Bushfire reform roadmap
The impressive report of the “Bushfire Royal Commission” points to significant positive reform. By Tim James.
Ahead of the 2020-21 bushfire season, there’s a lot to do in preparation, both practically on the ground and in policy terms. There’s almost 600 pages in the recently handed down report of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. It’s impressive, comprehensive and much more than reactive in nature. The MRC has analysed it and offers the following observations.
While prompted by the bushfires, the Royal Commission also sought to address many other natural disasters including floods, bushfires, storms, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis. It sounds overwhelming doesn’t it? Indeed, it is vital we recognise as a nation and community that we can never be fully prepared for nor shielded from forces of nature. Let’s start with that reality, recognising we can and will build resilience, readiness and response capacity.
Strengthening resilience is a key theme the Menzies Research Centre has thrust upon our policy priorities and program this year. In May, the MRC released a research paper Strengthening resilience: managing national disasters after the 2019-20 bushfire season. It focused on bushfires but was also a template for the improved management and mitigation of natural disasters. The MRC paper was adopted and submitted by one of Australia’s largest insurers, IAG, as part of its submission to the Royal Commission.
In August the Watercooler expressed confidence in the level of interest in and alignment with the Royal Commission and the MRC’s report.
It’s now timely to reflect on the MRC’s recommendations and the commission’s responses.
In short, the core recommendations of the MRC report were:
Government funding should prioritise risk reduction which will reduce the need to spend on disaster recovery
Introduction of a National Bushfire Risk Rating (NBRR) system for all bushfire-prone communities, properties and structures
Introduction of a national approach to land use and building codes
Creation of an open access information platform comprising all data required for natural hazard management
Tax reform to improve affordability and increase uptake of insurance
Four out of five have been well addressed by the Royal Commission, with taxation reform considered by the commission to have been dealt with by earlier enquiries. While this is no surprise, as it has been raised many times earlier, such reform remains vital. The tax system must be harnessed to incentivise those who act and invest according to best practice risk management, and to remove those imposts that make insurance less accessible.
On prioritising risk reduction, as the MRC advocated, the commission called for the establishment of a standing entity that will enhance national natural disaster resilience and recovery, focused on long-term disaster risk reduction.
On a bushfire rating system, the commission called for State and territory governments to expedite the development and implementation of the Australian Fire Danger Rating System, ensuring national consistency in display and action.
On a national approach to land use and building codes, the commission called for mandatory consideration of natural disaster risk in land-use planning decisions and asked the Australian Building Codes Board to assess and evaluate the relevant Australian Standard and National Construction Code to make buildings more resilient to natural hazards.
On an open access information platform, the commission called for harmonised data governance and standards, common information platforms and technologies and a national information services capability.
Four out of five is a very positive scorecard for the MRC’s recommendations. We look forward to seeing them become policy and then the subject of practical delivery.
It’s worth noting, as Minister David Littleproud has, that among the 80 recommendations:
14 are directly targeted to the Australian Government
23 are specific to States and Territories
41 are to be shared between the Commonwealth and States and Territories, and
2 recommendations are specifically focussed on the Insurance Industry and the Australian Building Code Board.
The response will involve many governments, organisations and people, all of whom no doubt appreciate the significant public interest and relative urgency of responding to many recommendations.
Very importantly, after the 2019-20 bushfires, the commission recommended what the Federal Government needed last summer, namely the right to declare a state of emergency and act in response to natural disaster, whether or not a state had asked for help. Some of the situations last summer were delayed or made more difficult by the structure of our federation and/or limited laws. Going forward, the opportunity to lead and act should be abundantly clear and achievable across borders.
It was encouraging to see the commission’s report spell out that preparing for natural disasters “is not the sole domain of governments and agencies”. Indeed, personal responsibility and community commitments must be key to solutions too.
There will be more policy work needed following the recommendations. For instance, this week, a group of building experts reminded us that 90% of buildings in bushfire areas are not built to withstand bushfires and called for a national policy to fix this. It’s the right call and one made in the MRC’s report.
Australia will be better able to deal with bushfires when the recommendations of the Royal Commission are actioned. The commission itself moved very quickly following the effects and tragedies of last summer and the roadmap is now well advanced for policy makers to do likewise. The Menzies Research Centre is pleased to have played a part and will continue to do so.