Reflections on the interim observations of the bushfires Royal Commission — notable omissions and missed opportunities

The catastrophic fire season of 2019–20, described as the “Black Summer”, was Australia’s longest and most severe fire season on record. In response, on 20 February 2020, the Commonwealth Government established a Royal Commission into Australia’s Arrangements for Responding to Natural Disasters (“the Royal Commission”). The Royal Commission has been conducted alongside the second decadal review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (“the EPBC Act Review”), which commenced on 29 October 2019.