FOLLOWING admissions of systemic failures by Victoria's fire chiefs, the State's newly-appointed Inspector General for Emergency Management (IGEM), Tony Pearce, will investigate these issues.
At a public meeting at Glenaladale, near Bairnsdale, on June 7, then Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley, chief fire officer Euan Ferguson and Darrin McKenzie, acting chief fire officer at the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI), admitted Gippsland was a particular hotspot for systematic and cultural problems preventing effective fire management and suppression in the State.
Mr Lapsley, who has since been appointed Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner, admitted systematic change needed to occur.
He referred to an entrenched culture affecting effective fire suppression in Gippsland.
"We need to change that culture and get rid of the boundaries that have been set up within DEPI," he said.
"We need to understand and resource local knowledge and accessing local knowledge has to be ongoing."
Mr McKenzie expressed concern that an effective working partnership between all agencies was a community expectation that was not yet met.
Since the meeting at Glenaladale, Mr Lapsley has met with community groups and individuals in East Gippsland, in particular, and compiled a list of failures and concerns, as part of a review into last summer's bushfire responses across the State.
Earlier this month, Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells handed the task of conducting a review to Mr Pearce, making it his first job since beginning his new role.
"I made a commitment to the East Gippsland community in June that once Mr Lapsley had completed his community reports, I would then refer any systemic issues identified to the IGEM," Mr Wells said.
Mr Lapsley's report highlights State-wide and Gippsland-specific key issues that require further investigation.
The State-wide issues surround road traffic management, safe early return of residents, access for appropriate people to ensure animal (livestock) well-being and management and where long duration road closures are required, provide for appropriate discussion with the community and appropriate access levels consistent with the needs of the affected community.
Mr Wells said this was particularly important for farmers, who needed to ensure the safety and welfare of their livestock.
"It includes allowing farmers to provide food and water to their livestock," he said. "It includes safe transport of those animals out of the fire zone, if required. It also includes the safety of domestic animals.
"People shouldn't be expected to abandon their animals in a bushfire."
Specific to East Gippsland, Mr Lapsley's report highlighted issues of community involvement - to address concerns around planning, preparedness and management of local fire events; initial attack and utilisation of resources - claims regarding misuse of those resources, including the use of private contractors; and cross-border fire arrangements - use of NSW (and other jurisdictions) volunteers assisting Victorian firefighters.
"I have now asked Mr Pearce to investigate and lead a compliance assurance process with the aim of addressing the identified key issues and ensuring systemic changes that are sustainable in the long-term," Mr Wells said.
"Mr Pearce will report back to me by the end of September."
Once the IGEM investigation into the above key issues is finalised, Mr Wells will return to East Gippsland to discuss the findings with the community.
"It is critically important that these issues are appropriately investigated and dealt with prior to the commencement of the 2014-15 fire season, to ensure community concerns have been addressed," he said.
Meanwhile, recently-handed down final report monitoring the implementation of the recommendations from the Bushfires Royal Commission (2009) called for changes to planned burns.
Bushfire Royal Commission implementation monitor, Neil Comrie, was charged with overseeing the government's actions in response to the commission.
In his final report he said he believed the target to burn 390,000ha of public land every year was unachievable, even with additional resources committed to increasing burns.
He estimates only 32pc of a planned 260,000ha had been burned and said area-based targets alone will not necessarily reduce bushfire risk.
He recommended a risk-based approach that focuses on protecting life and property.
