A repeat of last year’s deadly Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria is imminent unless resources are immediately poured into staffing, controlled burns and contingency plans.

Testimony from the Bushfires Royal Commission is shedding new light on Victoria’s lack of readiness for the February 7 disaster, and IAG estimates that just 13% of properties damaged or destroyed by last year’s fires were insured.

This figure is well below an original estimate of 25% put forward by Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority Chairman Christine Nixon. About 80% of insured properties were underinsured.

Athol Hodgson, former chief fire officer for then Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands, told the commission last week Victoria’s fuel levels were too high, recommending a 300% increase in controlled burns.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment burns less than 2% of forests, well below a prescribed target of up to 6%.

Australian Workers Union representative Cesar Melhem says staffing levels must also be increased three-fold to counter future threats, and accused the Victorian Government of failing to invest in firefighters.

With 95% of claims finalised, the Insurance Council of Australia says insured losses now stand at $1.1 billion, making Black Saturday the ninth most damaging catastrophic event in Australian history.

More than 2000 homes and 136,000 hectares were lost from 480 separate bushfires across the state.