The ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires that burnt through Victoria in February 2009 resulted in Australia’s highest ever loss of life from a bushfire, deeply and enduringly affecting the community and fire management agencies. The Victorian Government’s adoption of all 67 recommendations of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission that followed Black Saturday advanced the implementation of a strategic risk-based approach to bushfire management on public land. At the core of the approach is a new process for strategic bushfire management planning that is consistent with international standards for risk management. In developing landscape-scale bushfire management strategies, regional planning teams seek to both reduce the impact of major bushfires on the community and maintain or improve the resilience of our natural ecosystems, with primacy of life the highest priority. The strategic planning process draws on cutting-edge bushfire simulation modelling and risk analysis to quantify bushfire risk and enable rigorous risk assessment and evaluation of strategy options for managing that risk. Stronger engagement with stakeholders and the community enables a greater understanding of what people value which in turn informs strategy selection. Victoria’s innovative new approach recognises bushfire management as a key component of land management, and applies a community informed and evidence based process to decision making. The first Strategic Bushfire Management Plans developed through the application of a strategic risk-based planning process will be released in late 2014. These plans will be the first of their kind developed anywhere in the world. As we commemorate the 5 year anniversary of Black Saturday, Victoria stands far better prepared to manage both the risks posed by major bushfires and impacts of our bushfire management activities on the community and the natural environment.