Through monitoring the implementation of agreed recommendations and actions, IGEM and its emergency management partners offer assurance to government and the community that lessons identified from emergencies will be turned into sustainable improvements that make a difference for Victorian communities.

Under the Emergency Management Act, we monitor implementation of:

  • actions in the Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan
  • recommendations from system-wide reviews delivered under IGEM’s Annual Forward Plan of Reviews
  • recommendations from major inquiries and reviews at the request of the Minister for Emergency Services.

All our assurance activities are guided by the Assurance Framework for Emergency Management which provides the foundation for a coordinated and collaborative approach to sector-wide assurance.

Arrangements for public release of IGEM's progress reports are at the minister's discretion.

Current implementation monitoring activities

 

Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan

The Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan (External link), developed by the State Crisis and Resilience Council, drives the Victorian Government’s emergency management reform agenda, sets priorities, and assists in determining investment decisions.

Government departments and agencies work together to deliver on the projects and actions under the Strategic Action Plan.

Under the Emergency Management Act, IGEM has a specific role in monitoring and reporting on the implementation of plan. IGEM works closely with lead departments and agencies to prepare annual reports for the minister.

Progress reports

 

Review of Victoria's preparedness for major public health emergencies

On 3 September 2022, the Victorian Government responded to Inspector-General for Emergency Management's Review of Victoria’s preparedness for major public health emergencies, accepting the findings and supporting in-principle the review's 7 recommendations.

The review provides critical insights into Victoria's preparedness for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic and opportunities for continuous improvement.

The government's response stated the State Crisis and Resilience Council would be asked to consider work underway, and identify whether additional actions are needed to deliver on the recommendations, with any new actions communicated in the Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan 2023-26.

IGEM will consider the final form of the Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan 2023-26 in determining its approach to monitoring the implementation of recommendations from this review.

 

Triple Zero (000) service reform program

At  the Victorian Government's request, the Inspector-General for Emergency Management monitors the implementation of the recommendations from the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) Capability and Service Review (External link), and IGEM’s Review of Victoria's emergency ambulance call answer performance COVID-19 pandemic-related 000 demand surge.

IGEM will provide annual progress reports to the minister until all recommendations are acquitted. 

 

Inquiry into the 2019–20 Victorian fire season - Phase 1 (preparedness and response) and Phase 2 (recovery)

The Inspector-General for Emergency Management produces progress reports on the work of departments and agencies in implementing recommendations and actions committed to by the Victorian Government in response to its Inquiry into the 2019–20 Victorian Fire Season – Phase 1 and Phase 2 reports.

This implementation monitoring activity is conducted at government's request under section 64(1)(ca) of the Emergency Management Act.

Progress reports

 

Review of 10 years of reform in Victoria's emergency management sector

The Inspector-General for Emergency Management produces progress reports on the work of departments and agencies in implementing actions committed to by the Victorian Government in response to its Review of 10 years of reform in Victoria’s emergency management sector.

In this review, IGEM made 5 recommendations on knowledge and learning, risk management arrangements, community preparedness, capability development, and recovery reform.

An implementation plan supports the government response, and IGEM reports on the implementation of the plan's actions.

Progress reports

 

Fiskville Inquiry (Parliamentary Inquiry into the CFA Training College at Fiskville)

At government's request, the Inspector-General for Emergency Management monitors the implementation of the government commitments in response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the CFA Training College at Fiskville (External link).

Progress reports

The 2022 report was IGEM’s final annual progress report on Fiskville Inquiry commitments.

Monitoring remaining commitments

Progress on remaining commitments are now reported directly to the minister.

Since the finalisation of the 2022 progress report, IGEM assessed the following commitment as complete:

  • Commitment 6 (Lead agency: CFA): Implementation of any necessary additional treatment processes required to improve training water at all training centres to ensure it is of a standard that is safe for training use and consistent with requirements under any relevant enterprise agreements (reported October 2023).

IGEM continues to monitor the 2 commitments remaining in progress, and will report directly to the minister upon their completion.

 

Review of emergency management for high-risk Victorian communities.

The Inspector-General for Emergency Management produced one progress report on the work of departments and agencies in implementing the 4 recommendations from its Review of emergency management for high-risk Victorian communities.

Progress reports

 

Review of impact assessment and consequence management

The Inspector-General for Emergency Management produced one progress report on the work of departments and agencies in implementing the 4 recommendations from its Review of impact assessment and consequence management.

Progress reports

 

Review of incident management teams: accreditation and rostering

The Inspector-General for Emergency Management produced one progress report on the work of departments and agencies in implementing the 2 recommendations from its Review of incident management teams: accreditation and rostering.

Progress reports

 Concluded monitoring activities

 

Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry (2014)

The independent inquiry into the circumstances of the Hazelwood Coal Mine (External link) made 12 recommendations and 40 affirmations directed to the State, and six recommendations and 17 affirmations directed to the operator of the Hazelwood Coal Mine, GDF Suez.

In May 2015 the Inquiry was re-opened by the government to investigate community concerns following the 2014 fire and consider rehabilitation at Latrobe Valley’s coal mines.

The Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry: Victorian Government Implementation Plan (External link) tabled in parliament on 21 June 2016 was the formal response, setting out 246 actions to implement all recommendations and affirmations of the 2014 and 2015-16 Inquiry Reports.

The Inspector-General for Emergency Management provided independent monitoring and public reporting on the progress of Implementation Plan. IGEM also monitored progress of implementation of the Inquiry Report recommendations and affirmations by non-government parties including:

  • the operators of the three Latrobe Valley Coal Mines: ENGIE, operator of the Hazelwood Coal Mine; AGL, operator of the Loy Yang Coal Mine; and EnergyAustralia, operator of the Yallourn Coal Mine
  • the four principal health agencies in the Latrobe Valley as identified by the Inquiry: Latrobe Regional Hospital; Latrobe Community Health Service; Gippsland Primary Health Network; and Latrobe City Council
  • statutory and non-government health agencies,

Progress reports

IGEM's 2019 Annual Report was the final report required to be tabled in Parliament, and the 2022 Progress Report concluded the responsibility to monitor on the progress of the implementation of recommendations and affirmations from the 2014 and 2015–16 Inquiry reports (External link).

 

Critical infrastructure resilience

The health, safety and prosperity of the Victorian community are reliant on services supported by certain infrastructure. Emergency events, whether natural or human-induced, pose a risk of disrupting the ability of critical infrastructure to deliver essential services to the community.

On 1 July 2015, emergency risk management arrangements for critical infrastructure resilience came into effect which aim to limit disruption to the supply of essential services to the Victorian community.

The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Strategy (External link) sets out the vision, principles and strategic priorities for building resilience of Victoria’s critical infrastructure

From introduction of the arrangements, IGEM monitored the implementation, assessed incremental improvements and identified improvement opportunities.

Progress reports

 

Review of response to the thunderstorm asthma event of 21-22 November 2016

At government’s request, IGEM monitored the implementation of recommendations from the Review of response to the thunderstorm asthma event of 21- 22 November 2016- Final Report.

Progress reports

First implementation progress report (published 20 July 2018)

The report found that of the review’s 16 recommendations, 11 had been completed, delivering significant improvements to Victoria’s capacity to respond to rapid-onset emergencies such as the 2016 thunderstorm asthma event.

The report stated a further 4 recommendations were proceeding satisfactorily, while another recommendation was considered closed, with no further action planned.

Second and final implementation progress report (published 18 June 2019)

The report found that of the 4 ongoing recommendations monitored in the 2019 report, 3 had been completed and one considered closed.

In summary IGEM considered all 16 recommendations arising from the review had either been completed or closed, delivering significant improvements to Victoria’s capacity to respond to rapid-onset emergencies such as thunderstorm asthma.

 

Lancefield-Cobaw Fire Investigation (2015)

On 19 November 2015, government released and responded to the independent investigation of the October 2015 Lancefield-Cobaw fire and the Inspector-General for Emergency Management’s report into the review of performance targets for the future bushfire fuel management program on public land.

The Lancefield-Cobaw fire investigation carried out by independent expert Murray Carter, Director of Western Australia's Office of Bushfire Risk Management, recommended improvements to the systems and processes of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) that are crucial to the delivery of planned burning throughout Victoria.

All 22 of the recommendations in the Lancefield-Cobaw report were accepted by DELWP, as well as a commitment to making changes to the way it operates across the state, to improve delivery of Victoria’s planned burning program – Safer Together: a new approach to reducing risk of bushfire in Victoria (External link).

Progress reports

At the government's request, and in line with Section 64(1)(ca) of the Emergency Management Act, IGEM provided independent oversight to ensure all recommendations from the independent investigation of the October 2015 Lancefield-Cobaw fire (External link) were implemented and progress publicly reported.

In relation to Victoria’s bushfire fuel management program on public land, IGEM monitored government’s implementation of recommendations from the review of performance targets, in addition to managing the investigation and reporting of any future breaches of containment lines by a planned burn.

Final Progress Report - August 2016

On 28 September 2016, government released IGEM’s final progress report on implementation of the recommendations and commitments following the independent investigation into the Lancefield-Cobaw 2015 fire.

In its final report IGEM found that the then Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) had satisfactorily implemented 19 of the 22 recommendations and all 10 of the additional commitments made by the department.

The remaining 3 recommendations were being implemented as part of the government's Safer Together (External link) approach to reducing the risk of bushfire in Victoria.

Progress Report - June 2016

On 4 July 2016, government released IGEM's second progress report on implementing recommendations of the independent investigation into the Lancefield-Cobaw fire.

In this report IGEM found that (then) DELWP was on track to implement all recommendations and the additional commitments made by the department on time.

IGEM found DELWP had completed 13 of the 22 recommendations, and 9 of the 10commitments.

Interim Progress Report - February 2016

On 19 February 2016, government released IGEM's interim progress report of the implementation of recommendations and commitments following the Independent Investigation of the Lancefield-Cobaw Fire.

This progress provided an interim update on the implementation of the 22 recommendations from the Investigation, and 10 additional commitments that DELWP made to improve the delivery of the Bushfire Fuel Management Program in response to the  independent investigation.

 

Bushfire fuel management on public land

On 19 November 2015, government responded to IGEM's report into the review of performance targets for the future bushfire fuel management program on public land, accepting all recommendations including the adoption of a risk reduction fuel target. 

IGEM monitored government’s implementation of recommendations from the review of performance targets, in addition to managing the investigation and reporting of any breaches of control lines by a planned burn.

Related reports

 

Fire Season (2013-14)

At the government's request, IGEM investigated and reported on the progress and implementation of identified actions from three 2013-14 fire season reports prepared by the Emergency Management Commissioner and the emergency management sector.

Progress reports

 

Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission (2009)

A wide variety of departments, agencies and organisations were responsible for implementation of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission (External link) (VBRC) reforms, including a number from outside the core emergency management sector.

Since August 2014, IGEM monitored implementation of the remaining recommendations and actions from VBRC.

Reporting implementation progress

IGEM published annual implementation progress reports in a similar approach to that taken by the former Bushfires Royal Commission Implementation Monitor from 2011 to 2014.

On 13 October 2016, IGEM’s second annual progress report (2016 Progress Report) was tabled in Parliament. This concluded IGEM’s responsibility for annual progress reporting. 

However, it continued to monitor implementation of two remaining ongoing and inter-related actions, reporting their completion directly to the minister:

Completion of these actions concluded IGEM’s monitoring and reporting of all VBRC recommendations and actions.

Status summary

To provide a consolidated overview of progress, IGEM reviewed all monitoring reports from both the BRCIM and IGEM, and applied a consistent classification to all 315 actions.

Based on this review:

  • 298 actions were considered complete
  • 14 actions were considered closed – actions where the intent could no longer be met, the action had transitioned to business-as-usual, or deemed no longer relevant or required
  • 3 actions were not assigned a status (by the BRCIM).

For more information: