The actions on this page are identified in the Victorian Government response to Recommendation 5 from the IGEM Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian Fire Season - Phase 1 report.
IGEM Recommendation 5: Community engagement
The Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM) recommends that the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (or the single entity referenced in Recommendation 4) – with support from all legislated fuel management organisations for public and private land – lead a community engagement process to improve the Victorian community’s understanding of:
- the purpose of Victoria’s fuel management program and the concept of residual risk
- the conditions under which fuel management effectiveness is limited
- how fuel management is planned, conducted, evaluated and reported.
Actions
Action 5.1: Release updated regional Bushfire Management Strategies to help communities understand bushfire risk
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and the Country Fire Authority will release updated regional Bushfire Management Strategies by December 2020, with information to help communities understand bushfire risk at a landscape level.
Action 5.2: Update and simplify information and concepts related to Victoria’s fuel management program and bushfire risk
By June 2021, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will update and simplify:
- information provided about Victoria’s fuel management program,
- the concept of residual risk and how fuel management effectiveness is evaluated, and
- what bushfire risk means at state, regional and community levels.
Action 5.3: Develop a community engagement process that builds communities' understanding of the fuel management program
As part of the review of the risk target committed at Recommendation 9, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, in collaboration with Emergency Management Victoria and land and fire agencies, will develop a community engagement process that:
- builds understanding of the fuel management program and its limitations
- makes targets more meaningful and understandable to the community
- supports transparency and shared responsibility.
Action 5.4: Develop shared guidance for engaging with communities and agencies involved in bushfire risk management
By December 2021, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will develop shared guidance and principles for engaging with communities and with other agencies involved in bushfire risk management. The shared guidance and principles will clarify accountabilities and ensure a community-centred and consistent approach.
Action 5.5: Draw on behavioural change work in development of the whole of sector strategy
The whole of sector strategy for bushfire management will draw on behavioural change work being carried out under Safer Together to support people to take action to address bushfire risk in their local area and on their own land.
An update on these actions can be found in IGEM's progress report
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