Royal Commission Recommendations Have National Implications
The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) believes the Final Report of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission to have national implications for fire and emergency management agencies across Australian and NZ.
While a number of the matters the Royal Commission considered are relevant to Victoria only, some of the matters dealt with are relevant to all AFAC member agencies, who have a collective interest in the recommendations and their implications.
“Our members have taken a keen interest in the proceedings over the past 15 months,” said Naomi Brown, CEO of AFAC. “AFAC was established by its members in 1993 to collaborate on matters of national importance and will be working collectively to develop strategies and design practice change to respond to some of the recommendations put forward by the Commission. “
AFAC is pleased to see the Commission’s view that future bushfire safety policy approaches need to recognise the important underlying principle of shared responsibility.
The notion of shared responsibility between the community and all levels of Government underpins the approach of fire and emergency management agencies to community safety. AFAC is also pleased that the Royal Commission sought to further articulate the meaning of shared responsibility and describe how all levels of Government and the community have a role to play in this.
“AFAC and its member agencies are working on a revised position on bushfires and community safety that will address many of the recommendations put forward in relation to bushfire safety policy and supports any future policy that provides a wider range of options for people in bushfire risk locations,” Naomi said.
As the custodian of the Incident Management System AIIMS, AFAC will work with its member agencies to consider the recommendations relating to changes to the AIIMS framework in the areas of Information Unit, Safety Officers and Level 3 Incident Controllers, as these have national implications, particularly in relation to interoperability and resource sharing.
AFAC recognises that the recommendation to amend the Building Code of Australia to remove deemed-to-satisfy provisions for the construction of buildings in the flame zone is consistent with a long standing AFAC position. AFAC also supports the development of a Standard for bushfire sprinklers which formed part of AFAC’s submission to the Commission.
The recommendation for the Commonwealth to establish a national centre for bushfire research in collaboration with other Australian jurisdictions is welcomed by AFAC. Fire, land management and emergency agencies have a keen interest in maintaining the collective research momentum achieved through the Bushfire CRC.
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