The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements has handed down its recommendations following one of the most devastating bushfire seasons in history.
Thirty-three people died, including six Australian firefighters and three American aerial firefighters killed when their aircraft collided with terrain in January of this year.
Evidence from more than 270 witnesses, 80,000 pages of tendered documents, and 1750 public submissions has been compiled into a 579-page report.
The report contains 80 recommendations, which focus on moving towards a more national approach to bushfires and other natural disasters and extreme weather events.
Of the recommendations, 14 are directly targeted at the Federal Government, and 23 are specific to states and territories.
The report recommends the Commonwealth should get greater powers to declare a state of emergency.
Forty-one are shared between the Commonwealth and states and territories, and two focus on the insurance industry and the Australian Building Code Board.
In his foreword, Commission Chair Mark Binskin wrote: "what was unprecedented is now our future".
"Australia wide, there was significant community loss, devastation of wildlife and adverse health impacts.
"These losses were exacerbated by severe hailstorms, and floods in some areas that were just starting to recover from the fires. Then COVID-19 hit.
"Recovery will take years."
More to come...
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