The Victorian Parliamentary Environment and Natural Resources Committee (ENRC) started an Inquiry into the Impact of Public Land Management Practices on Bushfires in Victoria in March 2008. It received 257 submissions, and 719 "proforma" submissions; heard privileged evidence from 202 witnesses representing 139 organisations at 17 public hearings. It made 17 site inspections in Victoria and 1 in Perth W.A.

Its Report was tabled in Parliament on 26/6/08 and in the Foreword said,

"the overwhelming view of the Committee is that the management of our public lands can and must be improved. In particular, the Committee recognizes that the Department of Sustainability and Environment must significantly increase the level of prescribed burning to mitigate the impact of future bushfires".

 The ENRC recommended "That in order to enhance the protection of community and ecological assets, the Department of Sustainability and Environment increase its annual prescribed burning target from 130,000 hectares to 385,000 hectares. This should be treated as a rolling target, with any shortfalls to be made up in subsequent years".

On 4/12/08 the Government gave "support in principle" to the recommendation.

 Forest Fire Vic members believe that: 

• An annual prescribed burning target of 460,000 hectares of public land is necessary to ensure the long-term well being and safety of forest ecosystems and their surrounding rural and urban communities.

• The recommendation of the ENRC of a target for prescribed burning of 385,000 hectares annually should therefore be viewed as conservative, and as a minimum target pending review. 

• Any future review of the target must be done by the ENRC, not by the Government, Minister of the day or agency appointed by the Government or Minister. A review in 2018 would be appropriate.

• The area burnt by unplanned fires must not be regarded as an offset against this minimum annual target. The long-term objective of the burning program is to establish an effective distribution of fuel age classes across the landscape. So where large areas have been burnt by unplanned fires prescribed burning may need to commence on these areas before the normal rotation time so as to establish a proper range of fuel ages.

• The Government must make the ENRC target mandatory in such a way that performance and accountability can be accurately assessed. This requires amending  Section 62 of the Forests Act 1958 to ensure the words "proper and sufficient work for prevention and suppression" mean and include an "annual prescribed burning target of at least 385 000 hectares. This should be treated as a rolling target, with any shortfalls to be made up in subsequent years"

• The Government must fund DSE properly to increase its workforce and skills levels to carry out this burning in a professional and safe manner across all tenures of public land.

Endorsed by Forest Fire Victoria membership, January 2010.