Issues of Interest

Bushfires Royal Commission Report

From Project Officer Trevor Roche

The Commission handed down its Interim Report on 17 August 2009. The Report included 51 recommendations all of which have been accepted by the Government. Prior to the release of the Report, the Premier had announced a number of initiatives aimed at addressing many of the matters that were anticipated to arise from the Report. These initiatives now form the basis of actions to address the Report’s recommendations.

The overall program of new initiatives is known within CFA as the Bushfire Preparedness Program within which there are 48 projects. 28 of these are being managed by CFA, 7 by the OESC, 6 by DSE, 5 by Victoria Police, and 1 each by the Department of Justice and the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA).

VFBV has been working with the CFA to emphasise the role of volunteers in the on-going implementation of many of the new initiatives and has sought representation on the Working Parties associated with each of the issues. This has proved somewhat difficult as the majority of the projects involve extremely short time frames from inception to implementation with only minimal opportunity for consultation. Notwithstanding the urgency to introduce many of the initiatives for this fire season, VFBV is continuing to express concern at the lack of consultation and will press to ensure that the provision of detailed information and briefings for brigades is a key component of any implementation program.

The Commission resumed the second block of hearings following the release of the Interim Report. The initial focus of these hearings was devoted to matters associated with building standards and construction materials that will be applied to new buildings being constructed in bushfire prone areas.

Following the completion of this evidence, the focus has moved to regional sittings of the Commission along with closed hearings related to a number of the deaths that occurred. The Commission has completed hearing evidence related to the Beechworth (Mudgegonga) fire and the fires that occurred in the west of the state including Horsham and Coleraine. The Commission will hold further regional hearings in Gippsland to deal with the Delburn and Churchill fires at a later date.

One issue that has caused volunteers a significant amount of concern, particularly in the west of the state, has been the operation of Traffic Management Points. CFA and Victoria Police have been working on a revised protocol that should see at least some of the concerns related to access to the fire ground by emergency service personnel and other people having a critical role in supporting firefighters and the community being less restrictive. Whilst there will still be controls in place, a broader range of levels of access is being considered, subject to authorisation by the Incident Controller.

VFBV’s interim submission to the Commission in July called for amended arrangements to be implemented in Victoria to place the control of any bushfire that threatens or has the potential to threaten CFA area and lives within our communities under CFA’s Chief Officer regardless of whether it is burning on public or private land. Following further endorsement of this proposal by VFBV’s State Council on the 13 September, it is intended to place greater emphasis on this proposal over the next few months and to pursue this change with government and other key stakeholders. VFBV will provide further detail to State Councillors and brigades over the next few weeks.

It is evident that the events of this fire season have established a new benchmark against which the operational performance of CFA must be judged. VFBV considers that there has been compelling evidence placed before the Commission that warrants some adjustment to the current operational management structures in place that is aimed at improving cross regional operational coordination and coherency. Further discussion with the CFA on this important matter is planned and any steps to address the present gaps in operational command will be strongly supported.

VFBV acknowledges that the current rate of change taking place within the organisation as a result of the Royal Commission is creating some concern amongst volunteers. VFBV has established a number of forums with CFA that are providing an opportunity to highlight the need for on-going consultation on the inevitable program of change that is occurring whilst at the same time ensuring that CFA continues to recognise the finite nature of the contribution that volunteers make.

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