Review of the initial response to the 2015 Wye River - Jamieson Track fire | 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.

Between 19 December 2015 and 21 January 2016, the bushfire that became known as the Wye River – Jamieson Track fire burned 2500 ha in the Otway Ranges in the Lorne-Wye River region. By the end of 25 December, the fire had destroyed 98 houses in Wye River and 18 in Separation Creek.

The Wye River – Jamieson Track fire continued to burn for 34 days until being contained on 21 January 2016.

On 5 January 2016 the Minister for Emergency Services requested the Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM) report on the learnings to date from the Wye River – Jamieson Track fire.

The review was undertaken in accordance with Section 64(1)(c) of the Emergency Management Act 2013 which provides for IGEM to prepare advice and reports at the request of the minister

The objective of the review is to report on the learnings from the Wye River – Jamieson Track fire of December 2015 with the focus on documenting good practice and fostering continuous improvement.

Government released IGEM’s report of the Review of the initial response to the 2015 Wye River - Jamieson Track fire on 25 February 2016.

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