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| Australia bushfire inquiry opens | Australia bushfire inquiry opens |
| (2 days later) | |
| Victims of February's bushfires in Victoria have complained they are being locked out of a public inquiry into the worst disaster in Australian peacetime. | Victims of February's bushfires in Victoria have complained they are being locked out of a public inquiry into the worst disaster in Australian peacetime. |
| The Royal Commission into the fires has opened in Melbourne, the state capital, but victims' groups say they are being denied a voice. | The Royal Commission into the fires has opened in Melbourne, the state capital, but victims' groups say they are being denied a voice. |
| There is also anger that the initial focus of the inquiry is the response to the fires rather than what caused them. | There is also anger that the initial focus of the inquiry is the response to the fires rather than what caused them. |
| The Black Saturday bushfires killed 173 people and destroyed over 2,000 homes. | The Black Saturday bushfires killed 173 people and destroyed over 2,000 homes. |
| In announcing the Royal Commission into the worst bushfires in Australia's modern history, the state government said it would allow everyone to have a say - that it would be a "peoples' commission". | In announcing the Royal Commission into the worst bushfires in Australia's modern history, the state government said it would allow everyone to have a say - that it would be a "peoples' commission". |
| But groups and lawyers representing hundreds of victims claim they are being excluded. | But groups and lawyers representing hundreds of victims claim they are being excluded. |
| If you can stop the fires, you don't have to worry about whether you are going to flee Lawyer href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7879132.stm">Bushfire dilemma: Flee or fight? href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7883668.stm">Should bushfire policy change? | |
| The commission has decided to hear evidence from people whose conduct will come under scrutiny during the inquiry - state officials and the emergency services. | The commission has decided to hear evidence from people whose conduct will come under scrutiny during the inquiry - state officials and the emergency services. |
| But the victims have argued that the best way to identify the cause of the fires is to hear directly from those who suffered from them; people who lost their relatives and their homes. | But the victims have argued that the best way to identify the cause of the fires is to hear directly from those who suffered from them; people who lost their relatives and their homes. |
| The state's leading forestry body has also been denied the right to appear - even though the management of forests and bush land is thought by many to have contributed to the ferocity of the fires. | The state's leading forestry body has also been denied the right to appear - even though the management of forests and bush land is thought by many to have contributed to the ferocity of the fires. |
| 'Too late' | 'Too late' |
| The commission will initially focus on the government's evacuation strategy - the controversial "stay and defend or leave early policy". | The commission will initially focus on the government's evacuation strategy - the controversial "stay and defend or leave early policy". |
| The counsel assisting the commission said that while people knew of the risk, they were not aware the fire would spread at "phenomenal" speed. | The counsel assisting the commission said that while people knew of the risk, they were not aware the fire would spread at "phenomenal" speed. |
| "There will be evidence to suggest that accurate or timely information was not available during 7 February 2009," Jack Rush QC said. | "There will be evidence to suggest that accurate or timely information was not available during 7 February 2009," Jack Rush QC said. |
| He said that evidence would demonstrate that "people remained in their homes unaware of approaching fires, until it was too late". | He said that evidence would demonstrate that "people remained in their homes unaware of approaching fires, until it was too late". |
| There is no national standard for bushfire warnings and Mr Rush told the commission that it was unclear who had responsibility for issuing alerts in Victoria. | There is no national standard for bushfire warnings and Mr Rush told the commission that it was unclear who had responsibility for issuing alerts in Victoria. |
| There has been disquiet among victims' groups that the commission will look primarily at the evacuation strategy. | There has been disquiet among victims' groups that the commission will look primarily at the evacuation strategy. |
| Some groups have said they would prefer the inquiry to focus on the causes of the fires. | Some groups have said they would prefer the inquiry to focus on the causes of the fires. |
| "If you can stop the fires," said one lawyer, "you don't have to worry about whether you are going to flee." | "If you can stop the fires," said one lawyer, "you don't have to worry about whether you are going to flee." |