Fire chiefs press Scott Morrison for action on climate change

Former fire chiefs have called on Scott Morrison and the Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Arrangements to implement a number of climate change reforms.

An Emergency Leaders for Climate Action report outlines 165 recommendations to help the nation better prepare for, and respond to, horror bushfire seasons.

A coalition of former fire chiefs has called on Scott Morrison and the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements to implement a number of climate change reforms to prevent the Black Summer from happening again.

An Emergency Leaders for Climate Action report, released on Thursday and developed with more than 150 experts, outlines 165 recommendations to help the nation better prepare for, and respond to, horror bushfire seasons.

The group is calling for the nation’s medium and large aerial firefighting capability to be boosted, an Indigenous-led National Cultural Fire Strategy to complement and inform fuel management, and a national disaster fund — paid by a fossil fuel producer levy — to pay for climate-fuelled disaster costs.

Climate councillor and former Fire & Rescue NSW commissioner Greg Mullins said it was critical the Morrison government tackled the root cause of climate change by urgently phasing out fossil fuels to reach net zero emissions — a task he said he hoped would be included in the royal commission’s final report.

“Climate change has pushed Australia into a new bushfire era where we must fundamentally rethink how we prepare for and manage this growing threat,” he said.

“This plan outlines practical steps that all levels of government can take right now to better protect communities.

“It is important that the federal government takes these recommendations seriously and acts on them urgently.”

Mr Mullins told the commission last month longer bushfire seasons were restricting the ability of states to share firefighting resources across borders and called for greater national co-ordination to deal with climate change as it drives a spike in extreme weather events.

“I’ve been watching the enemy for 50 years now and the enemy’s geared up, you could say, like they’ve suddenly got nuclear weapons,” Mr Mullins said. “We’re still trying to deal with that with conventional forces and we need more help.”

Other recommendations include establishing an independent insurance price monitor so that Australians in disaster-prone areas can still insure their homes, and a national strategy on climate change, health and wellbeing.

Deloitte Access Economics partner Nicki Hutley said the estimated economic cost of the Black Summer had been $5bn.