Follow-up of Reducing Bushfire Risks

Why this is important

The risk of bushfire can be reduced by managing the amount of flammable material available, such as through planned burns. Fuel management can reduce the spread and intensity of bushfires, making it easier for fires to control and reducing their impact on the community and environment.

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action has a statewide target to reduce fuel-driven bushfire risk by at least 30 per cent. To achieve this, the department and the Country Fire Authority (CFA) deliver a Joint Fuel Management Program, with targets for fuel management activities. People living in bushfire-prone areas may face catastrophic impacts if the department and the CFA do not meet these targets.

In 2020, we tabled our Reducing Bushfire Risks report. We made 17 recommendations to the former Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and the CFA to strengthen their fuel management approach.

Although the department and the CFA report they have met the statewide risk-reduction target in recent years, they have not met the target for the Grampians region. Given the recent Grampians bushfires, it is timely to assess the extent to which the department and the CFA implemented our recommendations in that region.

What we plan to examine

We plan to examine how the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and the Country Fire Authority implemented our recommendations from Reducing Bushfire Risks, with a focus on their fuel management activities in the Grampians region. 

Who we plan to examine

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action

Department of Justice and Community Safety 

Country Fire Authority

Further information

This is a follow-up to our report Reducing Bushfire Risks (2020).