Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy, I present the committee's report entitled Report of the inquiry into vegetation and land management policy relating to bushfires, together with the minutes of proceedings.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—I present the report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy's inquiry into vegetation and land management policy relating to bushfires. This inquiry commenced in December 2019. It was to consider the efficacy of past and current vegetation and land management policy, practice and legislation and their effect on the intensity and frequency of bushfires and the subsequent risk to property, life and the environment.

On 26 February 2020, however, the committee agreed to conclude the inquiry following the Prime Minister's announcement a few days earlier of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. The committee examined the royal commission's terms of reference and assessed that they overlap significantly with those of this inquiry. The royal commission's timeline also means that both processes would have been going on simultaneously. The royal commission will be a major national exercise. The committee considered it best to give way to that process to avoid any confusion and prevent duplication of resources and demand.

By the time of our decision to conclude, the committee's inquiry had received 69 submissions and held one public hearing. The committee intends to write to the royal commission, providing the evidence gathered and published by the committee during our inquiry and inviting the royal commission to draw upon that evidence in its considerations. I hope they do so, because there is considerable insight contained within those submissions, reflecting demonstrable expertise and in some cases hands-on experience with respect to bushfires in Australia, in particular the bushfires of the season that has just passed. The brief report I'm presenting today does not include any analysis of the evidence that was received nor make any recommendations. We now regard that as a matter for the royal commission. On behalf of the committee, I encourage any Australian with perspectives, any Australian with experience on bushfires, in particular the events of recent months, to engage with the royal commission. It is vitally important that their voices are heard and accounted for.

I want to thank the members of the committee for their engagement with this inquiry, I want to thank the secretariat and I wish the royal commission well in their important work. Finally, I wish to acknowledge that the recent bushfires across Australia have had a devastating impact on so many communities and on so many Australians. On behalf of the committee I extend our heartfelt sympathies not just to those affected but to those who assisted in fighting the fires and supporting those who were affected. I also pass on our deepest gratitude. With that, I'm happy to table the report to the House. I move:

That the House take note of the report.

Debate adjourned.