The actions on this page are identified in the Victorian Government response to Recommendation 9 from the IGEM Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian Fire Season - Phase 1 report.
IGEM Recommendation 9: Residual risk target
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) – in collaboration with the Country Fire Authority and local government – undertake a review of the current residual risk target to ensure that it remains contemporary in terms of its designated percentage value. The review should:
- involve engagement with land and fire management agencies; public authorities; private organisations; individuals and any other stakeholders with a role in fuel management
- define a pathway to expanding the residual risk target to apply to all methods of fuel management, with the expansion of the target to apply across all organisations with a legislated responsibility for fuel management
- become part of a program of review of the State’s land and fuel management policy occurring on a regular basis and not exceeding a 5-year cycle.
Actions
Action 9.1: Improve bushfire risk data and modelling to support the review of the current residual risk target
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and the Country Fire Authority are undertaking work to improve bushfire risk data and modelling. This work will provide the basis of building the technical capability for agencies to work with stakeholders and the community to review the current residual risk target.
Action 9.2: Update approaches to bushfire risk modelling for house loss, considering a range of other values
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and the Country Fire Authority are currently updating approaches to modelling risk, centred on a metric of house loss.
This work will broaden the range of values considered in bushfire risk modelling, to include water yield and quality, critical infrastructure, fire size and agricultural values.
Action 9.3: Improve modelling of the impact of fuel management on environmental values, including threatened species
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is currently undertaking work to improve modelling of the impact of fuel management on environmental values, including threatened species.
These modelling improvements will drive improvements in evaluation and reporting, and strategic bushfire management planning.
Action 9.4: Deliver a new spatial dataset that provides enhanced understanding of asset location
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will deliver a new spatial dataset (to underpin bushfire risk modelling) that provides enhanced understanding of asset location by June 2021.
Action 9.5: Review the fuel management targets and develop new targets in consultation with stakeholders and the community
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will commission a comprehensive review of fuel management targets and provide advice to Victorian Government.
This will link to engagement on bushfire fuel management agreed in response to Recommendation 5.
An update on these actions can be found in IGEM's progress report
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