Projects
Emergency Risk Management
Events that cause disruption and damage to communities may occur at any time and without warning. Your Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) is working to ensure the community, emergency services personnel, recovery workers and administrators are adequately prepared.
Emergency Risk Management is a coordinated process whereby the LEMC formally considers what natural disasters or emergency situations could occur within the community, how best to prevent or prepare for those 'risks', and how best to respond to such events should they occur. This decision making process is called Risk Management and it is a recognised method of planning and managing situations in business. Guidance in this process is provided by the Australian Standard AS/NZS 4360:2004 which is respected world-wide. The process is illustrated in the diagram below.
Each State and Territory has its own plans and arrangements in place to deal with emergencies or a natural disaster. The Commonwealth Government assists the States and Territories and can provide extra resources as needed. If an emergency occurs, the Commonwealth Government, state governments, emergency services, local governments, volunteer organisations and communities work together to respond to the emergency, save lives and property, and assist the community to recover.
Community Consultation
Local participation in planning of emergency risk management is essential to ensure information provided to the community is relevant and credible. Local residents have a wealth of knowledge about the physical and cultural aspects of their community which is not easily gained elsewhere.
This website is an important component in seeking community involvement in Emergency Risk Management planning. It allows members of the public to access information about the project at any stage and provide feedback confidentially about any aspect. The website will be regularly updated as projects progress in their planning. In particular, communities will be invited to comment on the Draft Emergency Risk Management Plan (Draft ERMP) developed for their community. Each Draft ERMP will be available for public comment for a defined period of time, publicised in advance. During this time you may provide this feedback on the email link provided.
As each project progresses, there may be additional communication through popular media such as local newspapers and radio. If you know of a particular community newsletter or communication avenue that you think would be suitable for the project, please email the details using the feedback link on this website.
In some instances community consultation may include public forums which allow presentation of information and group discussion of a range of issues relevant to individual communities. Project groups are also committed to effective consultation with other government departments and emergency agencies which they undertake on behalf of the community.
To find out more, view the Councils Involved.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The key objectives of community consultation in Emergency (Natural Disaster) Risk Management Projects are to:
- ensure the community is better informed about emergency and disaster planning for their region;
- reduce the potential for misinformation or misconceptions by the community;
- encourage the community to put forward ideas and share information to assist decision-making:
- provide each Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) with a full understanding of local issues and needs;
- ensure commitment and ownership of final decisions by the community;
- help identify issues which may not otherwise have been considered;
- ensure transparency and accountability in the Emergency Risk Management process.
Project groups believe that better outcomes will be achieved through working closely with their community. This means reaching out to the whole community, including those hardest to reach and those of culturally diverse backgrounds. It also means engaging with the community in a spirit of mutual respect - listening, understanding and acting on experiences that may be different to those expected.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
- Community consultation
The project flowchart illustrates the Emergency Risk Management project process undertaken by Echelon and identifies where in the process community consultation will take place, as indicated by the community consultation symbol (right). The main areas of input by the community will be in assisting each Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) in:
- Project Definition - identifying the scope of the project for their community.
- Developing Risk Criteria - deciding the criteria by which risks will be evaluated in terms of social, legal, financial, environmental, humanitarian or other considerations important to the community.
- Monitoring & Review - the community will continue to be informed and involved in decision making as plans are tested and regularly reviewed.
If you have input for your local Emergency Risk Management Project you may provide it via the feedback links on this website at any time, contact your local Council, or just turn up to one of the public forums that will be advertised in your community.
Draft Emergency Risk Management Plans (Draft ERMP)
You may view and comment on a Draft Emergency Risk Management Plan during the relevant public consultation period for each plan. Draft ERMP will be on display at Administration Centres and other nominated locations of Councils for a defined period of time, available for viewing and public comment during normal business hours, as well as on Council websites.
Any person, during the time period defined, may make written comment in respect of a Draft ERMP. All feedback will be forwarded to the appropriate Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) or planning group, and will be given due consideration with regard to the relevant Emergency Risk Management Plan.
Please be as specific as possible with your feedback as this will assist the LEMC in consideration of your comments.
To access a Draft ERMP go to the Councils Involved section of this website by clicking on the link on the menu bar above. Select the Council you are interested in and click on the Draft ERMP link to access the document for that Council. Feedback may be emailed to Council using the email link provided. To find out more about the period or process of community consultation, follow the link to the appropriate Council website.
Further Information
This page will list organisations and sources of information relevant to the project. Please check the site regularly for updates.
Emergency Management Australia is a division of the Attorney-Generals' Department.
EMA produces several publications of interest to the community which can be downloaded from their website - http://www.ema.gov.au/ - such as the one listed below. Publications are generally also available in Braille and on audiocassette from EMA by calling tel: 1800 644 885.
"Preparing for the Unexpected" [EMA, 2003]
"Australia has sound and well-practised emergency management arrangements in all States and Territories to deal with emergencies and disasters. However, there are things you can do to promote your safety and reduce the risk of injury to yourself, your family and your property."
AS/NZS 4360:2004 Risk Management standard is available from SAI Global at http://www.standards.com.au/catalogue/script/Search.asp.