By Bronwyn Hastings

Reported findings and recommendations of a Parliament of Victoria inquiry into the 2026 summer fires across Victoria have been met with mixed responses from stakeholders statewide.

The report’s first finding recognised the short, inhibitive timeframe of the inquiry; its 92 other findings and 80 recommendations mention failed communications, roadside vegetation management, private firefighting units, declining CFA volunteer numbers, and ageing CFA resources.

In a six-month process, the Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee heard from stakeholders of five major fires. 

Topics included preparation and planning, causes and circumstances, emergency response and control, impacts on community and environment, and lessons learned.

Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee chair Michael Galea, in his foreword of the report, said Victoria entered the 2026 fire season with a clear understating of the heightened risk in conditions.

He attributed the strong firefighting response to lessons learnt from the Black Saturday fires, and the preparedness of fire agencies and communities.

“Considering the conditions, it is remarkable we did not see mass fatalities as was seen in 2009,” he said.

More than 440,000 hectares of land burned across Victoria – an area larger than that affected by the 2009 Black Saturday fires – 451 homes were destroyed, 1110 outbuildings lost, an estimated 45,000 livestock deaths were recorded, an incalculable loss of wildlife, and the death of one individual.

“At the time of this inquiry, fire agencies were conducting their own reviews, as is customary after such a large fire event,” Mr Galea wrote.

Grass Flat’s two-day fire started on January 9 near Telfers Road, 25 kilometres east of Horsham. The State Government determined an electrical fault the cause.

In catastrophic conditions, the fire travelled towards Natimuk and Quantong – 11.7 kilometres in the first hour, West Wimmera Action Group’s submission described.

It ultimately destroyed 17 houses and significantly impacted businesses, farmland, agricultural infrastructure and community assets.

CFA chief Jason Heffernan said volunteer firefighters’ contributions to both the parliamentary inquiry and CFA’s 2025-26 post-season debrief program report would be used to better-equip the organisation for the next fire season.

“Key strengths and themes of the internal report were strong leadership of brigades across the state, and effective use of local knowledge where it was needed,” he said.

“We are also integrating these seasonal learnings into training, briefings and exercises.” 

The Nationals Leader and Emergency Services shadow minister Danny O’Brien said the report was a ‘damning indictment’ of Labor’s stewardship and lack of transparency around Victoria’s fire services.

“The Carroll Labor government must respond to all 80 recommendations of the committee immediately rather than hide behind a six-month deadline that stretches past November’s election and into the next bushfire season,” he said.

“The committee couldn’t even get a straight answer on the CFA’s own readiness attestation. If the government is confident in how prepared the CFA was, why won’t it say what the qualifications in that attestation actually were?

“This report should embarrass the Labor government. A 26 per cent drop in CFA volunteers in 10 years should set off alarm bells in every regional community in this state. Instead, Labor cut funding and hid the truth.”

Capable volunteers

Mr Heffernan said CFA maintained one of the largest and most capable volunteer emergency workforces in Australia.

“Volunteer numbers have remained stable and strong in recent years – CFA has more than 52,400 volunteers, with more than 29,100 of them operational firefighters,” he said.

“It is common for volunteer numbers to fluctuate over time for a variety of reasons. CFA continues to attract new volunteers in significant numbers – over the last seven months, more than 1550 Victorians have joined their local brigade.”

In a statement issued on behalf of the CFA board and CFA chief executive Greg Leach, claims funding to CFA had been cut and volunteers and brigades were not prepared for the current fire season were disputed.

“The CFA budget has in fact increased year on year since Fire Services Reform in 2020, including an additional $20.3-million this financial year,” it read.

“In addition, on advice from the chief officer, the board sought from government additional funds to heighten readiness and community preparedness in the face of the challenging fire season.”

The result was an additional $11.6-million of supplementary funding for strategic bulk water supply and a statewide community engagement and awareness campaign; ‘Get Fire Ready’.

Victorian Farmers Federation, VFF, president Ryan Milgate said the inquiry must deliver action, not another report documenting the same failures that farmers have been warning governments about for years. 

“Victorian farmers are tired of paying the price for poor public land  management and woefully under-resourced emergency services that fail agriculture and regional communities,” he said. 

“Every summer, farmers are the ones on the frontline protecting their families, livestock, neighbours and communities. We continue to bear the brunt of decisions made from Spring Street and worst all of, we are left to pick up the pieces long after the fires are put out. 

“The government has been told what needs to change and these recommendations already exist.”

The VFF’s submission to the inquiry reinforced long-standing calls for practical fuel management at the public-private land boundary, greater investment in the CFA and stronger frontline firefighting capability that recognises the unique impacts bushfires have on agricultural businesses. 

Mr Milgate said the inquiry should focus on implementing solutions that have already been identified. 

“The VFF has been calling for practical reforms for years, including better management of public land fuel loads and stronger support for the CFA that properly recognises the impact of bushfires on farm businesses,” he said.

“Many of those recommendations have already been recognised through previous bushfire reviews. We don’t need another report, we need governments to start delivering and they can start doing that today.”

The government has six months to respond to the report.

The entire July 29, 2026 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!