Australia's former chief medical officer has told the bushfire royal commission a number of health policy reforms and research projects are "on ice" because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This includes research into the long-term impact of bushfire smoke on people's health.
Federal Health Secretary Brendan Murphy said the research was in the advanced stages but the pandemic had demanded a refocus of energy.
"When you're dealing with a once in a hundred year pandemic that has crippled the world, all the rules are out really," Dr Murphy said.
"Hundreds of very important policy reforms have been put on ice for months, and we're still trying to really get things going again."
Little research into long-term effects
In its first week of sittings the royal commission heard evidence that smoke from the summer bushfires killed 450 people.
In an earlier hearing, the commission heard that modelling done by health researchers had found 80 percent of Australians were affected by bushfire smoke at some point over the 2019/2020 season.
It also heard smoke was responsible for 445 deaths over the 2019/20 bushfire season — but the long term impact on those exposed was limited.
"There really isn't a lot of very good scientific evidence as to long-term effects of biomass bushfire smoke," Dr Murphy said.
"In the context of the 2019/20 bushfires, there are nine projects that have been funded.
"That funding was $5 million under the National Research Management Systems, split between research that looks at the long-term impacts of smoke, both physiological, behavioural and psychological, then further funding for the mental health impacts of bushfire smoke."
Dr Murphy he told the commission the research was underway but was likely to be delayed.
Commission hopes to learn from COVID-19 response
The commission also sought advice about the national coordination effort to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 Coordination Commission's Jane Halton told said third parties could assist with the coordination of supplies into disaster-affected regions in future, but must be versed in disaster management.
She warned a lack of experience would exacerbate problems in affected communities.
"It means it will be slower," Mrs Halton said.
"It will not do what people on the ground need, which is to deliver a seamless service."
