The Inspector-General for Emergency Management 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:
a) involve engagement with land and fire management agencies; public authorities; private organisations; individuals and any other stakeholders with a role in fuel management
b) 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
c) 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 five-year cycle.
DELWP will commission a comprehensive review of fuel management targets and provide advice to Victorian Government. New targets will be developed in consultation with stakeholders and the community and be communicated as part of the sector’s new strategy for land and fire management, by December 2021. This will link to engagement on bushfire fuel management agreed in response to Recommendation 5.
DELWP is leading the development of new fuel management performance targets using the suite of new performance metrics developed under FSIP1 Actions 9.1 and 9.2.
A DELWP-commissioned review has been completed by an independent expert panel on the progress made with Victoria’s bushfire risk modelling system and risk-based decision-making framework (Risk 2.0) IGEM has sighted the confidential review which considers the validity of DELWP’s risk modelling and provides recommendations for further enhancements to its risk-based approach.
DELWP has also recently completed work on a community engagement strategy which provides a foundation for communicating the new targets to the community (refer to FSIP1 Action 5.3).
In June 2022 SCRC approved a request to extend the due date for the delivery of this action to June 2023. DELWP intends to finalise the review of risk targets by the revised due date, including consultation with stakeholders and the community, to deliver this action in line with the timeline for the sector’s new bushfire management strategy (refer to action FSIP1 Action 3.3).