VIC:Brumby sorry over Black Saturday

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2010
VIC:Brumby sorry over Black Saturday

By Greg Rule and Paul Mulvey

MELBOURNE, Aug 1 AAP - Premier John Brumby has apologised for the systematic failures
on Black Saturday, but continues to throw his support behind Victoria's emergency services
heads.

While backing his emergency chiefs despite the scathing criticism they received from
the bushfires royal commission, Mr Brumby for the first time issued an apology over the
fires which claimed 173 lives on February 7, 2009.

"I said that there were system failures on the day ... and for that all of us who were
involved, from me and everybody, are obviously sorry that those systems failed and I personally
feel the weight of responsibility to get the arrangements and systems right in future
so that we never again see a repeat of those circumstances of February 7," he told ABC
Radio on Sunday.

While offering an apology, Mr Brumby also offered his full support for the senior figures
whose leadership led to many of those system failures, according to the commission's final
report which was delivered on Saturday.

But Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin indicated he could be the third to
quit in the shadow of the royal commission.

He issued a prepared statement on Sunday, in which he said he was considering his future
following the commission's 900-page report which criticised his view that the declaration
of a state of emergency on Black Saturday was not required.

If Mr Esplin decides to resign from the position he has held for 10 years, his departure
would follow those of Country Fire Authority (CFA) chief Russell Rees and bushfire recovery
taskforce head Christine Nixon, who both quit in the weeks leading up to the report that
damned them.

Mr Brumby on Sunday singled out Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE)
chief fire officer Ewan Waller who the commission said relied too much on his subordinates
during the bushfire crisis.

"Ewan, like many people on that day, would have said `if I had the chance again, perhaps
I would have done things differently'," Mr Brumby said.

"But I am standing by Ewan Waller and, by the way, we are standing by those other individuals
who are named in the report."

But the premier appeared to stop short of such support for Mr Rees who recently retired
after being intensely criticised during commission hearings.

"Russell has of course departed so Russell is a private citizen and he is no longer
a member of the CFA and any comments Russell might like to make, Russell could make,"

Mr Brumby said.

Mr Rees is yet to respond to the report and is said to be holidaying interstate.

While Mr Rees remains silent, Mr Waller issued a statement on Sunday, welcoming the
report, but failing to respond to its criticism.

The commission said Mr Waller "did not descend into the detail of the fires" and he
and Mr Rees were both deficient in their roles.

But he says he won't comment publicly on the report until he's fully considered its findings.

"My role now is to embrace the lessons learnt, and continue to help lead DSE as we
build on the many improvements we've already made since Black Saturday," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Brumby said the government would act swiftly on the final report and
its 67 far-reaching recommendations, with its initial response issued within days.

Speaking at Whittlesea fire station, Mr Brumby said he travelled to the bushfire zone
to applaud the efforts of firefighters and tell them he carried "the fully weight of responsibility"

that Victoria never again suffered another Black Saturday.

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