The chair of Australia’s Bushfire Royal Commission has extended his sympathy to the families of 33 people who died during Australia’s disastrous “Black Summer” and says the harrowing season will linger in the national psyche.
Key points:
The Commission will examine Australia’s preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters
It’s held community forums in some bushfire-affected regions but stopped due to COVID-19 restrictions
The Commission aims to hand down it recommendations before the next bushfire season begins
Retired Air Chief Marshall Mark Binskin formally opened the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements in an online hearing from Canberra today.
In addition to the loss of life, more than 10 million hectares burnt across Australia and 3,000 homes and 7,000 outbuildings were destroyed during the 2019/20 bushfire season.
Millions of native plants and animals perished, along with 80,000 head of livestock.
Commissioner Binskin said the bushfires had deeply affected the lives of many Australians and “the harrowing experiences of this bushfire season will long linger in our national psyche”.
“The pervasive smoke haunting our towns and cities, the red skies turning black, the thunderous raw and thick smoke that accompanied the wall of flames and the utter devastation.”
The Commission will examine the preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters including the recent bushfires, as well as floods, cyclones and earthquakes.
It will aim to hand down its findings before the start of the next bushfire season.
It will also examine legal issues around Commonwealth involvement in responding to national emergencies and its interaction with the states and territories, as well as the involvement of the Australian Defence Forces.
