Wednesday, 29 July 2026

 Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (18:15): I am pleased to speak on the 2026 Summer Fires across Victoria report that was tabled; I am a member of the Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee. These fires had a significant impact on Victoria – there was the loss of the life of Maxwell Hobson in the Longwood fires, 451 homes and over 1000 outbuildings destroyed, approximately 440,000 hectares of land burnt, more than 45,000 livestock deaths, over 9600 kilometres of fencing lost and over 40,000 tonnes of hay or silage destroyed – and a massive impact on businesses, on tourism and on wildlife. The impacts go on.

Was Victoria prepared for these bushfires? We heard so much evidence: ageing CFA fleets, underinvestment over the long term and newly installed radios that worked in Burwood when they were tested but failed to work out in the field. We have seen over the last decade declining CFA volunteers; senior operational leadership positions vacant at the time of the bushfires, which left communities exposed; frustration over roadside vegetation and the lack of clearance around and maintenance of critical infrastructure; increased fuel loads and reductions in planned burns. We knew that the Unimogs and the G-Wagons, hundreds of them, were offline during the season. What happened on the firegrounds reflected a decade of policy, governance and preparedness decisions. The government had been warned time and again and failed to respond accordingly.

We received over 480 submissions. We held hearings across the state, and the stories were concerning. We heard of 35-year-old fire trucks where the burnover protection failed. We had brigades that pleaded for backup and none came. We had some volunteers working over 30 days straight, communities cut off with telecommunication and power failures, 000 stopped taking calls, farmers struggling to find feed for their livestock impacted by fences that were lost in a moment, teenagers left to euthanise hundreds of injured livestock and local councils expected to step up and support communities. Some of them are still waiting for funding.

Over six months later and here we are. The recovery process is well behind. The clean-up program has been delayed. We have had elderly residents cleaning up asbestos waste on sites. We have had home sites destroyed by the fires that are still waiting to be cleared, and any further tip waiver extensions have taken extensive follow-up to get. Victoria is one of the most fire-prone parts of the world. There should be a playbook with minimum standards and a best practice framework. This was a big inquiry in a short timeframe, and for many the stories were raw. Emergency services in this state are crucial, especially in rural and regional areas. Equipment matters; volunteers matter. There have been numerous inquiries, and we know what needs to happen.

We have got the main report and also a minority report put forward by the Liberals and Nationals, which focuses on the preventative aspects, the response and the recovery. We have got to improve emergency response capability, invest in equipment with our CFA and FRV, make changes to ensure our volunteers get the training and support that they need, recognise the important role of private vehicles, build strategic water supplies and ensure that there is maintenance around critical infrastructure. Telecommunications is essential, so is power, and we need resilient networks. We have got to have enhanced prevention and response messaging and fast-track improvements to the VicEmergency app. We have got to ensure that planned burns, prevention and maintenance are undertaken and, following on from the bushfires, we need to support communities with fast access to the roads required, support our neighbourhood houses and local councils and ensure that permits are fast-tracked to rebuild and that mental health services are provided over the long term. We need a universal clean-up program, better access to temporary housing and a focus on tourism. But to all those who helped in the response and continue to do so, we say thank you.