Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee
Communiqué
2 October 2015 – Sydney
The Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee (ANZEMC) met in Sydney on Friday
2 October 2015. The meeting was attended by senior officials from state and territory governments and
co-chaired by the Secretary, Attorney-General’s Department and Chief Executive Officer, Australian
Local Government Association.
ANZEMC works to strengthen disaster resilience by providing strategic leadership on emergency
management policy and supporting related capability development activities. It is the senior officials
group supporting the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Law, Crime and Community Safety
Council on emergency management matters.
Officials considered a number of strategic emergency management policy matters including measures
to strengthen disaster resilience. With forecasts for an increased bushfire risk this summer, the meeting
also provided a timely opportunity for officials to discuss disaster preparations across Australia.
Strengthening disaster resilience
Since its adoption in 2011, the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience has provided valuable direction
and guidance for federal, state and local governments in building community resilience to disasters, and
officials considered the findings of a review of the strategy’s implementation.
Officials welcomed the significant progress made by governments, non-government bodies and
communities to enhance Australia’s capacity to withstand and recover from disasters. A number of case
studies highlighted the diverse range of activities undertaken to strengthen disaster resilience, from
improvements to hazard mapping and emergency risk assessment to local capacity building.
Recognising that building disaster resilience is a long term journey, officials identified a number of areas
where a renewed focus will ensure that the key outcomes of the strategy continue to be achieved. Key
themes include: measurement and evaluation of disaster resilience initiatives, improved cross-sectoral
partnerships and community engagement, enhanced resilience in the built environment, improved risk
awareness and disaster mitigation, and new capabilities for disaster resilience.
National fire danger rating system
Officials were updated on developments for a new national fire danger rating system, which all
jurisdictions have agreed is a national emergency management priority.
Developed in collaboration with the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, CSIRO,
Bureau of Meteorology, and Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, the new
system will offer a more sophisticated approach to determine fire danger and inform decision-making
by emergency services organisations.
The project is currently focused on drawing together the design principles, functional requirements and
roadmap for a five-year implementation plan to be considered in 2016.
Disaster preparations for summer
With an early start to the bushfire season in south-eastern Australia and expectations of a busy,
intensive and unpredictable season, officials used the meeting to share information and discuss disaster
preparations for summer. Officials noted that the strong current El Niño event is increasing the risk of
bushfires and heatwaves, due to dry and warm weather conditions.
Collaboration with the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council
Officials agreed to establish closer connections and strengthen engagement with the peak industry body
for fire and emergency services, the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council,
through formal consultative arrangements. Doing so will ensure that national emergency management
policy is appropriately informed by operational expertise.
Spontaneous volunteers
Officials endorsed a strategy to manage the many offers of assistance volunteered by the general public
in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The contribution of such spontaneous volunteers can offer
much needed resources in the disaster clean-up stage, yet the sheer volume of assistance offered can
also present significant challenges for emergency managers and the community at this critical time.
The Spontaneous Volunteer Strategy: coordination of volunteer effort in the immediate post disaster
stage outlines policy considerations and suggested actions for jurisdictions and emergency management
agencies in the effective engagement, coordination and management of spontaneous volunteers.
Vulnerable Sections of Society (an emergency management perspective)
Officials endorsed the report Vulnerable Sections of Society (an emergency management perspective),
which examined the emergency management sector’s ability to help build the resilience of people with
vulnerabilities.
The report concludes that while there has been significant investment in a range of initiatives targeting
those in the community who are most vulnerable, more can still be done from an emergency
management perspective. This includes the need to rethink the concept of vulnerability as being more
complex than defined by demographic groups, and understanding how best to integrate community
service organisations into emergency management planning and preparedness. Implementation of the
report will be progressed by the ANZEMC Community Engagement Sub-committee.
Other matters
Officials discussed a range of other matters relating to public safety communications and warnings,
emergency risk assessment, disaster recovery monitoring and evaluation, and disaster funding
arrangements.
The next ANZEMC meeting is expected to be held in around April 2016.