Wednesday, 17 June 2026

 Will FOWLES (Ringwood) (10:46): Today I rise to again draw the house’s attention to the devastating bushfires that tore through regional Victoria last summer and the lessons we must learn from them. Over the summer more than 436,000 hectares burnt across Victoria. The Longwood fire alone burnt more than 136,000 hectares and tragically claimed a life. The bushfires may have faded from the headlines, but for the communities that bore the brunt of them the recovery is far from over. Families are still rebuilding homes, repairing fences, replacing livestock and living with the consequences each and every day. As the member for Euroa has highlighted in this place, many affected communities are still waiting for the practical support Victorians have come to expect after major bushfire disasters, including effective clean-up programs, support for local businesses, rates exemptions, temporary housing and long-term mental health services.

We also have an obligation to learn from these events and better prepare for those that will inevitably come. That is why the Victorian Auditor-General’s recent report into reducing bushfire risks matters. While the report acknowledges improvements since 2020, it also finds that key recommendations remain unresolved six years later. It identifies concerns around bushfire risk modelling, fuel reduction activities, private land management and strategic fuel breaks. This is not a criticism of our volunteers, firefighters or emergency services personnel, but rather a reminder to the government that lessons identified in audits, inquiries and reviews must be acted upon, not simply acknowledged. The inspector-general for emergency management’s review of the 2025–26 bushfires must commence soon.