The actions on this page are identified in the Victorian Government response to Recommendation 7 from the IGEM Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian Fire Season - Phase 1 report.
IGEM Recommendation 7: Common approach to fuel management
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) lead the development and distribution of evidence-based land and fuel management tools for use by all legislated fuel management organisations to ensure a common approach to fuel management.
Actions
Action 7.1: Improve data and modelling to better understand bushfire risk in a range of situations
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and the Country Fire Authority are currently improving:
- how weather conditions are reflected in bushfire risk modelling
- data on house loss and asset location
- understanding of the likelihood of ignition events.
This work will improve understanding of bushfire risk in a broader range of circumstances, providing an evidence base for the development of more sophisticated fuel management tools.
Action 7.2: Develop methods to measure the specific contribution of fuel management to risk reduction
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has recently developed methods to measure the specific contribution of fuel management to risk reduction, improving Victoria’s ability to measure the effectiveness of fuel management in reducing bushfire risk.
Action 7.3: Update bushfire risk modelling and data to develop an enhanced state-wide fuel treatability layer
As part of the Risk 2.0 project, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will:
- improve methods for modelling bushfire risk over a range of weather scenarios by June 2021
- develop an enhanced state-wide fuel and treatability layer by June 2021
- be able to measure the effect of mechanical fuel treatments on fire behaviour by December 2020.
Action 7.4: Strategically prioritise investment in bushfire science, fire ecology and knowledge and predictive services
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will prepare a bushfire science, fire ecology and knowledge and predictive services strategic plan, to identify priority investment areas by April 2021.
Action 7.5: Develop mechanisms to ensure ongoing access to current bushfire risk information for all relevant partners
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will ensure that all land and fire management agencies and local government have ongoing access to current bushfire risk information and will investigate the appropriate mechanism/s to deliver this by June 2021.
Action 7.6: Provide additional funding to support Traditional Owners to lead implementation of the Cultural Fire Strategy
The Victorian Government will provide additional funding to support Traditional Owners to lead implementation of the Cultural Fire Strategy.
Action 7.7: Develop and coordinate the state-wide application of tools to support risk-based bushfire management
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will work in partnership with the Country Fire Authority to develop and coordinate the state-wide application of tools to support risk-based bushfire management across public and private land.
An update on these actions can be found in IGEM's progress report
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