A Royal Commission into the 173 deaths that occurred during severe bush fires in Australia in 2009 has found that the country’s system of responding to fires is wanting.

In 2009, after several major bushfires ripped through the state of Victoria, the federal government of Australia established the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission to find out where the government’s response to the disaster went wrong.

It has recommended a string of changes to ensure that future disasters are properly managed and contained.

The royal commission was conducted over a series of 155 days and heard testimony from more than 400 witnesses.

A lack of communication and a risky evacuation policy were the two major failings identified among the 63 recommended changes to the system.

Many residents claimed that there was not enough communication between the authorities and the public and that under the extreme pressure brought to bear by the bushfires the rescue and emergency response system fell apart entirely.

Also criticised by the report was a policy called “stay and defend or leave early”, whereby residents were allowed to remain behind and try to save their homes, the report identified this policy as a major reason for the high death toll from bushfires in 2009.

The report also calls for better public warnings, a better plan for communicating information to residents, having designated community refuge centres set up and a comprehensive evacuation plan that can be mobilised in an emergency.

The state government of Victoria has already announced that it will begin making major changes in-line with the report’s findings and invited the public to voice their opinions through a community consultation program.

The worst day of the bushfires, known as Black Saturday, is a day that passed into legend in Australia, it was the culmination of the country’s worst bushfires on record and many residents are reportedly too scared to move back into the urban areas in danger of wildfires.