's capability

Australian, state and territory governments should adopt procurement and contracting strategies that support and develop a broader Australian-based sovereign aerial firefighting industry. 

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 REC317-4053 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 1 - Forum for Ministers

Australian, state and territory governments should restructure and reinvigorate ministerial forums with a view to enabling timely and informed strategic decision-making in respect of:
(1) long-term policy improvement in relation to natural disasters

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 REC317-4101 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 REC317-4054 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 2 - Establishment of an authoritative disaster advisory body

Australian, state and territory governments should establish an authoritative advisory body to consolidate advice on strategic policy and relevant operational considerations for ministers in relation to natural disasters. 

INQ317 REC317-4056 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 4 - Integrating disaster management of the Australian Government

Australian Government agencies should work together across all phases of disaster management. 

INQ317 REC317-4074 A - Responsibility 25 - Inquiry, audit, lessons management and after action review Recommendation 22 - Review of Defence Assistance to the Civil Community manual

The Australian Government should review the content of the Defence Assistance to the Civil Community manual to ensure consistency of language and application with a revised COMDISPLAN. 

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 REC317-4114 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 REC317-4107 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 REC317-4087 B - Preparedness 4 - Fire season preparation Recommendation 35 - Roadside vegetation management

State and territory governments, working with local governments and fire and emergency service agencies, should ensure that there are appropriate arrangements for roadside vegetation management that take into account, among other things:
(1) priority access and egress routes

INQ317 REC317-4082 B - Preparedness 10 - Infrastructure Recommendation 30 - Collective awareness and mitigation of risks to critical infrastructure

The Australian Government, working with state and territory governments and critical infrastructure operators, should lead a process to:
(1) identify critical infrastructure
(2) assess key risks to identified critical infrastructure from natural disasters

INQ317 REC317-4083 B - Preparedness 10 - Infrastructure Recommendation 31 - Improving coordination arrangements between critical infrastructure sectors and with government

The Australian Government should work with state and territory governments and critical infrastructure operators to improve information flows during and in response to natural disasters:
(1) between critical infrastructure operators, and

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 REC317-4066 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 REC317-4094 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 REC317-4096 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 REC317-4098 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 REC317-4089 C - Response 11 - Evacuation and shelters Recommendation 37 - Evacuation planning - Essential services and supplies

State and territory governments should ensure that those responsible for evacuation planning periodically review those plans, and update them where appropriate, including in relation to:

INQ317 REC317-4090 C - Response 11 - Evacuation and shelters Recommendation 38 - Sheltering terminology should be made nationally consistent

State and territory governments should, as a priority, adopt nationally consistent terminology and functions for the different sheltering facilities, including evacuation centres, Neighbourhood Safer Places, places of last resort and natural disaster shelters. 

INQ317 REC317-4091 C - Response 11 - Evacuation and shelters Recommendation 39 - National community education

State and territory governments should provide further community education on the function and limitations of different sheltering facilities, including evacuation centres, Neighbourhood Safer Places, places of last resort and natural disaster shelters.

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 REC317-4093 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 REC317-4088 C - Response 11 - Evacuation and shelters Recommendation 36 - Evacuation planning - Evacuation routes and seasonal populations

State and territory governments should ensure that those responsible for evacuation planning periodically review those plans, and update them where appropriate, including in relation to:

INQ317 REC317-4080 C - Response 18 - Access to fire ground Recommendation 28 - Comprehensive information

State and territory governments should include road closure and opening information on all roads within their borders on public apps. 

INQ317 REC317-4081 C - Response 18 - Access to fire ground Recommendation 29 - Provision of information

State and territory governments should provide information to the public on the closure and opening of roads. Information should be provided in real-time, or in advance based on predictions, where possible. 

INQ317 REC317-4075 D - Recovery 6 - Insurance and legal liability Recommendation 23 - Legal protections for Australian Defence Force members

The Australian Government should afford appropriate legal protections from civil and criminal liability to Australian Defence Force members when conducting activities under an authorisation to prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters.

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 REC317-4113 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 REC317-4122 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 REC317-4126 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 REC317-4116 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.