Bushfire preparedness: motions

The question put

That this house: (1) notes with great concern that Victoria remains inadequately prepared for the forthcoming bushfire season, with excessive forest fuel loads and insufficient mitigation works; (2) acknowledges that the Victorian bushfires royal commission recommended the annual fuel reduction of at least five per cent of public forest area, yet the government’s current program achieves on average only 1.5 per cent per year; (3) further notes that: (a) Forest Fire Management Victoria has: (i) completed only 67 per cent of planned fuel reduction and 26 per cent of priority works over the past two years; (ii) expended over $1.1 billion above budget in nine years, with only 5 per cent of expenditure directed to direct fuel reduction activities; (iii) grounded a significant proportion of its firefighting fleet at the commencement of the 2025–‍26 fire season; (b) over the past 18 years, more than 60 per cent of Victoria’s mature forest has been lost to bushfire, much of which could have been prevented through effective mitigation and early intervention; and (4) calls on the Allan government to protect life, property, flora and fauna from preventable bushfire disasters.