Avoiding ‘disaster fatigue’, being ready to fight again

Amid a horrendous bushfire season, the choice for this newspaper’s 2019 Australian of the Year was clear-cut. The nation’s volunteer firefighters were collectively honoured by the award. We viewed these heroic men and women as emblematic of the spirit of modern Australia. They captured our history of bravery, sacrifice and service, and remind us of our unique connection to land held so dear by indigenous Australians. To our mind, firefighters represented an optimism that has come to epitomise the Australian character, an air of dogged determination and admirable aspiration that has made us who we are and will continue to define us as a nation in the decades ahead.

Torrential rains in NSW this week have doused flames, with authorities declaring all bush and grass fires in the state contained; it was the first time this fire season the state’s Rural Fire Service was able to say that. In truth, it was a temporary reprieve from bad news. For those who have lost family and friends, or homes, stock and livelihoods, the recovery is in its very early days. It will take years to regain what was taken. Much of the heavy lifting of recovery will be done far out of sight. Former governor-general Peter Cosgrove has asked Australians to be hopeful and patient, not to succumb to “disaster fatigue”. He told Paul Kelly recovery would require the best from all of us — government, business, citizens — after the trauma. Sir Peter, a veteran of global and local disaster recovery, says the bushfires are the worst he’s seen. He is chairman of the Community Rebuilding Initiative, which is co-ordinating recovery work by large companies, and is calling on big businesses to do what they can to help affected small businesses and families.

As Yoni Bashan reports, serious deficiencies in NSW RFS preparedness, equipment and practices are coming to light in the aftermath of the fires. An audit by this newspaper has uncovered a lack of lifesaving roll-bars and thermal protection in vehicles, as well as burdensome hose reels that require two people to wind them. Firefighters are using sub-par breathing apparatus. There’s a lack of technology to locate fire trucks, something that Fire and Rescue NSW already uses. Radio transmission is jammed by too many users. Worryingly, there are extensive lag times with updating the heavily promoted and vital Fires Near Me app because of a lack of line-scanning aircraft. A business case to significantly upgrade the RFS’s dilapidated and severely outdated truck fleet has been gathering dust, endangering the lives of thousands of volunteers who have been fighting the fires. As we know, fireys are imbued with community spirit and a sense of duty. Being paid, for instance, is anathema to the calling. Citizens will be alarmed, if not angry, to learn about the man-made hazards of bureaucracy and poor resourcing that imperil the lives of our volunteers.

Australians have been generous in donating to charities, but do so with the expectation funds will go to people and communities in greatest need, not on general administration. Taxpayers also want emergency services funded properly; donations to the RFS, for instance, should not be an opportunity for government to shift costs on to the public for equipment. The money should be used to build capacity and take the weight off volunteers, who often pay for their own gear.

As fire-ravaged communities begin to find their feet, damage to critical infrastructure is hampering everyday life. Bushfire recovery chief Andrew Colvin has raised the need to find new ways to protect power transmission lines, telecommunications and farm fencing. We don’t have the capacity, for instance, to replace the 50 million fence posts destroyed. Many communities are still without electricity. Portable mobile phone towers are in use around NSW. Mr Colvin, a former Australian Federal Police commissioner, suggests we use a national security model to build resilience and redundancies into our key networks as a defence against natural disasters.

Sir Peter believes the fires have altered the nation’s view on climate change. Scott Morrison says Australia will experience hotter, drier and longer fire seasons over the coming decade. The government’s response to climate change has three elements: emissions reduction, improving the country’s resilience and adapting to extreme weather, not just bushfires. The Prime Minister speaks of taking out insurance against these weather risks as a form of national security. He has written to the states seeking feedback on what a royal commission into the bushfires, to be headed by former chief of the Defence Force Mark Binskin, should look at. It is likely to consider land management issues, such as hazard reduction, and federal powers for declaring a national state of emergency. Mr Morrison wants the inquiry completed by the end of August, to give emergency authorities every chance of being ready for the next fire season. Some lessons are obvious, as our audit shows. As well, recovery won’t be one-size-fits-all. Afflicted communities face different issues. As a nation, we must not lose focus or heart on the long road ahead. We are an adaptable and hardy people, so let’s dig in, rebuild and improve our policies.