South eastern Australia, including Victoria, is among the most bushfire-prone areas in the world.

Victoria’s high bushfire risk is due to a combination of factors including increasing population density in fire-prone areas.

Major bushfires can lead to loss of life and injury, damage to key state infrastructure such as electricity transmission lines, water supply assets and transport links.

Additionally, fast moving grass fires in metro/rural interface environments, structure fires in urban environments, and mine fires caused by fires in nearby bushland all pose their unique challenges and consequences.

Examples of significant bushfires and related fires include the 2009 Black Saturday fires, 2014 Hazelwood mine fire and more recently the 2019-20 fires which led to major reviews at state level and a Royal Commission at national level: Inquiry into the 2019–20 Victorian Fire Season and Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements respectively.

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Publish year Assurance activity Summary Organisation
2021 2019–20 Bushfires (External link) A short overview of the 2019–20 fire season and government responses to date. It includes an overview of recent inquiries into Victorian bushfires since 2000, especially those relating to prescribed burning and climate change. Parliament of Victoria
2021 Speaking Up: Young people’s experience of Bushfire and Recovery (External link) A report produced in partnership with the Victorian Government’s Department of Education and Training and Bushfire Recovery Victoria, and informed by consultations with young people and community members to document their experience of disaster recovery and response to the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires. It makes 13 recommendations by young people and by YACVic based on young people’s expressed needs. Department of Education, Emergency Recovery Victoria, Independent
2021 10 Years Beyond Bushfires Report (External link) An overview of the key learnings in the 10 years since the 2009 Victorian bushfires, including Black Saturday. The results showed individual and community capacity to recover from a disaster experience and subsequent disruptions, and to adapt to changed lives and environments. Recommendations made in the report help to apply these findings to individual decision making, community-level strategies to strengthen resilience, and the targeting and timing of recovery services. Academia
2021 Fire Services Implementation Monitor Annual Report 2020-21 (External link) An assessment of the first eight months of implementation progress of Victoria’s fire services reforms (15 October – 30 June 2021) focused on 36 of the 54 Year One Fire Services Reform Implementation Plan (Year One Plan) actions, categorised and assessed under three themes: agency capacity and capability, collaboration between CFA and FRV, and workplace culture and diversity. Fire Services Implementation Monitor
2021 2021-22 Quarter 1 Fire Services Outcome Framework Progress Report - Fire Services Q1 performance results (External link) An independent quarterly report that provides observations on the progress of CFA and FRV against their respective outcomes-based fire services performance indicators. Fire Services Implementation Monitor
2021 Understanding preparedness and recovery (External link) An examination of the emergency experiences of 165 people who lived through a disaster between 2008 and 2019 to better understand the link between preparedness actions and enhanced recovery. Australian Red Cross
2021 Lessons to be learned in relation to the Australian bushfire season 2019-20 - Final Report (External link) The second and final report examines the impact of the 2019-20 bushfires on human health and welfare, and the recovery process including assistance provided and the appropriateness of recovery programs; insurance issues; aerial firefighting capability; and hazard mitigation for future events. The report makes 16 recommendations to ensure more coordinated, equitable and efficient recovery processes. Parliament of Australia
2020 Energy Safe Victoria Annual Report 2019–20 (External link) Annual report for the State’s independent electrical and gas safety regulator, highlighting its emergency response contribution to the 2019-20 Victorian bushfire season.
 Energy Safe Victoria
2020 Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements: interim observations (External link) An outline of interim observations from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements relating to the responsibilities of, and coordination between all levels of government, Australia's arrangements for adapting to climate change, actions to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters and the involvement of Commonwealth in responding to national emergencies. This report covered some of the more pressing issues that were addressed in the the final report. No draft recommendations were made. Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements
2020 Perspectives from the frontline (External link) A consultation report that tells the story of community service organisations following the Black Summer bushfires, it aims to build the capacity of community service organisations to support their communities’ resilience and recovery, to advocate for the recovery needs of community service organisations and vulnerable people and to contribute to effective current and future emergency and disaster recovery planning. Victorian Council of Social Service