AN INDEPENDENT review of the Department of Environment and Conservation's (DEC) ability to manage major bushfires has found that improvements are needed across a number of areas.
Environment Minister Donna Faragher instigated the review in February following a recommendation from the Coroner's inquest into the deaths of three truck drivers during a bushfire in Boorabbin National Park in December 2007.
The review, conducted by South Australian Country Fire Service chief officer Euan Ferguson AFSM, with the assistance of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, concluded that the DEC has a sound capability and capacity for managing fire on its estate in WA but a number of observations were made that highlighted where improvements to the DEC and its systems of work could be made.
But Bush Fire Front (BFF) chairman Roger Underwood said even though he supported some of the review, it didn't go far enough.
"There are other aspects of the DEC's fire management that also need an independent review," he said.
"The first thing to recognise is that the report only deals with the DEC's firefighting capabilities, it doesn't deal with the DEC's responsibilities for damage mitigation, especially fuel reduction."
Mr Underwood said that the BFF had repeatedly raised concerns about the backlog in the fuel reduction program in the South West and the fact that the DEC's fire responsibilities keep expanding, while the resources for fire management contract.
"One of the most important issues is that the DEC is running out of experienced bushfire staff and they are not recruiting people into the districts like they used to," he said.
"They've got to start getting more young people working in the bush.
"The DEC tended to recruit scientists or environmental regulators who were located in Perth, not people with training in land management or forestry who could be trained and mentored to become the bushfire managers of the future."
Mr Underwood said the loss of a host of experienced personnel from the Forest Products Commission (FPC) had been a further blow.
"The DEC had some very professional people, but they need to be supported by a new generation of people who are earning hard-won experience in firefighting and fuel reduction burning," he said.
But Mr Underwood said that he was pleased that the Minister had put her hand up and accepted all of Ferguson's suggestions.
These include conducting a pre-fire season exercise for incident management teams, the development of a summary incident action plan to allow an incident controller to more quickly appreciate the situation and articulate a plan early in an incident, the development of a three-year aerial firefighting strategy for WA to ensure optimal development of a joint air capability and a DEC fire management staff succession plan to minimise the loss of core fire management skills and experience in the future and provide a planned approach to development of prospective fire management staff.
"In particular, a new reference document setting out policy, doctrine and key work systems is already being developed by the DEC and will be carried by all senior staff and fire management personnel in time for the coming bushfire season," Ms Faragher said.
Ms Faragher said she accepted the review's observations and had asked the department to implement the matters identified in the review.
"The review states that the value of the DEC staff at every level in delivering fire management in the South West forests must not be underestimated," she said.
"Forest firefighting, incident management and fuel reduction burning are all specialised and technically challenging skills.
"The review further states that the specialist skills within the DEC are in the 'best class' or 'best in class' nationally and internationally.
"I thank Mr Ferguson for his efforts in completing a thorough and comprehensive review of the DEC's abilities in this most important area."
