Response - National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management

Introduction

The National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management Report (the Report), which was sent to the Prime Minister as Chairman of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) on 2 April 2004, highlights the need for a common understanding of and approach to bushfires throughout Australia. The Inquiry focussed on opportunities to enhance national cooperation and achieve best practice, examined the efficiency with which major bushfire fighting resources are managed on a national basis and the effectiveness of current management practices. 

As the devastating 2002-03 fire season has clearly shown, there is no way to fire-proof Australia but the Report finds that we can better prepare to reduce the incidence of damaging bushfires, and the impact of bushfires when they occur. The recent bushfires served to remind us all that they are an inherent part of the Australian environment and while we cannot prevent them, we can minimise the risks they pose to life, property and the environment. 

The recommendations in the Report cover themes including the need for better understanding of risk, with an ordered approach to research and data collection, a focus on mitigation as well as response and recovery, and continued efforts to enhance cooperation across jurisdictions. These themes are consistent with those in the Natural Disasters in Australia : Reforming mitigation, relief and recovery arrangements report endorsed in principle by COAG in late 2003. In large part, the recommendations in the Report reinforce and build on the Natural Disasters in Australia report, focusing more specifically on the area of bushfires. 

COAG recognises the importance of maintaining the momentum of reform as the memory of the 2002-03 fire season recedes. The Report itself points to examples from recent history where efforts have tailed off too soon. COAG sees a leading role for the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council in coordinating and monitoring the range of activity to achieve a coherent approach to the implementation of the Report's recommendations. Other ministerial councils will need to be engaged in the process and may at times take a lead role; the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council for example will play a vital role in the area of environment and land management.

Progress has been made on many of the recommendations of the Report with the Australian, State and Territory governments having already implemented a number of the measures identified. As the Report notes, a number of the recommendations are of a strategic nature and outcomes will need to be pursued over the longer term.

Of the 29 recommendations in the Report eight have already been acted upon and were implemented before the 2004 bushfires season. Immediate achievements include the funding of the National Aerial Firefighting Centre, agreements being developed with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as official emergency broadcaster and the Australasian Fire Authorities' Council role as an adviser to the Australian Emergency Management Committee.

Fourteen recommendations require further work and while all require consideration by the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council it is expected that significant progress could be made before the 2005-06 bushfire season. These recommendations include a national approach to fire regime mapping, land use planning issues, the zoning approach to fuel management, operational response matters, national coordination of professional development, recognition of volunteers, agreement on the benefits of a common set of national bushfire indicators and a statement of national principles setting the framework for the future direction of bushfire mitigation and management in Australia.

The remaining seven recommendations relate broadly to ongoing research needs, indigenous traditional burning practices, community bushfire education, national consistency in bushfire data collection, the updating of the Australian Emergency Manual – Disaster Recovery and the further development in jurisdictions of a structured risk management process.

The Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council, which COAG agreed to augment to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the report to the Council of Australian Governments on Natural Disasters in Australia : Reforming mitigation, relief and recovery arrangements , is well positioned to take the ongoing lead role and to maintain momentum. COAG will ask the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council for a major progress report within twelve months on medium term and ongoing issues. Subsequent annual progress reports could be requested.

Leadership, strategic and sustained investment, together with cultural and institutional change are required on the part of all Australian governments to achieve a national approach to bushfires. It is important that there is a sustained effort to implement those recommendations which play a strategic role in a national approach to bushfire mitigation and management and which inform and safeguard all Australians. 

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Learning how to live with fire

Recommendation 3.1
The Inquiry recommends that state and territory governments and the Australian Government jointly develop and implement national and regionally relevant education programs about bushfire, to be delivered to all Australian children as a basic life skill. These programs should emphasise individual and household preparedness and survival as well as the role of fire in the Australian landscape.

Program effectiveness should be audited by each state and territory after five years, with a national report to be provided to the Council of Australian Governments.

The expanding rural-urban interface and the possible increase in the incidence of adverse weather conditions means that all Australians must now be aware of, and share responsibility for, the management of bushfires and other such hazards.

COAG supports recommendation 3.1 which is aimed at integrating bushfire education into school education. Jurisdictions provided examples to the Inquiry to show that much work has already been done both in schools and within the community. COAG considers it important that attention be given to how bushfire education can be properly integrated into the school curriculum, although conscious of the range of competing pressures. Due regard also needs to be paid to the development of high quality resource materials and other support for teachers. COAG will request that the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council and the Ministerial Council on Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, with reference to the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, consider the implementation of the recommendation and report back to COAG within 12 months. 

Community bushfire education outside schools is significant but more difficult to formalise. COAG will request that the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council collect and share information on best practice in community bushfire education across jurisdictions in order to assist jurisdictions to adopt appropriate measures, having regard to particular risk factors and local conditions.

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The risk management process

Recommendation 4.1
The Inquiry recommends that a structured risk-management process based on the Australian Standard for Risk Management be further developed and applied in all aspects of bushfire mitigation and management, informed by a thorough understanding of the full range of assets.

COAG agrees that a structured risk management process offers the best framework for making strategic and operational decisions about bushfire mitigation and management and supports the call in recommendation 4.1 for the further development and application of structured approaches in each State and Territory.

The Department of Transport and Regional Services, through Geoscience Australia, is developing a national risk assessment framework, together with models, tools and databases for sudden-impact natural hazards. Hazards of immediate interest include earthquake, flood, severe wind and bushfire. The process will develop a thorough understanding of environmental, biodiversity and heritage assets. A key objective is to develop risk assessment capabilities to enable the comparison of risk from these hazards across hazards and across regions so that risk treatment options can be optimised against a common understanding and common measures of risk.

COAG notes that such work may have some resource implications and that jurisdictions are able to explore the use of funding provided under the Natural Disaster Mitigation Programme, where appropriate.

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Research, information and analysis

Recommendation 5.1
The Inquiry recommends the provision of additional resources jointly by the Australian Government and the state and territory governments for the following purposes:

•   to accelerate the research necessary for the characterisation of fuel loads and dynamics for Australian ecosystems (both natural and exotic), the characterisation of fire behaviour and ecological responses, the development of ‘burning guides' from this information, and the compilation of this information and knowledge in nationally accessible databases

• the establishment of a national network of long-term ecological research sites to provide a basis for long-term monitoring of the impacts of fire regimes and fire events.

COAG supports the research proposed in recommendation 5.1 and notes that research on many of these areas is already being undertaken by a number of bodies including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geoscience Australia and the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre under its programme covering Safe Prevention, Preparation and Suppression. Such ecological research is long term with time frames extending in excess of 10 years and is also central to the activities of the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council.

COAG will request that the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre provide advice jointly to the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council, the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council and the Primary Industries Ministerial Council on the proposals to accelerate research into fuel loads and dynamics, fire behaviour and ecological responses, the development of burning guides and the compilation of these data into accessible databases, as well as the proposal for a national network of ecological research sites. The Centre, which is itself currently undertaking research of fire regimes and the impact of fire on ecosystems and ecological processes, will be asked to provide advice on whether there is any need for additional sites or further resources to address long-term impacts. It will need to consult with other bodies such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Bureau of Rural Sciences and Geoscience Australia , in drawing together its advice. COAG will request the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council and the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council to coordinate advice on the need for additional sites, how they might be administered and any resourcing requirements.

COAG also notes the importance of Finding 5.3 of the Report which highlights the role of the Bureau of Meteorology in providing high quality locally-specific weather information and forecasting services.  Jurisdictions expressed some concern at the apparent withdrawal of some observation stations by the Bureau as a result of resource pressures and the gaps this could leave in local forecasting capacity. The Australian Emergency Management Committee will seek advice from jurisdictions about perceived gaps in local fire weather forecasting services as a basis for a discussion with the Bureau. The Committee shall report the outcome of those discussions, options for addressing any identified problem areas and resource implications to the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council for consideration.

Recommendation 5.2
The Inquiry recommends that the Australian Government and the state and territory governments jointly provide additional resources and work in partnership to establish and refine a national program of fire regime mapping.

COAG agrees on the importance of a nationally consistent framework that would allow fire regime data to be shared between jurisdictions. A national approach would focus on standards, coordination, responsibilities and resourcing. As the Report noted, pioneering work has been done in this area by the Western Australian Department of Land Information and the Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre and is complemented by the work of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation through its Sentinel project and work in other jurisdictions.

Building on this expertise COAG will request the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council, in consultation with the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council and the Primary Industries Ministerial Council, to bring forward a proposal with the assistance of the Australia New Zealand Land Information Council within 12 months, which addresses the scope to enhance consistency and rate of mapping with regard to standards and responsibility for the work in each jurisdiction. COAG notes that such work may have some resource implications and that jurisdictions are able to explore the use of funding provided under the Natural Disaster Mitigation Programme, where appropriate.

Recommendation 5.3
The Inquiry recommends that the Australian Government and the state and territory governments continue to develop national consistency in data sets relevant to bushfire mitigation and management under the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure framework, and within this context, identify and resource national bushfire data set coordinators.

COAG recognises the existing work in all jurisdictions toward the collection of relevant bushfire data sets and the initiative being undertaken at the national level by Geoscience Australia, under the Disaster Mitigation Australia Package, to develop consistent data for natural disasters. COAG will request the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council to engage the assistance of the Australia New Zealand Land Information Council in the development of proposals to enhance national consistency in bushfire data collections, noting that each jurisdiction will consider the appropriate mechanism for coordinating data.

Recommendation 5.4
The Inquiry recommends that the Australian Government, in partnership with the states and territories and relevant research organisations, develop a strategy for sustaining bushfire research and capacity building, in the context of a risk management approach to bushfire mitigation and management.

COAG supports strongly the importance of ongoing bushfire research and capacity building arrangements and recognises the need to consider the issue beyond the life of the Cooperative Research Centres. The Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre was established in December 2002 and began its work in July 2003. It is in the early stages of its work and is funded until 2010. The Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre aims to develop a comprehensive and overarching understanding of the behaviour and danger of bushfires, given local differences in vegetation, land management and weather.

COAG recognises the recent increased investment in bushfire research and the focus on coordination which includes, but is not limited to, the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre. Other bodies engaged in bushfire-related research include the Tropical Savannas, Desert Knowledge and Spatial Information Cooperative Research Centres, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geoscience Australia, the Forest and Ecosystem Science Institute, Victoria, the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, the University of South Australia, Australian National University, Melbourne University, University of Tasmania, Griffith University, Charles Darwin University, Deakin University and the University of Western Sydney.

While it may be too early to decide on the future form of the ongoing research capacity required, the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council is well placed to monitor the workings of bushfire research arrangements and the performance of research agencies drawing on information such as programmed reviews. COAG will request the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council to develop a proposal for ongoing research timed no later than the five year review programmed for the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre.

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Risk modification

Recommendation 6.1
The Inquiry endorses the recommendations in the Natural Disasters in Australia report relating to disaster mitigation through land use planning and development controls and recommends that the states and territories continue to make their advisory and statutory measures more effective.

Land use planning which takes account of natural hazard risks has been recognised as the single most important mitigation measure for preventing future losses from natural disasters. Work is already underway in the Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council to address this issue and the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council is likely to become involved. COAG strongly supports recommendation 6.1 and will request a report on progress, through the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council, within twelve months.

Recommendation 6.2
The Inquiry recommends that the review of the Building Code of Australia, with particular reference to the Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas Standard—to deal with resistance to natural hazards, including bushfires—be completed by the Australian Building Codes Board as a matter of priority.

COAG is concerned by the Report's observation concerning the delay in the review of the building code and in particular the Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas Standard AS3959 by Standards Australia. COAG supports recommendation 6.2 and notes that the Australian Government Minister for Industry Tourism and Resources will write to the Board identifying this review as a priority and reinforcing both the urgency for, and benefits of, encouraging Standards Australia to complete the revision of the Australian Standard that follows COAG's Principles and Guidelines for National Standard Setting and Regulatory Action by Ministerial Councils and Standard-Setting Bodies and its enactment through the Building Code of Australia . The Board will be asked to resolve as soon as possible any other outstanding issues relating to the building code and natural hazards, including bushfires.

Recommendation 6.3
All states and territories should have a zoning approach to the classification of fuel management areas, with clear objectives for each zone. The process should be applied at the landscape scale, and all land managers and the community should be involved.

COAG supports recommendation 6.3. All jurisdictions reported that work is underway in this area. COAG recognises that zoning approaches may help to maximise the effectiveness of strategic prescribed burning. The Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council and the Local Government and Planning Ministers' Council will work together on this recommendation with a view to establishing arrangements for sharing information and enhancing approaches to zoning and classification of fuel management areas. The Primary Industries Ministerial Council, the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council and the Environment Protection and Heritage Council may also need to be consulted on this work. The Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council shall report back to COAG within 12 months.

Recommendation 6.4
The Inquiry recommends that fire agencies, land managers and researchers continue to work in partnership with Indigenous Australians to explore how traditional burning practices and regimes can be integrated with modern practices and technologies and so enhance bushfire mitigation and management in current Australian landscapes.

COAG supports recommendation 6.4, noting that traditional burning practices would have particular significance in some landscapes. Individual jurisdictions will continue efforts in this area drawing on the work undertaken by bodies such as the Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre.

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Readiness

Recommendation 7.1
The Inquiry recommends that each state and territory formalise non-exclusive agreements with the Australian Broadcasting Commission as the official emergency broadcaster, providing an assured standing arrangement. Similar protocols with commercial networks and local media should also be established.

COAG agrees that the electronic and print media have an important role in informing the community about bushfire mitigation and management in preparation for each bushfire season and in providing up-to-date information during bushfire events. 

Recommendation 7.1 calls for non-exclusive agreements with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as the official emergency broadcaster and similar protocols with commercial networks and local media. COAG supports the recommendation and notes that all jurisdictions are working towards formalising agreements with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. COAG also supports the extension of these arrangements to commercial networks where feasible.

Additionally, COAG notes that there are serious issues of consistent information and cross-border overlap and coordination and that the Australian Emergency Management Committee is already working to address these as a priority.

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Response

Recommendation 8.1
The Inquiry recommends that implementation of a single Incident Control System for the management of multi-agency emergency incidents be further examined by the Australian Emergency Management Committee, with a view to developing one nationally agreed system.

Recommendation 8.2
The Inquiry recommends that the AIIMS Incident Control System be adjusted so that it adequately allows for the identification and integration of local knowledge during firefighting operations.

Recommendation 8.3
The Inquiry recommends that a central function of the AIIMS Incident Control System be the flow of adequate and appropriate information to threatened communities, government, police and other emergency services authorities. The incident controller should have overall responsibility for this.

Recommendation 8.4
The Inquiry recommends that all Australian fire authorities adopt and continue to use the AIIMS Incident Control System in accordance with Australasian Fire Authorities' Council guidance and policies.

A lesson learnt from the recent bushfires is that maximising effective response is a priority. The Report's recommendations in this area recognise the vital importance of control and coordination through the Australian Inter-service Incident Management System (AIIMS) Incident Control System. All fire services have agreed to the national adoption of the recently reviewed AIIMS and also all state emergency services (SES) have confirmed, through the Australian Council of State Emergency Services, that they will adopt AIIMS on a phased state by state basis.

COAG supports recommendation 8.1. The AIIMS has been adopted by some emergency services agencies in all jurisdictions although further work, through the Australian Emergency Management Committee will be necessary. The work of the Australasian Fire Authorities' Council in providing the framework for cooperation between jurisdictions has been essential.

COAG supports recommendation 8.2 that the system be adjusted to include local knowledge during firefighting operations. COAG notes the progress in all jurisdictions to identify and integrate local knowledge into firefighting operations.

COAG supports recommendation 8.3 and notes that each jurisdiction is moving to implement the recommendation including through the training of appropriate personnel. Jurisdictions will address training as a priority.

With regard to recommendation 8.4, COAG notes that all Australian fire services have adopted and continue to use the AIIMS Incident Control System in accordance with Australasian Fire Authorities' Council guidance and policies.

COAG will request the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council to monitor progress by jurisdictions in relation to recommendations 8.1 to 8.4 and report on progress within 12 months.

Recommendation 8.5
The Inquiry endorses the recommendations on warning systems in the report Natural Disasters in Australia. In addition, it recommends as follows:

• that all fire ban advice and subsequent ‘bushfire threat warnings' related to specific fires be conveyed consistently in all states and territories, including the use of the Standard Emergency Warning Signal when lives or property are threatened

• that the final structure of the warnings be based on the findings of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre's project Communicating Risk to Communities and Others .

Effective warnings are essential in mitigating and managing bushfires and other natural disasters. The Natural Disasters in Australia Report, prepared for COAG in 2002, placed considerable emphasis on warning systems in its recommendations and these have been accepted in principle by COAG.

COAG supports recommendation 8.5 concerning the adoption of nationally consistent procedures for conveying fire ban advices and bushfire threat warnings. Action will be coordinated through the Australasian Fire Authorities' Council, in collaboration with the Bureau of Meteorology, towards achieving standardisation of fire ban advices. 

COAG notes the ongoing work of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre on communicating risk which will inform the Australian Emergency Management Committee and the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council. 

COAG also notes the work currently being carried out under the auspices of the Australian Emergency Management Committee to develop draft guidelines for the use of the Standard Emergency Warning Signal when lives and/or property are threatened.

COAG will request a progress report on these areas from the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council within twelve months.

Recommendation 8.6
The Inquiry recommends that the Australian Government maintain leadership of and support for the National Aerial Firefighting Centre for a further three years, until the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre has finalised its research into the effectiveness of aerial suppression operations.

The Australian Government has already announced funding of $16.5 million for the National Aerial Fire fighting Centre ($5.5 million per annum for the three years 2004-05 to 2006-07).

Recommendation 8.7
The Inquiry recommends as follows:

• that the approach that gives residents the option of leaving when confronted by a major bushfire threat or making an informed decision to stay and defend their home or property be adopted as a common national policy

• that implementation of a ‘go early or stay and defend' policy must be fully integrated, with effective community education programs to improve preparedness and support timely and informed decision making.

Provision of training for fire, police and emergency services personnel in the application of the go early or stay and defend policy is essential if this approach is to be applied safely—with particular emphasis on minimising evacuations at the height of fire events. This should be supported by formal agreements between the relevant authorities.

COAG recognises the importance of clear advice for residents during a bushfire, but notes that the message of “go early or stay and defend” needs to be communicated carefully because in relation to other disasters it may not be appropriate to allow a resident to stay. The Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council will consider how to implement a nationally consistent approach and provide guidance to jurisdictions on issues related to community information, training and warnings for disaster situations.

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Recovery

Recommendation 9.1
The Inquiry recommends that the Australian Emergency Manual—disaster recovery be updated as a matter of priority by Emergency Management Australia, in consultation with the states and territories, the Australian Local Government Association, the Department of Transport and Regional Services and the Department of Family and Community Services, to incorporate:

• the lessons learnt from the recovery programs undertaken in relation to the recent major bushfires

• the outcomes of by the Community Services Ministers' Advisory Council's review of community support and recovery arrangements.

The Report points out that recovery from major bushfires is little different from recovery from any other natural disaster and so should be considered, wherever possible, from an all-hazards perspective. 

An updated version of the nationally agreed framework for recovery, the Australian Emergency Management Manual – disaster recovery was published in September 2004. The Manual will be further reviewed over the next 18 months to address issues which emerge from the Community Services Ministers' Advisory Council's Review of community support and recovery arrangements, COAG's High Level Report Natural Disasters in Australia: reforming mitigation, relief and recovery arrangements and COAG's National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management .

Recommendation 9.2
The Inquiry recommends that the Insurance Council of Australia be asked to review the industry's code of practice in response to the lessons learnt from the claims arising from the 2002–03 bushfires.

COAG notes the Inquiry's observations about significant levels of non-insurance and in particular under-insurance, and the need for the insurance industry to provide improved and more consistent advice to policy holders.

There are also lessons to be learnt from the performance of the insurance industry including the need to provide comprehensive information and the balance between prompt settlement of claims and a cooling off period to allow for consideration and review of settlement offers.

COAG supports the recommendation to raise these issues with the insurance industry. The Australian Government will write to the Insurance Council of Australia asking that a review of the industry's code of practice take account of the lessons learnt from the claims arising for the 2002-2003 bushfires. This approach is consistent with actions planned in relation to COAG's Natural Disasters report.

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Governance and Coordination

Recommendation 10.1
The Inquiry recommends that the Australian Government formalise the coordination of the development of policy on bushfire mitigation and management across Australian Government departments and agencies and the provision of advice to the Australian Emergency Management Committee and the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council.

Administrative arrangements put in place by the Australian Government involve a number of agencies in the various aspects of policy and operational work in relation to disaster mitigation, response and recovery. This reflects the diversity of functions and skills involved. The Australian Government expects these agencies to continue to work collaboratively to ensure the provision of coordinated advice to Government and to inter-jurisdictional bodies such as the Australian Emergency Management Committee and the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council.

Recommendation 10.2
The Inquiry recommends that the Australasian Fire Authorities' Council be coopted as an adviser to the Australian Emergency Management Committee whenever bushfire mitigation and management are to be discussed.

COAG supports recommendation 10.2. The Australian Emergency Management Committee has recognised the value of advice that the Australasian Fire Authorities' Council can provide on fire-related issues, including bushfire mitigation and management. The operating arrangements agreed to by the Committee include express provision to coopt representatives of the Council when that would assist on discussion of relevant issues.

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Knowledge, learning and training

Recommendation 11.1
The Inquiry recommends that the Australian National Training Authority establish a National Safety and Security Skills Council to continue the development and administration of the Public Safety Training Package, including competencies and qualifications relevant to bushfire mitigation and management.

COAG acknowledges the importance of the development of arrangements to ensure availability of appropriate training for those involved in protection of public safety. The Public Safety Training Package which is funded by the Australian National Training Authority (1) contains some 52 units of competency dealing with fire and 49 units covering emergency services. These units range in scope from operational to management and are directly linked to appropriate qualifications. The units have been developed after extensive consultations with peak bodies. The Package is reviewed regularly with scope to make changes to accommodate the latest technologies, additional skills or best practices. The skills areas identified by the Inquiry are covered by an Industry Skills Council and are sufficient to ensure the aims of recommendation 11.1 are met.

Recommendation 11.2
The Inquiry recommends that the states and territories and the Australian National Training Authority provide additional funding, as necessary, to registered training organisations to support the development and delivery of learning and training resources to all firefighters.

COAG agrees that the need for appropriate training is essential and all jurisdictions will consider the resourcing of training needs as part of their normal budget processes.

Recommendation 11.3
The Inquiry recommends that the Australasian Fire Authorities' Council and Emergency Management Australia —in partnership with state and territory agencies and other education and research institutions—coordinate a national program of professional development focused on bushfire mitigation and management. Under the program, partners would deliver nationally coordinated professional development services to all jurisdictions.

COAG supports the need for national coordination of leading practice examples of professional development and recognises the work already being done by the Australasian Fire Authorities' Council and Emergency Management Australia in offering a range of programmes in generic and specialist areas including emergency management and leadership development. COAG will direct the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council to oversee the implementation of a nationally coordinated programme.

Recommendation 11.4
The Inquiry recommends that the Council of Australian Governments support and fund the establishment of an Australian Centre for Bushfire Lessons Learnt, for an initial period of five years.

The Report highlights the importance of ensuring that lessons learnt from bushfires should be shared. COAG supports a mechanism, possibly internet-based, to disseminate relevant data, resources, reports etc. on lessons learnt from bushfires. This need not involve the establishment of a new agency, as the function could be adopted as an additional role of an existing organisation and potentially collocated with an agency such as the Australasian Fire Authorities' Council, Emergency Management Australia or research organisations such as the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre.

COAG will direct the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council to develop this proposal further for consideration by jurisdictions in 2005, identifying any additional resources that may be required and focussing initially on bushfires but with consideration given to other hazards in due course. COAG notes the work currently being undertaken by the Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre to act in this capacity in regard to fire management in northern Australia (including northern Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory).

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Rural fire service volunteering

Recommendation 12.1
The Inquiry recommends that an opportunity for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses should be available for each volunteer rural fire agency. In addition, the Council of Australian Governments should decide on the question of tax concessions as raised in the paper prepared by PKF Chartered Accountants on behalf of the Western Australian Government.

COAG endorses strongly the Inquiry's acknowledgement of the vital and significant contribution emergency services volunteers make to the safety and well-being of Australian society. Recognition is an important part of volunteering but COAG recognises that proposals that seek to provide financial recognition for volunteers may not always be consistent with the volunteer ethos. 

Some jurisdictions have mechanisms for the provision of out-of-pocket expenses for volunteers but these are atypical and, in some cases, are limited.

COAG considers that the matter of recognition for volunteers be acknowledged as a general issue for consideration by individual governments. Further work to clearly identify what is currently done to recognise volunteers and what else might be done to strengthen recognition shall be undertaken by the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council with assistance from the Australasian Fire Authorities' Council, with a progress report on best practice to be provided to COAG within twelve months.

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Reviewing performance

Recommendation 13.1
The Inquiry recommends that the states and territories agree to a common set of national bushfire indicators of good practice, based on the five mitigation and management factors it has identified—the 5Rs. These indicators, together with an assessment against the proposed national bushfire principles, would provide a consistent framework for review and reporting in each state and territory

COAG supports the need for a common set of national bushfire indicators of best practice. Some jurisdictions raised concerns about changing terminology from a PPRR (Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery) approach to a 5Rs (Research, information and analysis, Risk modification, Readiness, Response and Recovery) model, noting that the existing approach already forms the basis for reporting to the Productivity Commission, but agreed that a common set of indicators could be used irrespective of the terminology adopted.

The indicators would need to reflect the proposed national bushfire mitigation and management principles and COAG will request that the development of indicators be pursued by the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council in conjunction with work on the principles over the next twelve months. Such work will need to draw on support from the Australian Emergency Management Committee and the Australasian Fire Authorities' Council. Individual jurisdictions will make decisions on how best to use the indicators for reporting and review of bushfire mitigation and management.

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National principles for bushfire mitigation and management

Recommendation 14.1
The Inquiry recommends that the Council of Australian Governments adopt a statement of national principles as the framework for the future direction of bushfire mitigation and management in Australia .

COAG agrees on the importance of national principles which underpin existing approaches and set a framework that jurisdictions may wish to work towards.

Such principles need to emerge from a process of consultation. The draft principles that have been identified could be agreed as a starting point with further consultation and any amendments necessary to be undertaken over the next twelve months, overseen by the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council. A report and recommendations on endorsement of a final set of principles will then be made to COAG.

At the same time the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers' Council and the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council will be asked to look at the development of common indicators which reflect the principles, recognising that individual jurisdictions will make decisions about how best to use such indicators for reporting and review.

Printable versions of this document are available on the index page

1. From 1 July 2005 the responsibility and functions of the Australian National Training Authority will be transferred to the Department of Education, Science and Training.