Statement from Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford regarding the interim observations from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements

The Queensland Government will closely consider the Royal Commission’s interim observations.

The government supports greater national coordination and increased Federal Government resourcing.

However, the State’s long experience with floods, cyclones and bushfires has demonstrated that the most effective disaster management arrangements are locally led, regionally coordinated, and state-facilitated. 

In the lead up to the 2020 bushfire season, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) and its partners have completed twice the number of hazard mitigation activities compared to 2019.

QFES has worked harder than ever before to prepare Queensland for bushfire season.

The hazard reduction activities that QFES plans are based around ideal conditions. During Cool Burn, QFES assesses the landscape and conditions to identify the locations where reduction burning is the best strategy to provide the greatest reduction in risk. Sometimes conditions don’t remain favourable long enough and it rapidly becomes too dangerous to burn.

Favourable weather conditions have meant that more than 540 bushfire mitigation activities have been completed as part of Operation Cool Burn.

The actions completed during Operation Cool Burn have included 274 hazard reduction activities. It also included 137 fire break upgrades and 130 community education activities. QFES continues to receive reports from its partners about recently completed activities, which means the figures will continue to rise.

Despite wetter than average conditions forecast for many parts of eastern Australia during Spring, the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC bushfire outlook for September to November has signalled that parts of Queensland could still face above normal fire potential.

The outcomes from the 2020 Operation Cool Burn period means Queensland is well positioned for the season.

Residents in parts of Queensland that are susceptible to bushfires should have the appropriate plans in place.

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