2013 Tasmanian Bushfires Inquiry Report
2013 Tasmanian Bushfires Inquiry Report
15 October 2013
published by www.dpac.tas.gov.au
Australia — The 2013 Tasmanian Bushfires Inquiry Report was released on 15 October 2013.
The Inquiry Report was prepared by a team led by Special Investigator Mal Hyde.
2013 Tasmanian Bushfires Inquiry ReportVol 1 (PDF, 7.2 MB)Vol 2 (PDF, 9 MB)
2013 Tasmanian Bushfires Inquiry process
The Report makes 103 recommendations which relate to:
– Fire operations: 25 recommendations
– Police operations: 5 recommendations
– Traffic management: 4 recommendations
– Community communications and warnings: 9 recommendations
– Evacuation: 6 recommendations
– Emergency management arrangements: 11 recommendations
– Recovery: 8 recommendations
– General: 35 recommendations
The Tasmanian Government accepted 72 recommendations and approved-in-principle the remaining 31 recommendations; further consultation will decide how they are to be implemented.
Of the 103 recommendations, 30 have been prioritised for immediate implementation and, where possible, will be implemented before the end of 2013.
2013 Tasmanian Bushfires Inquiry – Recommendations and Responses (PDF, 415KB)
The Government is providing up to $1.5 million funding to support new activities required prior to the coming bushfire season.
Immediate actions include:
– extra resources provided to complete and implement the Strategic Fuel Reduction Plan
– further development of computer generated predictive modelling for use during the 2014 bushfire season
– Tasmania Police to develop a state-level policy on evacuations
– immediate action taken on recommendations relating to the better management of social media during an emergency, and the TFS’s broader communications with communities facing a bushfire threat
– Tasmania Fire Service to critically review its Six Operational Priorities to determine whether they are appropriate and effective
– an online Emergency Information Management and Sharing system will be investigated to enable emergency management services and other key agencies to utilise a common, integrated incident management system
– review of the current recording systems to ensure that information management needs are being met.
Premier Lara Giddings said the Government was determined to use the recommendations constructively to improve all aspects of its emergency response from fire preparation to recovery.
The Bushfires Cabinet Committee comprising the Premier, Deputy Premier, Minister for Police and Emergency Management, and Minister for Health is being reconvened and an Interdepartmental Committee, chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, will coordinate implementation of the recommendations across agencies.
2013 Tasmanian Bushfires Inquiry Ministerial Statement 15/10/13
Premier of Tasmania website – Media Room
