All submissions were addressed to review lead investigator Mike Blake, who is overseeing the inquiry into the floods that ravaged the state in June 2016.

The State Emergency Service (SES) said the public was not sufficiently equipped for major flood events.

“More can and should be done with respect to community flood education,” their submission read.

“The SES is working closely with Tasmania Fire Service to ensure an aligned community safety education program moving forward.”

In the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s submission, they identified the Council of Australian Governments’ National Strategy for Disaster Resilience as one of their terms of reference for effective natural disaster mitigation.

The strategy reportedly strengthens Australia’s ability to withstand natural disasters by “having clear and effective education systems so people understand what options are available and what the best course of action is in responding to a hazard as it approaches”.

But Tasmanian Health Service Safety and Emergency Management consultant Carl Graham noted that emergency workers also needed a better understanding of how to respond during a flood event.

“Recent incidents highlight the need for first responders to have increased knowledge of … first aid measures and what processes are in place for referring affected persons to relevant support services required,” Mr Graham said.

The Government Flood Review team received more than 50 submissions, from both public and private entities. These included farmers, home-owners, government agencies and non-government organisations.

The review team met with emergency responders, as well as councils and government agencies that were affected by the 2016 floods.

In December, they visited flood-damaged areas in the North and North-West of the state.

More “face-to-face” meetings are planned for early 2017.

The review report is due to be submitted to the state government on June 1.

To learn more about flood preparation, visit the TasAlert website or the Bureau of Meteorology’s general flood information page.