With the world’s eyes on the bushfire crisis, Australia must establish itself as a global leader on climate action, Tom Swann writes.

As it stands, Australia’s healthcare system is not prepared for climate change. Policymakers must recognise this very real threat to the health of Australians and make significant changes to prepare for the future, Arnagretta Hunter writes.

Australians must take a long-term approach to living with the threat of large bushfires. This means learning from Indigenous people, who have always had long-term interests at heart when looking after the landscape, Leslie Schultz, Jessica Weir, and Helen Langley write.

This live blog has now finished. For more on Australia's bushfires, visit our In Focus section.

In the face of disaster, misinformation can move quickly, and solutions can be hard to come by. As part of our mission to bring you relevant, fact-based, policy-focused debate on crucial issues, over the coming weeks Policy Forum will cover analysis and opinion on Australia’s bushfires.

Don’t miss a beat right here. If you see any analysis and opinion you think we should cover, reach out directly to me at angus.blackman@anu.edu.au. You can also join the conversation on social media via @APPSPolicyForum on Twitter or in our Policy Forum Pod Facebook group.

Reflecting on the fire season ravaging the country, providing an in-depth personal perspective, Policy Forum’s Editor-in-Chief Quentin Grafton recounts his own experience of the bushfire threat and provides a timeline of the unfolding chaos.

With fires devastating much of Australia, people are looking for answers. Reintroducing traditional fire management practices, taxing industries that contribute to climate change, and dramatically accelerating emissions reduction efforts are central to the solution, Byron Fay writes.