2018 South West Fires Community Report

What is the purpose of this report?

The 2018 South West fires (the fires) had a significant impact on the communities across the local government areas of Corangamite Shire Council, Moyne Shire Council, Southern Grampians Shire Council, Colac - Otway Shire Council and Warrnambool City Council. The fires impacted lifestyles, livestock and livelihoods and caused considerable economic and social upheaval in those communities.

The purpose of the 2018 South West Fires – Community Report (Community Report) is to communicate the key lessons that have been identified from the fires that are particularly relevant to the community, including what went well and what could be improved. The Community Report is provided to the communities impacted by the fires with the intention of:

• providing a feedback loop regarding information collected during the community feedback sessions, how it was analysed and the next steps.
• sharing the experiences of the community with other Victorian communities to prompt discussion about what actions could improve community resilience and learn the lessons from this event to better prepare for future emergency events.

The Community Report is also intended to be used by emergency management organisations to inform ongoing continuous improvement, organisational planning and operational processes.

In the time since the fires, many communities, organisations and councils have undertaken significant work to address the outcomes of this event and the community feedback, including areas to sustain and improve.

This report provides a summary of work that has been done in the 18 months since the fires, as well as outlining some areas that require further attention.