Bushfires

ALTERNATIVE LABELS
Wildfires
NARROWER TERMS


Report

Powder keg: Australia primed to burn

After years of floods and heavy rains, Australian authorities should prepare for widespread grass fires on a scale never-before experienced, the Climate Council and Emergency Leaders for Climate Action warn in this report.
Report

Bushfire recovery grants

The Bushfire Local Economic Recovery (BLER) program was created after the 2019–20 bushfires. It is co-funded by the Commonwealth and NSW governments. This audit assessed how effectively the Department of Regional NSW and Resilience NSW administered rounds one and two of the BLER program.
Report

The cost of extreme weather

Climate change is driving worsening destructive extreme weather events in a range of different ways around Australia - from more severe bushfire seasons and intense heatwaves to more powerful cyclones, flash flooding and droughts. This report argues that whether insurance is paying for it, or...
Discussion paper

Aboriginal community governance on the frontlines and faultlines in the Black Summer bushfires

This paper examines the experiences of Aboriginal people and communities during the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, capturing their stories and unique impacts. The author also explores the response by Aboriginal communities and organisations to reveal how these community and cultural governing institutions rallied to support...
Guide

Response to wildfires: guidelines for public health units

The purpose of these guidelines are to assist a public health response to wildfires. These guidelines describe air quality categories, provide information on how to minimise smoke exposure, and identifies other hazardous associated with wildfires.
Report

Lessons to be learned in relation to the Australian bushfire season 2019-20: final report

The key focus in this report is the impact of the 2019-20 bushfires on human health and welfare, and the recovery process for those who lived through the fires and are attempting to rebuild their lives in impacted regions and communities.
Report

Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian fire season: phase 2

This report evaluates the relief and recovery efforts activated before, during and after the 2019–20 Victorian fire season. The Victorian Inspector-General for Emergency Management makes a series of observations and findings related to both relief and recovery, and proposes 15 recommendations to government.
Report

The connections that matter

This report outlines the findings from a longitudinal study of how survivors fared during the 12 months immediately after the fires decimated communities in Victoria’s East Gippsland Region. The report was prepared for Australia’s national energy consumer advocate, Energy Consumers Australia.
Report

The limits of livability

This report warns that worldwide, governments must act to prepare public health systems for the impacts to the public from recurring air pollution episodes from fires caused by the climate crisis, deforestation practices and poor land management.
Report

K’gari (Fraser Island) Bushfire Review

This review focused on preparedness and response to the K’gari bushfire event. The review makes a number of recommendations to address opportunities for improvement related to enhancing the management and protection of world heritage and cultural values.
Report

10 years beyond bushfires report

The 2009 bushfires in Victoria are commonly referred to as the ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires. This report presents an overview of the key learnings in the 10 years since the fires. The results show a strong individual and community capacity to recover from a disaster experience...
Working paper

Cultural burning in New South Wales: challenges and opportunities for policy makers and Aboriginal peoples

Drawing on the history of Caring for Country in northern and central Australia, and current developments to support Aboriginal people in southern temperate Australia, this paper maps the challenges and opportunities to support cultural land management programs in New South Wales.
Article

Unwelcoming and reluctant to help: bushfire recovery hasn’t considered Aboriginal culture — but things are finally starting to change

This article explores how First Nations methodologies can be applied in disaster affected Indigenous communities.
Article

Indigenous expertise is reducing bushfires in northern Australia. It’s time to consider similar approaches for other disasters

This article explores how blending modern scientific knowledge with traditional Indigenous land management practices can reduce bushfire risk.
Report

Smokescreen: the rhetoric and reality of federal bushfire recovery funding

This report examines the allocation and distribution of federal funds from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020, following the bushfire crisis of 2019-2020. While large pledges were made by the Morisson Government to support families and businesses, much of the funding appears to be...
Report

Australian bushfires 2019–20: exploring the short-term health impacts

The 2019–20 bushfire season saw unprecedented fires sweep across Australia with a massive impact on many communities, devastating the natural environment and compromising air quality. This report examines a range of health data sources to assess the short-term health impacts of the bushfires, including emergency...
Position paper

A national approach to national disasters

The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements concluded that the Commonwealth Government has the power to, and should, play a greater role in relation to natural disasters on a national scale. This document outlines how the government intends to respond.
Report

Safeguarding Australia's wildlife

This report presents the results of a qualitative study undertaken by BG Economics into the rescue and care of wildlife by organisations and individuals in the Black Summer bushfires.
Report

Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements: report

This report focuses on broader questions of national arrangements and responsibilities, in relation to all phases of natural disasters – before, during and after. This inquiry required the Commission to consider whether these existing arrangements are as effective as they can be in a future...
Report

Report of the Review of 10 years of reform in Victoria's emergency management sector

The Victorian emergency management sector has undergone significant reform in the 10 years since the 2009 Victorian bushfires. This review report makes eight observations, thirty-three findings, and five recommendations identifying good practice and opportunities for continuous improvement.
Report

Reducing bushfire risks

As the devastating 2019–20 bushfire season showed, all Victorians are at risk from bushfires. This audit was conducted to examine if the responsible state agencies are effectively working together to reduce Victoria’s bushfire risk.
Report

Wildfires, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change

Around the world, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that carbon produced by wildfires is making a significant contribution to the volume of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, where it contributes to climate change.
Report

Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian fire season: phase 1

In January 2020, the Victorian Premier announced an independent inquiry into the 2019–20 Victorian fire season. Phase 1 of the inquiry reflects upon broader issues around the management of fire emergencies in this state. In relation to the 2019–20 fires, it examines how well prepared...
Report

Measuring the economic impact of early bushfire detection

The fires that occurred over the 2019/20 Australian summer were unprecedented in scale and had a devastating impact on large parts of the country. This paper estimates the economic costs of bushfires between 2020 and 2049, and the potential reduction in these costs from investments...
Report

The 2019-2020 Australian bushfires: from temporary evacuation to longer-term displacement

This report presents the first comprehensive figures and analysis of the patterns of displacement associated with the 2019-2020 bushfire season.