Bushfire Risk Reduction reporting

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (14:47): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing, representing the Minister for Emergency Services, on reporting on bushfire fuel and risk reduction.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY: It was extremely disappointing when the government did not recognise the importance of enhanced reporting on bushfire fuel and risk reduction. The need for the annual burns program, including a fuel and risk reduction strategy, to be conducted and then reported against a plan for conducting prescribed burns and fuel and risk reduction, is obvious. This plan will need to contain principles, criteria and methodologies which will establish the objectives and priorities for the annual program.

Annual reporting should include outlining impediments to the conducting of the annual program, including availability of physical assets and human resources. The first annual report of the State Bushfire Coordination Committee revealed deficiencies and inadequacies in this area. A significant period of time has elapsed since the Keelty review delivered its report to the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services on 25 June 2020.

The State Bushfire Coordination Committee noted 'substantial reform of existing processes will need to occur over a longer period of time’. The reasons offered were not compelling, given that 18 months have passed. This is particularly so, with the following observation made by the State Bushfire Coordination Committee, and I quote:

At present there is no information management system to support reporting on the implementation of risk reduction treatments contained in the [bush management area plans]. This is a concern that [bushfire management committees] have been raising for many years, and it was a key finding of the Independent Review.

Given elevated risks with climate change and a season of particularly high fuel load, in the absence of government action I will be prosecuting the case over the summer months about the inadequacy of reporting and coordination in this area. My questions to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing, representing the Minister for Emergency Services, are:

1. For the sake of transparency and accountability, why is the government not supporting enhanced reporting of fuel and risk reduction measures?

2. Is the government satisfied, after receiving the first annual report of the State Bushfire Coordination Committee, that everything possible is being done in the period to date, given the inadequacy of the information management system?

3. Is the government satisfied that, before any future royal commission, implementation of priorities in fuel and risk reduction has been based on adequate information reported to make decisions on physical assets and human resource allocation?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:50): I thank the honourable member for his question and I will refer his questions to the Minister for Emergency Services in the other place.