Government Response to the Review of 10 years of reform of the emergency management sector and Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian fire season - Phase 1 report

The Victorian Government welcomes the release of the Inspector General for Emergency Management’s (IGEM) Review of 10 years of reform of the emergency management sector (External link) and Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian fire season - Phase 1 report. (External link)

There has been significant transformation of Victoria’s emergency management arrangements over the last 10 years, with the sector and community working in conjunction in response to natural disasters.

Government’s continued investment in the planning, systems and procedures established since the 2009 Victorian bushfires has led to more effective management of large-scale emergencies, under an all emergencies approach. Victoria’s emergency management sector now has a strong foundation to continuously build upon.

As a result of these reforms, Victoria was better placed to meet the significant challenges of the 2019-20 fire season.

The 2019-20 fire season was unprecedented. The fires impacted Victorian communities with property losses, environmental impacts and resulted in the tragic loss of five lives. As IGEM’s inquiry indicates, there are further opportunities to strengthen Victoria’s emergency management arrangements, so that the sector and community are best placed to prepare for, respond to and recover from all future emergencies.

The Victorian Government accepted all of IGEM’s recommendations, across both reports.

The Victorian Government response committed to immediate actions in advance of the 2020-21 summer season and long-term actions, addressing all of IGEM’s recommendations.

Implementation plans set the basis for future improvements

Implementation plans (External link) have been established to support the government response.