Australian Government Agencies

A $500 million class action lawsuit is being filed against several Australian government agencies, including the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Parks Victoria and the Country Fire Authority (CFA) on behalf of more than 1,000 landowners for losses from the January 2003 bushfires which burnt out more than 1.3 million hectares, destroyed 41 houses, and killed 11,000 head of livestock and one person. The suit alleged that years of negligence by state government departments caused the fire's magnitude.