Independent review into South Australia's 2019/20 bushfire season

05 Feb 2020 media release

The State Government has announced an independent review will be conducted into the unprecedented 2019/20 bushfire season, to look into our State's preparedness for dealing with significant bushfires and what can be done to mitigate the impact of bushfires on our communities into the future. 

Members of the public are invited to provide input to the review via email, a written submission, or via the online portal, YourSAy by 22 March 2020.

The scope of the review and its Terms of Reference are available on the link below. 

"This season has been particularly difficult and devastating for dozens of communities with huge losses never experienced before. This review is about ensuring our State is as ready and prepared as we can be for further significant bushfires," the Premier said when announcing the review.

Former Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mr Mick Keelty will lead the review with the support of the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM) and experts from our State's Emergency Services Sector.

Mr Keelty said "the fires across Southern and Eastern Australia this bushfire season have already had a devastating impact on communities such as Kangaroo Island and the Adelaide Hills. I look forward to the opportunity of working with the South Australian Government and those involved in the firefighting operations to review and analyse the bushfire season to improve bushfire preparedness for the future".

Click the link below for more information about the South Australian 2019-2020 Bushfire Review. 

Terms of Reference

The scope of the South Australian 2019-2020 Bushfire Review is documented in a Terms of Reference (ToR). Click the link below to read the ToR in further detail.

Public Consultation Process

Members of the public are invited to provide input to the review via email or a written submission. An online portal on the YourSAy website is available for members of the public to provide input to the review. Volunteers Associations, Unions, staff and volunteers of Fire and Emergency Services and associated agencies will also be invited to provide feedback and written submissions. 

The review team will also meet with Emergency Services staff, volunteers and their representative bodies in Adelaide and across regional South Australia. After reading the ToR, you can provide your feedback by:

SA Fire & Emergency Services Commission
South Australian 2019-2020 Bushfire Review
GPO Box 2706 Adelaide SA 5001

Key Dates

  • Review begins: 28 January 2020
  • Public consultation commences: 3 February 2020
  • Public consultation closes: 22 March 2020
  • Review findings provided to State Government: 30 June 2020

Contact Us

For general enquiries about the review, please email: [email protected] 

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