A ceremonial hearing has kicked off the royal commission into Australia's unprecedented bushfires.

The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements is aimed at delivering practical recommendations ahead of the next bushfire season.

During its first hearing, held online this week, commission chair Mark Binskin noted there had been a number of previous inquiries into natural disasters in Australia.

He said this royal commission will work with concurrent state inquiries to avoid duplication and consider how broader preparedness, resilience and recovery can be made most effective.

“With this in mind it's important for me to state that we do not intend to reopen the findings of these other inquiries, nor do we seek to point fingers or apportion blame to any jurisdiction, government or individual,” Mr Binskin said.

“Rather, we are focused on national coordination and on looking for lessons for the future.”

The 'Black Summer' bushfires across Australia in 2019/20 killed 33 people, destroyed more than 3,000 homes and burned through more than 10 million hectares of land.

The inquiry has been set for six months, with a final report due by August 31.