Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry - Annual Report 2019 | Inspector-General for Emergency Management Victoria

All hazards

Risks spanning across multiple hazard types and across the emergency management system.

Biosecurity

Exotic animal and plant disease outbreaks and pest incursions can have significant economic, community and environmental impacts.

Bushfire and other fires

Bushfire and other fires have potential consequences including loss of life and property, and damage to infrastructure and environment.

Climate change

Risks include more days of extreme heat, harsher fire weather, less rainfall and rising sea levels.

Communications disruption

Communications services are crucial in keeping communities safe, connected and informed before, during and after emergencies.

Cyber security and ICT systems failure

Risks relating to the confidentiality, availability, integrity of information and data and disruption of services.

Energy supply disruption

Reliable energy supplies are critical to many social and economic activities.

Flood

Major flood events have occurred in Victoria every 10 to 20 years, with much of the increasing risk created by human settlement.

Hazardous material incident

Potential risks relate to many places where Victoria’s hazardous materials are manufactured, stored, transported, used and disposed.

Heatwave

Heatwaves are considered to be the ‘silent killer’ of extreme weather events and are the leading cause of weather-related deaths in Australia.

Public health emergency

Risks may relate to the delivery of public health services, with impacts on community health and wellbeing and potential for loss of life.

Supply chain disruption

Geopolitical, environmental, economic, societal and infrastructure-related shocks can expose supply chains to wide ranging consequences.

Terrorism and extremism

Attacks carried out by individuals or non-state groups with ideological, political or religious goals can result in loss of life, severe injury and/or material damage.

Water supply disruption

Risks include collection, storage, treatment, delivery, availability and allocation of water for consumption and environmental, recreation and cultural uses.

Workforce and resourcing

Risks may relate to human resource supply and skills to support emergency management operations.

Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry - Annual Report 2019

IGEM’s fourth annual report on implementation progress of recommendations and affirmations from the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry reports

The independent inquiries following the 2014 Hazelwood Mine Fire triggered a sweeping program of reforms across government, community and industry.

Since 2016 Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM) has provided independent monitoring and public reporting of the implementation of all recommendations and affirmations from the 2014 and 2015–16 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry reports.

This 2019 annual report is the Inspector-General’s final implementation monitoring report prepared for government that is required to be tabled in Parliament.

It monitors progress of the 35 government actions and 10 non-government recommendations and affirmations reported as ongoing in IGEM’s Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry: Implementation of recommendations and affirmations Annual Report 2018

In summary:

• 230 of the 246 actions set out in the Victorian Government Implementation Plan are now either closed or complete.

• All 14 recommendations and affirmations directed to health agencies are now complete.

• 25 of the 26 recommendations and affirmations directed to coal mine operators are now complete.

In 2019 IGEM extended its reporting to include effectiveness monitoring of three completed actions, which provides further assurance that implemented actions have successfully achieved their objectives.

Through this monitoring approach, IGEM found that overall, the three actions monitored have been implemented effectively.

While these reforms are now close to completion, IGEM will continue monitoring the majority of the remaining actions and recommendations.

In addition, through a range of assurance activities, IGEM’s ongoing work with the emergency management sector will foster the continuous improvement, supporting improved outcomes for the state and the Victorian community.

The Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry Implementation of recommendations and affirmations - Annual Report 2019 was tabled in Parliament on 18 June 2020.

You can access the report from the link at the bottom of this page, or view as a flipbook (External link).

Government response

The government welcomes the Inspector-General's Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry – Annual Report 2019.

'Since the 2014-and 2015-16 Hazelwood mine fire inquiries, a sweeping program of reform focusing on changes at government, community and industry level, has been implemented. While the scale and complexity of reforms implemented has been considerable, the reforms are now close to completion.

Although this is the last IGEM Annual Report to be tabled in Parliament, the Victorian Government remains committed to the delivery of all outstanding actions to ensure these reforms have a lasting positive impact on Victoria’s emergency response and the Latrobe Valley community.'

Read the government's full response from emv.vic.gov.au (External link)

(Image representing resilience and recovery courtesy Latrobe City Council)

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