Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says a Parks and Wildlife official "didn't take the course of action they should have" when handling the Fraser Island (K'gari) bushfire.
Two officials have been spoken to in the past few weeks and Ms Palaszczuk said a directive from the Environment Department would be issued about messaging during bushfires.
A series of internal emails the ABC obtained under Right to Information showed six weeks into the blaze, a senior Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) bureaucrat wanted to downplay messages to the public about the bushfire
He said he was concerned "apocalyptic" headlines would scare off Christmas bookings.
Two days later, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) took control due to the escalating potential threat of the bushfire, which blackened 85,000 hectares.
The bushfire made international headlines after it scorched more than half of the world heritage-listed island, threatening townships and culturally significant sites.
Conservationists have accused QPWS officials of putting "public relations" ahead of the protection of the island's natural and cultural values during last year's bushfires.
Left in the dark 'with no answers at all'
Tourism operator Hana Robinson, who also lives on K'gari, said the lack of information hurt businesses.
"We just felt like mushrooms in the dark to be honest, the whole time the fires were going on," Ms Robinson said.
"What Parks created was so much uncertainty that we had cancellations right through until March the following year because people were just so uncertain of what was happening on the island."
She said she received calls from customers who were confused about the public messaging.
"They said, 'but you guys live on the island, you must know what's going on?'" Ms Robinson recalled.
"It created both frustration and anxiety — a lot for ourselves on the ground [were] trying to manage businesses.
"That was the hardest thing for us — we felt we were caught in between our customers and national parks — and you very much felt like the middle man with no answers at all."
'More worried about public image'
The Queensland Conservation Council's Andrew Picone said the protection of the World Heritage sites should be the top priority.
"There seems to be too little regard in these types of management situations for the natural and cultural values," he said.
"What I'd prefer to be reading about [in emails] is the urgency with which they might need to protect the World Heritage island.
"These are global tourism icons, as well as enormously significant for First Nations people and its values.
"We need to be doing as much as we can, as soon as we can, to protect these places."
Shadow minister for fire and emergency services Dale Last said the correspondence within the agency was worrying.
"It concerns me that we had bureaucrats squalling over messaging," he said.
"We know the Premier's got 30 odd spin doctors sitting in her office.
"It concerns me that we've now got a government more worried about public image, more worried about polling and reviews…than action at the coal face."
Premier demands improved communication
Ms Palaszczuk said it was concerning and two senior executives in QPWS have been counselled.
"I got briefed on that yesterday and that is concerning," she said.
She said the Environment Department would issue a directive to ensure public messages were not watered down during major events like bushfires in future.
"Absolutely, we'll make sure the department issues a directive to everyone to make sure that doesn't happen," she said.
"I think they were probably concerned about the island of itself, and the fact that, you know, what would happen not just to Christmas bookings but forward bookings.
"I just think it was someone who didn't take the course of action they should have, at that time."
On Monday a spokesperson for Ms Palaszczuk said she had sought reassurances from the environment minister around improving information flow during bushfires.
No 'major long-term impacts' on flora and fauna
In a statement the QPWS said it ensured highly experienced officers with intimate knowledge of the island were involved in the incident control team.
"The fire response focussed on the protection of life, property and the unique natural and cultural values on K'gari, including the ancient angiosperm flora of the heathlands and the associated vertebrate and invertebrate fauna," a spokesperson said.
"A key objective was the protection of the patterned fens on K'gari as they are among the only known examples of sub-tropical patterned fens in the world."
The spokesperson said "comprehensive ecological assessments" with Butchulla representatives found fire-adapted flora have regenerated or re-seeded in fire-affected areas.
"Regrowth and green shoots appeared in fire-affected areas just days after the fire passed through and the recovery is now well established in affected areas" the spokesperson said in a statement.
"The assessment indicated there would not be major long-term impacts on the island's flora and fauna."
