National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management

This 2004 Inquiry responded to its terms of reference by focusing on the following themes: risk factors contributing to bushfires; bushfire mitigation strategies and their impacts; the impacts of bushfires on the environment, life, property and the economy; resources and infrastructure for fire mitigation and firefighting; efficiency of resource use and the best use of technologies; cooperation between agencies and jurisdictions; and examples of good practice. Australians recognise that bushfire can be damaging but that planned fire can also be beneficial, by sustaining ecological processes or by reducing fuels—thus reducing the risk of uncontrollable bushfires. Decisions about bushfire mitigation and management are made within a risk-management framework, known as the 5Rs—Research, information and analysis; Risk modification; Readiness; Response; and Recovery.