Fire prevention and preparedness
Overview
Southern Australia is one of the most wildfire-prone regions in the world. The wildfires that occurred throughout Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory in the summer of 2002–03 are a stark reminder that, despite advances in technology and increased understanding of wildfire, wildfire remains a significant threat to life and property in rural Victoria.
Preventing wildfire and preparing firefighting resources to ensure that suppression can be undertaken swiftly and safely is the responsibility of two key firefighting agencies. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is responsible for fire prevention and response on private land outside the Melbourne metropolitan area. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) is responsible for fire prevention and suppression on Victoria’s 7.7 million hectares of public land. This audit commenced prior to the fires of summer 2002–03, and did not examine suppression operations. The audit focused on the planning, prevention and preparedness measures that can prevent or reduce the severity of Victoria’s seasonal wildfires, and on whether those essential planning and prevention measures are being effectively implemented.