Community update on progress of the Inquiry into the 2019–20 Victorian fire season

All hazards

Risks spanning across multiple hazard types and across the emergency management system.

Biosecurity

Exotic animal and plant disease outbreaks and pest incursions can have significant economic, community and environmental impacts.

Bushfire and other fires

Bushfire and other fires have potential consequences including loss of life and property, and damage to infrastructure and environment.

Climate change

Risks include more days of extreme heat, harsher fire weather, less rainfall and rising sea levels.

Communications disruption

Communications services are crucial in keeping communities safe, connected and informed before, during and after emergencies.

Cyber security and ICT systems failure

Risks relating to the confidentiality, availability, integrity of information and data and disruption of services.

Energy supply disruption

Reliable energy supplies are critical to many social and economic activities.

Flood

Major flood events have occurred in Victoria every 10 to 20 years, with much of the increasing risk created by human settlement.

Hazardous material incident

Potential risks relate to many places where Victoria’s hazardous materials are manufactured, stored, transported, used and disposed.

Heatwave

Heatwaves are considered to be the ‘silent killer’ of extreme weather events and are the leading cause of weather-related deaths in Australia.

Public health emergency

Risks may relate to the delivery of public health services, with impacts on community health and wellbeing and potential for loss of life.

Supply chain disruption

Geopolitical, environmental, economic, societal and infrastructure-related shocks can expose supply chains to wide ranging consequences.

Terrorism and extremism

Attacks carried out by individuals or non-state groups with ideological, political or religious goals can result in loss of life, severe injury and/or material damage.

Water supply disruption

Risks include collection, storage, treatment, delivery, availability and allocation of water for consumption and environmental, recreation and cultural uses.

Workforce and resourcing

Risks may relate to human resource supply and skills to support emergency management operations.

The Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM) would like to provide a 4th update on progress of the independent Inquiry into the 2019–20 Victorian fire season.

Inquiry Phase 1 - Update

On 31 July 2020, Inspector-General Tony Pearce delivered his report to government on Phase 1 of the independent Inquiry.

The report - Inquiry into the 2019–20 Victorian Fire Season: Phase 1 – Community and Sector Preparedness for and Response to the 2019–20 Fire Season - was tabled by leave in Parliament (External link) on 18 September 2020.

Government is now considering the report.

Under the provisions of the Emergency Management Act, arrangements for the release of the Inspector-General's Fire Season Inquiry reports are at the discretion of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services.

IGEM will make the Inquiry Report, the associated 'Review of 10 years of emergency management reform', together with government’s response, available from this website upon the approval of the minister.

Where permitted, IGEM has now published submissions received under Phase 1.

Inquiry Phase 2 - Relief and Recovery

Phase 2 of the Inquiry is underway and we encourage anyone affected by the fires to consider providing feedback on the relief and recovery aspects associated with the fires.

Over coming months, we’ll be offering a range of ways to participate and provide feedback. These will be promoted through local outlets and social media. You can share your views through:

making an online submission (External link)
taking the online survey (External link)
requesting a hard copy or telephone survey by calling 0409 249 054
emailing igem@igem.vic.gov.au (External link)
mailing Inspector-General for Emergency Management, GPO Box 4356, Melbourne VIC 3000.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Phase 1 of the Inquiry for your willingness to provide your experiences, and we look forward to staying in touch over the coming months as we focus on Phase 2 – relief and recovery.

[Image: Janice Newnham]

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The Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM) would like to provide a 4th update on progress of the independent Inquiry into the 2019–20 Victorian fire season.

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