Across Australia bushfires have killed 33 people and an estimated one billion native animals since September. About 2,500 homes have been destroyed and more than 11.7 million hectares of forestlands have been razed. This is an edited extract of a letter to the Hon. David Littleproud, MP, Member for Maranoa, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management.
We note the Prime Minister’s comments of taking a royal commission to Cabinet, and we call on you, as our responsible minister and with your government, to support the creation of a royal commission into the 2019-2020 fires.
We, the elected leadership of emergency services, are available to you to consult on appropriate terms of reference, but as a starting point, the following is what we believe needs to be investigated if a royal commission is called and therefore the terms of reference should include:
- Investigate the adequacy of the allocation and budget of firefighting resources in each state and territory and their preparedness to fulfil their roles of protection and defence of life and property generally and in an emergency, including bushfire emergencies.
- Investigate the adequacy of the allocation and budget of bushfire preparation and mitigation resources in each state and territory.
- Examine the adequacy of Commonwealth resources – including aviation and ground fleets for use in a bushfire or other major emergency.
- Investigate the issues related to power and water supplies across state and territory borders.
- Consider the impact on firefighter health and welfare – physical and mental – that comes from participation at the frontline of this crisis.
- Investigate the issues related to inter-operability of all the fire services – training, equipment, command structures, cross agency/states and all three levels of government.
- Investigate communications on the ground – radios, compatibility, digital and mobile network, vehicle location technology.
- Conduct an audit of all other inquiries, reviews and royal commissions into bushfires and natural disasters and determine whether recommendations from those reviews have been implemented – and, if so, to what effect.
Delay could mean the loss of further life and property. We urge you to call this royal commission as soon as possible so together we can make sure Australians are protected in the future from fires like these.
Stewart Little – Public Service Association of NSW – NSW State Emergency Service, NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Fire + Rescue NSW, Forestry Corporation of NSW
Leighton Drury – Fire Brigade Employees’ Union, Fire + Rescue NSW
Mick Holton – Volunteer Firefighters Association – Rural Fire Service NSW
John Oliver – United Firefighters Union QLD – Fire Rescue QLD
Max Adlam – United Firefighters Union SA – Metropolitan Fire Service SA
Lea Anderson – The United Professional Firefighters Union of Western Australia – Fire Rescue Service WA
