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
2020 Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian Fire Season - Phase 1 Report (External link) An examination of community and sector preparedness for the 2019-20 fire season; and response to fires in large parts of Victoria's North East, Gippsland, and Alpine regions. The report includes 66 observations, 36 findings and 17 recommendations in identifying good practice and opportunities for continuous improvement. Inspector-General for Emergency Management
2020 After the flames - community reflections 2019-20 (External link) After the Flames is a document that aims to preserve experiences and stories from those who were impacted by Victoria’s most devastating bushfire season in more than a decade. The key observations are recorded alongside initiatives considered by the then BRV. Emergency Recovery Victoria
2020 Lessons to be learned in relation to the Australian bushfire season 2019-20 - Interim Report (External link) The interim report provides an overview of the 2019-20 bushfires, and includes an initial examination of disaster management frameworks; government action and hazard reduction; Human health impacts of the fires; Wildlife impacts of the fires; National aerial firefighting capacity; Insurance impacts of fires; and communications. The report makes 13 recommendations to improve preparation and planning, response and recovery arrangements. Parliament of Australia
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
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 Safer Together Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (MER) Framework (External link) A framework to measure and report on the progress of reducing bushfire risk on people and the environment. It consolidates existing and proposed MER activities across the sector and aligns efforts for a sector-wide MER process that provides accountability for and transparency of sector-wide actions towards reducing bushfire risk. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
2020 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry - Annual Report 2019 (External link) An assessment of progress in implementing recommendations and affirmations from the 2014 and 2015–16 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry reports. In this report IGEM extended its reporting to include effectiveness monitoring of three completed actions, which provided further assurance that implemented actions have achieved their objectives. Inspector-General for Emergency Management
2019 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry - Annual Report 2018 (External link) An assessment of progress of the remaining 59 government actions, and 12 non-government recommendations and affirmations following IGEM’s Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry: Implementation of recommendations and affirmations Annual Report 2017.
It further assessed the progress of implementation of all recommendations and affirmations from the 2014 and 2015–16 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry reports, concluding that significant progress had been achieved to improve emergency planning and coordination, health outcomes and mine rehabilitation in the Latrobe Valley. 		Inspector-General for Emergency Management
2019 Summary of Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning bushfire fuel management 2017-18 (External link) A report on observations and progress updates relating to DELWP’s planned burns that breach control lines and implementation of bushfire fuel management recommendations including the final two recommendations from the Independent Investigation of the Lancefield-Cobaw Fire. Inspector-General for Emergency Management