By Kristina Burke
Earlier this year we featured a piece about the inadequacies of the new Fire Danger Ratings introduced in the summer of 2010.
The controversial “Catastrophic/Code Red” warning was again raised by Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin when he again gave evidence to the Bushfires Royal Commission, highlighting this time the economic impact these warnings had on tourism and local businesses in areas designated “Catastrophic/Code Red”.
The new warnings have had far-reaching impacts across all areas of the community and raised even more concerns and issues. These include:
- Lingering negative perceptions of a destination after a Code Red/Catastrophic warning for that area has been issued, which deter visitors and tourists from travelling to the region, thus impacting on tourism and local businesses generally.
- Significant impacts on tourism businesses due to cancellations resulting from the mere issue of a Code Red warning for their area.
- Uncertainty for employers regarding their obligations in relation to standing down employees when a Code Red warning is declared.
- Confusion and, in particular, difficulties for working parents when schools and child-care centres in high risk fire areas are compulsorily closed in the event of a Code Red warning being issued.
These topics have been raised previously on the VECCI Blog; they are under discussion again bearing in mind the next so-called bushfire season is less than six months away.
VECCI, Tourism Alliance Victoria (TAV) and the Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) have collectively made representations to Government to address these issues, at the heart of which lies the contentiously worded “Code Red/Catastrophic” Fire Danger Rating. Progress is being made on the employment issues and we have stressed timing urgency for a Federal solution, which may need legislation and regulations or guidelines.
The Fire Danger Rating system is currently under review after its initial deployment in the 2009-10 summer.
Removing the word “Catastrophic” from the highest Fire Danger Rating would answer the popular call from the tourism industry and the business sector more broadly; however, this alone is not enough.
Government leadership, inter-Departmental cooperation, and clear and comprehensive communications regarding recommended actions during a “Code Red” warning are required to minimise the negative impacts of a warning system that is supposed to help save lives and ensure public safety.
What are your thoughts? Is a negative impact on business the inevitable cost of trying to ensure public safety? Do the new Fire Danger Ratings go too far, or not far enough?
