2019 Australia's Hottest and Driest - WMO, page-133

Very good point. He is either coming out on the problem for his personal survival and or protecting the firm as a hedge for future legal challenges. Unfortunately the Government is also likely to have mass legal challenges due to potential, derelection of duty of care. That is ignoring expert advice from multiple sources, including Government departments and experts. One obvious example was the need ( and offers from multiple Countries) to have commissioned large aircraft to be part of the fire fighting.
This very well could have saved multiple lives, properties, homes, livestock, businesses.
And yet zero response to these warnings. Massive legal on the cards.

Cheers