Bushfire preparedness and response inquiry submissions open

AFTER a devastating summer of bushfires, regional communities are being urged to have their say in the parliamentary inquiry into Victoria’s preparedness and emergency response.

The Environment and Planning Standing Committee will examine planning, mitigation, land management and the response to the 2026 summer fires.

The Nationals Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, said this is the final opportunity for communities to ensure their experiences are formally heard and reflected in the findings.

“This inquiry must deliver more than a report,” Ms Cleeland said.

“It must lead to real, practical improvements before next fire season.

“Across our region, families lived through months of anxiety, loss and relentless pressure.

“Our farmers, CFA volunteers, emergency service personnel and local communities carried the load when it mattered most.

“They deserve complete transparency about whether the systems designed to protect them actually worked.”

Ms Cleeland said the inquiry must closely examine fuel reduction and land management, frontline resourcing, funding allocation and how effectively agencies coordinated on the ground.

“Too often, reviews repeat the same findings without meaningful change,” she said.

“Regional communities cannot afford another cycle of lessons acknowledged but ignored.

“This must be a clear-eyed assessment of what worked, what failed and what must change before next summer.”

Ms Cleeland encouraged residents, first responders, volunteers, farmers and business owners to lodge submissions before the deadline to ensure regional voices are heard.

“The people on the fireground and in our towns understand better than anyone where the strengths and gaps were,” she said.

“Their experiences must shape the recommendations that come out of this process.”

Submissions close on 15 March, with the committee due to report by 1 June.

Further details about the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to lodge a submission, are available on the Victorian Parliament website.