The development of the research agenda has continued at pace during the last months with extensive engagement with the researchers and end-users. The focus has been on ensuring there is no duplication of work within the program or with work outside the program. Also, an indication of what is missing has been undertaken, and analysis of this is progressing.
The most significant of these gaps was illustrated by the comments from a number of fire agencies that there was not enough fire research. This has partially been addressed through a proposal to take on the National Fire Danger Rating Project and, alongside that, a commitment to further research into the fire behaviour aspects that have not been funded through the NEMP program, as well as focus on the next generation fire prediction systems. This proposal will see approximately $5.5M budgeted for this over the eight years; a significant investment.
An approximation of the current split is that around 40 per cent of the total eight year budget is related to just fire, around 40 per cent is related to multi-hazard and the remainder to other hazards.
Further work is underway to place a strategic framework around the program to ensure that the budgets make sense.
The next steps with the research program is to better bed down the projects with key end-users, and plan the longer term program. As part of the CA we will need to undertake the development of an economic impact template, which necessarily links the research program to outcomes for the community, in economic, but also social and environmental terms.