“Reframing Rural Fire Management” I Nqui R Y
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R EPO R T OF THE S PECIAL “Reframing Rural Fire Management” I NQUI R Y INTO THE REPORT OF THE SPECIAL INQUIRY J ANUA INTO THE R Y 2016 W 2016 JANUARY 2016 WAROONA FIRE A R OONA F I R E : R EPO R T VOLUME 1: REPORT Waroona Fires 2016 Cover.indd 1 5/3/2016 12:39:26 PM Government Of Western Australia “REFRAMING RURAL FIRE MANAGEMENT” REPORT OF THE SPECIAL INQUIRY INTO THE JANUARY 2016 WAROONA FIRE Waroona Fire Special Inquiry 29 April 2016 Mr M C Wauchope Commissioner Public Sector Commission Locked Bag 3002 WEST PERTH WA 6827 Dear Mr Wauchope, SPECIAL INQUIRY INTO JANUARY 2016 WAROONA FIRE I am pleased to submit the Report of the Special Inquiry into the January 2016 Waroona Fire. The Special Inquiry has been conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 and the Terms of Reference. The Special Inquiry started in early February, ran for 13 weeks and held formal hearings on 22 days. The Special Inquiry has evoked a significant response. One hundred and sixty five written submissions have been received. One hundred people appeared at formal hearings and five people gave evidence via telephone. We have met and interacted with 42 organisations and interest groups. My gratitude goes to all those who contributed their wisdom, knowledge and experience to this Special Inquiry. The Special Inquiry team has worked diligently to inquire against the Terms of Reference and to analyse the matters presented in submissions and in formal hearings. The Special Inquiry has endeavoured to meet with and listen to all who registered an interest. Mindful of the timeframe, this has been a significant task. The report of the Special Inquiry carries 17 ‘Recommendations for Strategic Change’ and 23 ‘Agency Opportunities for Improvement’. It is my belief that, when actioned, these will reframe rural fire management in Western Australia for the benefit of the community. I particularly acknowledge those who have been directly affected by the fire, and who, in a time of turmoil, gave of their time to tell us their story. Many were traumatised by the fire. Others were coming to terms with the loss of neighbours, stock, farm assets, homes, plantations and livelihoods. We spoke with firefighters, many of whom were seasoned and had vast experience. The depth of impact of this fire on them was evident from the look in their eyes, the emotion in their words and the pain in their hearts. I hope that this report reflects all these stories. I also want to acknowledge the unfailing support that has been given by officers and the heads of many agencies including the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Department of Parks and Wildlife. The Special Inquiry also gratefully acknowledges support provided by the Shires of Harvey and Waroona. Finally, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the staff of the Special Inquiry. Each of them has made a lasting contribution. They are individually mentioned elsewhere in this report. Without their effort and judgement this Special Inquiry and its Report would not have been possible. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the vision of a safer Western Australian community. Yours sincerely Euan Ferguson AFSM Special Inquirer Waroona Fire Special Inquiry This report is dedicated to those affected by the Waroona fire. In particular: to the memory of those whose lives were lost; to those who have suffered injury and hurt that may be ongoing; to those whose livelihoods have been destroyed or disrupted; and to those who did their best to fight the fire and protect the community during a time of adversity. “Hope springs from adversity” Acknowledgements This Special Inquiry Report has been made possible through the dedication and hard work of a small team of very talented people drawn from a range of Western Australian Government departments. I acknowledge the assistance given by the following: the Department of the Premier and Cabinet through Ms Emma Clegg, Ms Bethany Couper, Mr Angus Duncan, Mr Frank Fiorillo, Ms Helen Gladstones, Ms Jean Perkins, and Ms Barbara Willinge; the Department of Planning through Ms Courtney Barron; the State Emergency Management Committee Secretariat through Ms Narelle Edmonds; and the State Solicitor’s Office through Ms Fiona Seaward. I particularly would like to thank Ms Courtney Barron who acted as the very capable Executive Officer for the Special Inquiry and who, with Ms Fiona Seaward, provided essential analysis and insightful contributions to the conduct of the Special Inquiry. I thank the Shires of Waroona and Harvey, the City of Bunbury and the Department of Planning in Bunbury for allowing their premises to be used for formal hearings. Also, thanks to the Shires of Waroona and Harvey for the support they have given during the Special Inquiry. I thank the Director of the State Emergency Management Committee Secretariat, the Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner and staff of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services for providing office, logistical and technical support. I also thank the members of the Yarloop and Cookernup Bush Fire Brigades for meeting with me at a time when many were struggling to reconcile the consequences of this fire on their community and on themselves. Finally, I thank those community members who have been affected by this fire and who came forward to share with me their story and identify lessons to be learned for the future. Your thoughts and proposals have foreshadowed a future rich in opportunity. Report of the Special Inquiry into the January 2016 Waroona Fire Contents - Part One: Addressing Terms of Reference Chapter 1 Letter of transmittal Acknowledgements Contents Page Chapter 2 Prologue ................................................................................................. 11 Chapter 3 Executive Summary and Recommendations ...................................... 15 Strategic Recommendations Opportunities for Improvement Chapter 4 Compelling Questions and Findings ................................................... 27 Chapter 5 Lessons Learned from Previous Bushfire Emergencies .................... 41 [ToR 2 & 3] Summary of previous reports Assessing Implementation Chapter 6 The Fire .................................................................................................. 63 The Waroona fire Losses and damages Chapter 7 Fuel Management and Fire Prevention .............................................. 89 [ToR 1(a) & (b)] Defining fuel management Hazard reduction burns Department of Parks and Wildlife Other agencies Fuel management around Yarloop Other fuel management considerations Local solutions for local problems Chapter 8 Incident Management ........................................................................... 115 [ToR 1 (c) & (d)] Initial Response Incident management over the course of the fire January 2016 Waroona Fire Special Inquiry 7 Chapter 9 Resource Efficiency ............................................................................... 143 [ToR 1 (c) & (d)] Observation on resource management over the course of the fire Maps Resource management arrangements Automatic vehicle location capability Chapter 10 Information, Alerts and Warnings ...................................................... 159 [ToR 1 (f)] Policy framework Types of emergency information Information issued to residents of Waroona Information issued to residents of Yarloop General issues regarding the wording of community alerts General issues regarding maps Chapter 11 Evacuation and Shelter Issues ............................................................. 185 [ToR 1 (g)] Evacuation framework Evacuations during the Waroona fire Shelter options during a bushfire Chapter 12 Traffic Management ............................................................................. 193 [ToR 3] Current legislative and policy framework Traffic management during the Waroona fire Location of vehicle control points and inappropriate detours Transportation of workers to the Wagerup refinery Previous recommendations regarding traffic management The need to fix the traffic management policy Chapter 13 Essential Services .................................................................................. 207 [ToR 1 (e)] Water Infrastructure Communication Infrastructure Power Infrastructure Roads Infrastructure 8 January 2016 Waroona Fire Special Inquiry Chapter 14 Transition to Recovery ......................................................................... 217 [ToR 1 (g) & ToR 3] Recovery Framework Commencement of Recovery Emergency services’ role in recovery Participation in Recovery Welfare Considerations Chapter 15 Rural Fire Capability ........................................................................... 233 [ToR 3] Rural fire management across Australia History and framework Use of volunteers in IMT’s Capability Training and advancement of bushfire volunteers in DFES Volunteers within the Incident Management Team Industrial Relations Volunteer Voice A Rural Fire Service Rural Fire Management Framework Chapter 16 Concluding Comments ......................................................................... 263 January 2016 Waroona Fire Special Inquiry 9 Contents - Part Two: Appendices Appendix 1: Letter of appointment and Terms of Reference Appendix 2: Acronyms List Appendix 3: Traffic Light of the Status of Previous Review Recommendations Appendix 4: Reconstruction of the spread and behaviour of the Waroona bushfire (Perth