IGEM Report 1: 2017-18 - THE CYCLONE DEBBIE REVIEW

Inspector-General Emergency Management

This openness is a strong indicator of the positive evolution of the culture within the disaster management system in Queensland. Anecdotally, a major contributor to shortcomings in the previous learning of lessons has been a tendency to focus attention on what went wrong. Through this review we have been conscious of equally focusing on what went well as much as opportunities for improvement. This has produced a number of good practice examples and positive solutions, at a local and broader system level. These examples are shared throughout the report and will form a range of examples that can be applied by disaster management practitioners. Lessons, good practice and innovation emerging from Debbie must continue to inform continuous improvement in disaster management. There are problems which reoccur because they are naturally difficult to solve. Yet the consequence of failing to learn is potential loss of property, or worse, lives. Learning must occur in collaboration and challenge siloed thinking. Multi-agency, multi-group and system-wide lesson learning and information sharing is crucial to improve future practice.

Findings contained in this report must inform disaster management planning, training, exercising and practice. Opportunities to seek innovative solutions to enduring problems also exist through partnering with tertiary organisations, including the current Bushfire and Natural Hazard Collaborative Research Centre. Through the gathering of information for this review, it is clear that leadership at all levels of government and non- government are committed to ensuring the best community outcomes. Strengthening of partnerships with the community remain vital to ensure that the solutions to lessons identified continue to meet community expectations. System-wide dissemination of lessons and a robust method of monitoring and reporting on improvement strategies will lead to sustainable improvements. These improvements are more likely to be embedded if they are incorporated into a cycle of planning and are tested through exercising. Lessons won’t be lost until the next review, leading to sustainable and measureable change in the system.

Underlying precepts

Recommendation Queensland should implement and maintain a System-wide lesson management program. Finding Where there were comprehensive and consistent approaches to debriefing, opportunities for improvement and good practice were better identified.

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The Cyclone Debbie Review

Lessons for delivering value and confidence through trust and empowerment