Inquest into the fire at Reedy Swamp Tarraganda Bega/Tathra

Case Number: 2018/94889 

Date of Findings: 17 December 2021

Magistrate: Deputy State Coroner, Magistrate Elaine Truscott

Catchwords: Fire General Inquiry-Cause and Origin – Electrical Infrastructure-Vegetation Management – Fuel Load Management – Emergency Response Management Communication and Co-Ordination – Provision of Resources – Rural Fire Service – Fire Rescue NSW – Communications of Warnings to Community –- Declaration under s44 of the Rural Fires Act 1997  

Responses

Recommendations

To Essential Energy:

1. That Essential Energy review the contemplated process of reconfiguring the fault curve applicable to reclosers under the “group D4 settings” to give consideration to prioritising reclosers in areas of greatest bush-fire risk. 
2. That Essential Energy conduct a further review of the settings applicable to sensitive earth faults on Total Fire Ban days with a view to determining whether further changes to the fault settings would be appropriate on such days, having regard to the capabilities of reclosers in the network and the implications of such measures for customer health and key public infrastructure. 
3. That Essential give consideration to seeking a revision to the Vegetation Management Common Requirement/Vegetation Management Requirements (VMCR/VMR) such that the nomenclature applied to “grow-in” (Tier 1) hazards and “fall-in” (Tier 2) hazards be changed so as to avoid the implication that fall-in hazards are subsidiary to grow-in hazards. 
4. That Essential consider reviewing the guidance provided in the VMCR/VMR to:
   a. clarify that a given dead, dying or structurally unsound tree that is seen from the perspective of the network assets should be designated a Tier 2 defect even where further investigations are necessary to assess the hazard the tree poses to the network; and
   b. confirm that a scoper is not themselves required to conduct an assessment of the structural integrity of a tree before reporting it as a Tier 2 defect.

To Essential Energy , Asplundh and Pinnacle:

1. That Essential, Asplundh and Pinnacle review the training, guidance material and assessment provided to scopers to:
   a. ensure that adequate training in tree risk assessment and visual tree assessment is provided to scopers;
   b. ensure that scopers’ capacity to identify dead, dying or structurally unsound trees is adequately assessed; and
   c. ensure that adequate guidance is provided in relation to when it is necessary to conduct scoping work on foot, rather than in a car or from a stationary position. 
2. That Essential, Asplundh and Pinnacle ensure that rangefinder binoculars or devices with similar functionality are provided to all scopers. 
3. That Asplundh and Pinnacle review the software used by scopers to ensure that it appropriately prompts scopers to consider Tier 2 defects and enter details regarding them. 

To the Commissioners of the NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire Rescue NSW:

1. That the NSW Rural Fire Service conduct a review of the training provided to personnel likely to occupy leadership roles within the Incident Management Team at the Bega Fire Control Centre to ensure that appropriate emphasis is placed on “worst case scenario planning”. 
2. That the NSW Rural Fire Service review the staffing arrangements applicable to the Bega Fire Control Centre to ensure that: the Incident Management Team includes: 
   a. The Incident Management Team includes appropriate dedicated intelligence gathering personnel;
   b. Planning and intelligence officers be included in the pre-formed Incident Management Team on high bushfire risk days.
3. That the NSW Rural Fire Service review the roll-out of the AVL devices and associated software applications to ensure that fireground commanders are able to effectively discern the location of resources while in the field. This review should include a consideration of the implications of failures in mobile phone networks. 
4. That the NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW jointly review the arrangements applicable to radio usage in relation to operations involving both NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW personnel to ensure that fire ground commanders are able to effectively communicate with, and provide directions to, members of other services. 
5. That the NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW review inter-agency training arrangements, to ensure that appropriate inter-agency practical exercises are conducted on a regular basis. 
6.  In the early stages of an incident or an Incident Management Team (IMT) being formed, liaison officers from all fire-fighting agencies should be requested, and each agency should make reasonable endeavours, given operational demands and personnel.