The report of an independent investigation into the Fraser Island bushfires is still under wraps in the office of Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan, despite being presented to him more than two weeks ago, a ministerial spokesman has confirmed.
The spokesman told Noosa Today Mr Ryan expects to release the report soon, but is waiting on responses from government agencies, particularly the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service.
Both organisations were strongly criticised in public submissions to the inquiry, including those lodged by former Forestry Department officials, conservationists and Aboriginal elders.
The inquiry followed the revelation in Noosa Today that a large fire fighting aircraft had sat idle on the tarmac in Bundaberg for six weeks while the fire burned out of control, eventually destroying wildlife and vegetation over much of the northern half of the island.
Inquiry submissions, made available to Gympie Today by their authors, included claims by former island forestry managers that neither government agency had sufficient fire management expertise to ensure environmental or public safety.
