The final report of the bushfires royal commission will be handed down today and Dr Sykes hopes the recommendations put forward will help reduce the risk of another inferno as seen on February 7 last year.

“Obviously there’s going to be a heck of a lot of things to come out of it but I think the thing we need to focus on is maximising our risk management,” he said.

“That ... includes things like fuel reduction, better power line maintenance and clearing of vegetation around power lines.”

Dr Sykes said the report should also improve bushfire response after a litany of communication breakdowns left Black Saturday victims feeling isolated and unsure whether to defend their homes or flee.

“The second thing is increased preparedness to respond quickly and appropriately,” he said.

“We need improved communication, including making sure our triple 0 system is working properly and that the CFA pager system can cope.

“Mobile telephone coverage we know is a problem in that Mudgegonga area, for a start.”

The final issue Dr Sykes said needed to be addressed was management of the recovery phase.

He said in other areas in particular, management of people’s mental health was not as good as it should have been.

“Locally we had case workers who got out to the people in need but down Melbourne way they set up services from a community centre and said ‘if you’re depressed or suicidal, pop in and see us’,” Dr Sykes said.

“We need to encourage that getting out and dealing with people wherever they are, whether that’s in a caravan or at a neighbour’s place.”

Dr Sykes said more also needed to be done to help victims rebuild their homes after many battled bureaucracy and red tape after Black Saturday.