Govt’s bushfire actions ‘must be monitored’
Govt’s bushfire actions ‘must be monitored’
30 September 2009
published by www.abc.net.au
Australia —
There are calls for the establishment of an independent body to make sure the Victorian Government implements the recommendations of the Bushfires Royal Commission.
The commission made 51 recommendations last month as part of an ongoing investigation into Black Saturday.
The government will soon release its timeline for implementing them.
Nationals leader Peter Ryan says a bushfire recovery ombudsman should oversee the work.
“We’ve seen on about 25 occasions over the last seven years where recommendations have been made to this government, through other reports and inquiries, that have not been implemented,” he said.
“We want an ombudsman appointed to make sure that we don’t have a repeat of that.”
Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron says the Royal Commission will hear the government’s implementation plan next month.
“This call by the Coalition is an affront to the Royal Commission because in October it will be hearing about the implementation plans of the coming fire season and after the fire season again, and the Royal Commission itself will be doing this work and making recommendations,” he said.
