Before the 2024 Grampians bushfires, the department applied a risk-based framework to plan and prioritise fuel management in and around Grampians National Park. CFA had a process in place but could not show how it applied it.
Although the department and CFA did not complete all planned burns due to weather and operational constraints, the Wimmera district’s residual bushfire risk remained well below the 70 per cent target.
The department and CFA have improved aspects of the way they plan and deliver bushfire fuel treatments. But they still have work to do to understand and manage bushfire risk on private land.
The department also still needs to strengthen metrics to track how different fuel treatments protect communities and environmental values and ensure the datasets underpinning bushfire risk modelling are accurate.
The department has completed 21 of 29 actions we examined, partially completed 7 and did not complete one. This means it has only completed 6 recommendations in full, despite reporting it completed 8 in our report Responses to Performance Engagement Recommendations: Annual Status Update 2025.
CFA has completed 13 of 16 actions examined and partially completed 3. This means it has only completed 4 recommendations in full, despite telling us it completed 5.
The department's and CFA's actions have addressed some but not all the issues we raised in our 2020 audit.
We made 4 recommendations to address our findings. The relevant agencies have accepted the recommendations in full or in part.
Our review followed 2 lines of inquiry:
1. Did the department and CFA's actions respond to the issues our 2020 audit recommendations sought to address?
2. Did the department and CFA deliver fuel management activities as much as possible in the vicinity of Grampians National Park prior to the 2024 bushfires?
We discuss the department and CFA's actions throughout this report. You can find their actions status in full in Appendix D.
Download a PDF copy of Appendix B: Abbreviations, acronyms and glossary.
Download a PDF copy of Appendix D: Worker support payments.
Download a PDF copy of Appendix C: Audit scope and method.
Download a PDF copy of Appendix B: Abbreviations, acronyms and glossary.
Download a PDF copy of Appendix A: Submissions and comments.