Opportunities for the future

The 2019–20 fire season was a devastating season across Australia and Victoria, with the last of the fires that swept across the east of the state only officially declared safe on 7 July 2020. Tragically, five lives were lost as a result of the fires. Damage and destruction of property was also higher than in recent years with 313 primary residences damaged or lost, and another 853 buildings or infrastructure damaged or lost.

Communities and individuals are only just beginning the journey along the long road to recovery. This journey is being undertaken while further challenged by the global pandemic that first arrived in Australia in January 2020 as the fires in Victoria were still burning out of control.

While Victoria has no desire to see a repeat of the events of the 2019–20 fire season, given the impacts climate change is having on our environment, the likelihood of similar events occurring becomes more frequent. As a state, and as a nation we need to look at how we can best prepare for events like these in the future.

The sector and the community both have a responsibility to consider what the future may look like and how to work together to plan, prepare and respond to these events. There is no one mitigation strategy or response that will eliminate Victoria’s risk. While opportunities identified by stakeholders and communities such as changes to fuel management practices, and the availability of appropriate aircraft will support preparation and response activities, these are not sufficient in isolation. It is only by taking a strategic approach that our collective performance will improve.

The emergency management sector has an opportunity to further enhance and increase collaboration with private organisations and communities to understand what can be achieved as a whole, rather than as individuals. This creates the ability to ensure the capability and capacity of emergency management sector personnel (paid and volunteer), government agencies, businesses and community service organisations as well as the community, are all considered through each aspect of emergency management – preparation, response, relief and recovery. This will ensure that Victoria is as prepared as possible to respond to the inevitability of similar events of significant size and duration in the future.