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Report of the Inquiry Into the 2002-2003 Victorian Bushfires INF.018.002.0002

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Report of the Inquiry Into the 2002-2003 Victorian Bushfires INF.018.002.0002 INF.018.002.0001 Report of the Inquiry into the 2002-2003 Victorian Bushfires INF.018.002.0002 Report of the Inquiry into the 2002-2003 Victorian Bushfires INF.018.002.0003 Report of the Inquiry into the 2002-2003 Victorian Bushfires ISBN: 0731114884 © State Government of Victoria, 2003 Authorised by the Victorian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet Bruce Esplin Chairman Emergency Services Commissioner, Victoria Printed by McLaren Press 11-19 Lithgow Street, Abbotsford Printed on 100% recycled, Australian made paper Copies of the Report and Submissions are available to download at http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au II PAGE REPORT TO THE INQUIRY INTO THE 2002-2203 VICTORIAN BUSHFIRES PAGE III LETTER OF TRANSMISSION INF.018.002.0004 Letter of Transmission PAGE IV INF.018.002.0005 REPORT TO THE INQUIRY INTO THE 2002-2203 VICTORIAN BUSHFIRES PAGE V LETTER OF TRANSMISSION INF.018.002.0006 PAGE VI INF.018.002.0007 INF.018.002.0008 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE INTO THE 2002-2203 VICTORIAN BUSHFIRES TO THE INQUIRY REPORT Executive Summary Part A Setting the Scene 2 Overview of Part A Chapter 1 4 Introduction 4 Overview 4 The 2002-2003 Bushfires at a Glance 4 After the Fires: Questions 5 Terms of Reference 5 How the Inquiry was Conducted 7 Aims of this Report 7 Interim Report: August 2003 Chapter 2 8 The Changing Victorian Environment 8 Overview 8 The Victorian Landscape 9 Fire in the Victorian Environment 15 Exposure of People and Assets to Bushfire Risk 16 Population and Cultural Change 17 Changes in Victorian Response to the Threat of Unplanned Fire 19 Conclusion Chapter 3 20 Current Legislation and Co-operative Arrangements 20 Overview 20 Victorian Legislation 20 Emergency Management Act 1986 20 The Fire Agencies 22 Other Agencies and Organisations in Fire Management 27 Conclusion Chapter 4 28 The Story of the 2002-2003 Victorian Fires 28 Overview 28 Drought – A Key Context for the Fires 30 The 2002-2003 Fire Season 30 The North East and Gippsland Fires 37 Agency Response to the Fires 37 Keeping the Community Informed 41 Impacts of the Fires 42 Conclusion Chapter 5 44 Submissions and Community Consultation 44 Overview 44 The Submission and Community Consultation Process 45 Origin of Submissions 45 Key Themes 48 Term of Reference 1 48 Land Management/Preparedness 50 Agency Preparedness 53 Term of Reference 2 53 Response 56 Management of Resources 58 Recovery Issues 60 Conclusion Chapter 6 61 Weather Conditions Before and During the Fires of 2002-2003 61 Overview 61 Statewide Weather Conditions 62 Weather Conditions in the Fire-Affected Areas 66 Comparison of Weather Conditions Among Years of High and Low Areas Burned 69 Conclusions PAGE VII INF.018.002.0009 Part B Term of Reference One: Fire and Public Land 72 Overview of Part B Chapter 7 74 Background to Prescribed Burning in Forests 74 Overview 74 Background 74 Who does Prescribed Burning? Where? 75 The Prescribed Burning Debate 75 Forest Types 75 Fuel Types and Loads 77 Fire Behaviour and Fire Weather 77 Rationale for Prescribed Burning 78 Intervals Between Prescribed Fires 80 DSE’s Fuel Management Zones 80 Tracks 82 Conclusion Chapter 8 84 Fuel Management in the ‘High Country’ 84 Overview 84 Burning and Grazing in the High Country 86 Conclusion Chapter 9 87 Fuel Management in the ‘Mallee’: Techniques and Approaches 87 Overview 87 What is Mallee? 87 Fire and Fuel Management in the Mallee 90 Conclusions Chapter 10 92 Constraints on Prescribed Burning in Forests 92 Overview 92 Constraints on Prescribed Burning 96 Prescribed Burning Realities: Analyses Undertaken for this Report 103 The Weather Envelope for Prescribed Burning 106 Conclusions Chapter 11 108 Measuring the Effectiveness of Prescribed Burning 108 Overview 108 Introduction 108 Measuring the Effectiveness of Prescribed Burning 109 Effectiveness Measures 113 Philosophical and Comparative Approaches to Determining Effectiveness 113 The Importance of Quantitative Data 114 Conclusions Chapter 12 117 Traditional Burning Practices of Aboriginal People and the Prescribed Burning Debate in Victoria 117 Overview 117 Arrival of People and Their Possible Impacts 119 Problems of Reconstructing the Past 120 Fire and Change in the Australian Biota 121 Problems for Modern Fire Management 122 Conclusions VIII PAGE INF.018.002.0010 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE INTO THE 2002-2203 VICTORIAN BUSHFIRES TO THE INQUIRY REPORT Part C Term of Reference One: Community and Agency Preparedness 126 Overview of Part C Chapter 13 128 Public Awareness and Preparedness 128 Overview 128 Community Understanding of Heightened Fire Risk for 2002-2003 129 Understanding Bushfire Options: The Decision to Stay or Go? 131 CFA Community Education and Information Program 132 Four Current Programs 136 Public Awareness Communication Systems 138 Insurance as a Preparedness Measure 138 Conclusion Chapter 14 139 Planning for Fire – An Holistic Approach 139 Overview 139 Municipal Fire Prevention Plan 144 Concerns Relating to Existing Planning Arrangements 144 A New Approach to Municipal Planning 147 Involvement in the New Planning Arrangements 147 Management of the New Planning Arrangements 149 Conclusion Chapter 15 150 Agency Preparedness 150 Overview 150 External Influences on Fire Agencies Prior to the 2002-2003 Fire Season 151 Impact of the Drought on Water Availability for Firefighting 152 Joint Planning 153 Agency Resources 154 Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding 158 Information Management Costs 160 Roads and Access Tracks 161 Aircraft 162 Conclusion Chapter 16 163 Emergency Services Preparedness 163 Overview 163 The Development of Victoria’s Emergency Management Arrangements 164 Role of the Minister 164 Victoria Emergency Management Council 164 The Emergency Management Arrangements 165 Emergency Response Arrangements 165 Multi-Agency Exercises 165 Emergency Recovery Arrangements 166 Emergency Management Preparation for the 2002-2003 Fire Season 166 Continuous Improvement 167 Conclusion PAGE IX INF.018.002.0011 Part D Term of Reference Two: Response and Recovery 170 Overview of Part D Chapter 17 172 Initial Response to the Fires 172 Overview 172 Factors Affecting Initial Attack 178 The Fires that Were Not Contained 179 Conclusion Chapter 18 180 The State’s Emergency Management Arrangements in Action 180 Overview 180 Municipal Emergency Co-ordination 181 Evacuation 181 Divisional Emergency Co-ordination 182 State Level Co-ordination of Emergency Response 183 Co-operation Between Agencies 184 Deployment of Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board Personnel 185 Deployment of Victoria State Emergency Service Personnel 185 Conclusion Chapter 19 186 Did the Incident Control System Work? 186 Overview 186 Regional Emergency Co-ordination 186 Structure of Incident Management Teams 187 Qualifications for Incident Management Team Members 187 Incident Control Centres 188 Transferring Control from One Incident Control Centre to Another 189 Conclusion Chapter 20 190 Development and Implementation of Fire Control Strategies 190 Overview 190 Application of the Fire Control Priorities to Incident Action Planning 191 Aggressiveness of Firefighting 193 Consistency of Strategy 194 Use of Local Knowledge 196 Information Gathering 196 Cross Border Liaison and Strategy Development 196 Briefings 197 ‘No Go Zones’ 197 Use of Bulldozers 198 Conclusion Chapter 21 200 Other Response Issues 200 Overview 200 Keeping Track of Firefighting Resources 200 Management of Firefighting Resources in the Field 201 Management of Privately-Owned Firefighting Resources 202 Firefighting Vehicles 202 Communications Facilities Chapter 22 204 Aircraft Operations and the State Aircraft Unit 204 Overview 204 Integrated Firefighting Aircraft Resource 205 Assessment of Aircraft Requirements for the 2002-2003 Fire Season 206 State Aircraft Unit and Management of the State (IFAR) Aircraft 207 Deployment of Aircraft During Operations 211 Conclusion X PAGE INF.018.002.0012 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE INTO THE 2002-2203 VICTORIAN BUSHFIRES TO THE INQUIRY REPORT Chapter 23 212 Communication with the Community 212 Overview 212 The Challenge: Maintaining Communication with All Fire-Affected Communities 213 Radio Coverage in Rural Victoria 214 Mixed Messages Across the Border 214 Local Accuracy for Emergency Announcements 214 Australian Broadcasting Corporation 215 Conclusion Chapter 24 216 Social, Business and Environmental Recovery 216 Overview 216 The Ministerial Taskforce on Bushfire Recovery 216 Overview of the Recovery Process 219 Response and Recovery: Two Sides of the Same Coin 220 Relief and Recovery – Predictable, Equitable, Consistent 222 A Case Management Approach to Recovery 223 Fencing and Rehabilitation: Private Land Damage Following Fire Suppression Works 223 Conclusion Part E Term of Reference Three: The Way Forward 226 Overview of Part E Chapter 25 228 The Way Forward: Planning 228 Overview 228 Emergency Management in Victoria 229 The Balance Between Prevention/Mitigation and Response for Public Land 230 Managing Information 232 Model Of Fire Cover – Fire Safety Victoria Strategy 233 Public Land Stewardship – A New Approach 235 Planning For Emergencies at the Local Level 236 Human Resources 239 Conclusion Chapter 26 240 The Way Forward: Unified Command and Control 240 Overview 240 A Unified Command and Control Model 242 Response to the CFA Proposal 246 Conclusion Appendices 251 Appendix I Respondents to the Inquiry 255 Appendix II Consultations and Meetings 259 Appendix III Interim Report of The Inquiry Into The 2002-2003 Victorian Bushfires, August 2003 267 Appendix IV Bushfires
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