Fire report raises alarm
Unprecedented now our future, commission warns
HOMEOWNERS would be forced to disclose if they are in a high-risk bushfire area when selling and a national disaster warning system complete with a mobile app should be developed, the sweeping Natural Disaster Royal Commission found.
It also called for a national firefighting fleet to be secured, natural disaster war game exercises to practice for major events, and for the federal government to have the power to declare a state of emergency and step in without waiting for a state’s permission.
Simpler, clearer and faster approvals for vegetation management, bushfire mitigation and hazard reduction are also needed for land holders.
These were among the 80 recommendations of the Royal Commission final report released on Friday, ordered after the 2019-20 bushfires which engulfed the east coast of Australia, killing 33 people.
“As the events of the 2019-20 bushfire season show, what was unprecedented is now our future,” commission chairman and former Defence Force chief Mark Binkin said. “Unprecedented is not a reason to be unprepared. We need to be prepared for the future.”
In a major shake-up for anyone buying or selling a home, it called for mandatory disclosure if a property is in a bushfire prone area to prospective purchasers. It suggested a star rating system could be considered, and that a practical level of detail on the expected exposure and vulnerability of a property be included.
This is despite opposition from the Queensland government which said homebuyers could just look up the information online.
In a stinging rebuke, the report stated: “The answer is simple: many people do not”.
Communication systems for firefighters and emergency services that work across jurisdiction are also needed.
In one shocking example in 2019, Queensland fireys needed a helicopter from northern NSW but because the radio did not work cross-jurisdiction they needed to land and take verbal instructions once across the border.
During the 2019-20 bushfires, more than 60 foreignregistered aircraft were deployed, but there were difficulties obtaining them at short notice. The commission recommended a sovereign fleet in-country to be deployed based on the greatest national need, to include a modest, very large air tanker and type-1 helicopters.