FIRES' ROYAL COMMISSION TO HAVE WIDE TERMS OF REFERENCE
The Premier John Brumby today announced the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Victoria’s bushfires and two commissioners to support chair Justice Bernard Teague in his work.
Mr Brumby said the Royal Commission, to be led by Justice Teague, would have the broadest possible terms of reference and capacity to inquire into all aspects of the fires.
“These fires have taken so much from Victorian communities and they want and deserve to know all the details about how these devastating bushfires occurred, the response to them and most importantly, any steps that can be taken to prevent this from ever happening again,” Mr Brumby said.
“That’s why we’ve ordered the highest level of judicial inquiry in the state. I want to assure Victorians that this commission will have the capacity to examine every aspect of the bushfires – no stone will be left unturned.
“We learnt lessons from the Black Friday bushfires of 1939, we learnt lessons after Ash Wednesday in 1983 and we want to learn the lessons from these horrific bushfires too.”
Two commissioners have been appointed to assist Justice Teague and to provide additional expertise – former Commonwealth Ombudsman Ron McLeod and State Services Authority Commissioner Susan Pascoe.
Mr Brumby said Mr McLeod led the inquiry into the 2003 ACT bushfires and had expertise in operational management and Ms Pascoe brought a strong community background to the role.
“Justice Teague, Mr McLeod and Ms Pascoe have the skills needed to undertake an inquiry of this scale and importance with compassion and integrity,” he said. “They will begin work immediately.”
The Royal Commission will provide an interim report by 17 August, 2009 to enable early recommendations to be implemented before next summer’s bushfire season. The final report will be due by 31 July, 2010.
Deputy Premier and Attorney-General Rob Hulls said the Commission would look at all aspects of the fires including how they started, the preparation by governments and other agencies ahead of the threat, and the response to them.
“The Commissioners have extensive powers to call for any papers or persons relevant to their inquiry,” Mr Hulls said.
“The Commission has been asked to make recommendations on a wide range of aspects including fire preparation, planning schemes, response measures, communication systems and strategies, and training and resourcing.”
The Government has approved $40 million for the establishment and operation of the Royal Commission.
Justice Bernard Teague retired from the Supreme Court last year after serving 21 years on the bench. He was the first practicing solicitor appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1987. He has also chaired the Adult Parole Board and the Victorian Forensic Leave Panel, as well as being a council member of the Institute of Forensic Mental Health. He specialises in criminal and civil law. He was made an officer of the Order of Australia on Australia Day this year.
Ron McLeod has been a career official in the Australian Public Service since 1958. He was a Senior Executive in the Public Service Board for many years before serving as a Deputy Secretary in the Defence Department for 12 years. Mr McLeod has more recently been the Commonwealth and Defence Force Ombudsman, as well as the ACT Ombudsman. Mr McLeod led the inquiry into the operational response to the 2003 ACT bushfires.
Susan Pascoe has been a full-time Commissioner with the Victorian State Services Authority, with responsibility for Regulatory Reform, since September 2006. She was formerly the Chief Executive of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria and the Director of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Before this, she was the Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Ms Pascoe has been closely involved in state, national and international efforts to improve the quality and equity of school education.