Victorian Council of Social Services
(VCOSS) and the Municipal
Association of Victoria (MAV)
Emergency Management Forum
2014 report
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Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Program ............................................................................................................................................ 4
Resilience Building ............................................................................................................................ 5
Presenter: Lew Wilson.................................................................................................................. 5
Presenter: Lauren Watt ................................................................................................................ 6
Volunteer Management ................................................................................................................... 7
Presenter: Lucy Saaroni ................................................................................................................ 7
Presenter: Jodie Pitkin (Recovery Manager, Latrobe City Council) and Roger Chao (Chair,
Latrobe Community Recovery Committee).................................................................................. 8
Presenter: Sue Noble .................................................................................................................... 9
Collaboration .................................................................................................................................. 10
Presenter: Greg Little ................................................................................................................. 10
Presenter: Carmel Flynn ............................................................................................................. 11
Vulnerable People .......................................................................................................................... 12
Presenter: Gail Cumming............................................................................................................ 12
Presenter: Susan Davie ............................................................................................................... 13
Report launch - Disaster and disadvantages Social Vulnerability in Emergency Management: ... 14
Presenter: Emma King ................................................................................................................ 14
Concluding Remarks ....................................................................................................................... 15
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Introduction
Emergencies can happen at any time, and the impacts can be devastating. Natural disasters such
as bushfires, flood or severe storms are what often come to mind, but other events such as road
accidents, industrial accidents, pandemics, and transport or engineering accidents are also
considered emergencies and can happen on any scale and without warning.
Local government leads the local planning, management and delivery of recovery services for
individuals and communities affected by emergencies under Victoria’s emergency management
arrangements. The Victorian Department of Human Services is responsible for recovery at the
regional and state levels.
Community sector organisations also play a central role in the relief and recovery of
communities following an emergency event, providing a range of key services to individuals, families
and communities.
In June 2014 the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and the Victorian Council of Social
Service (VCOSS) held an inaugural Emergency Management Forum aimed at increasing the levels of
cooperation and collaboration between local government and the community sector.
The Forum showcased some best-case examples of strong and active partnerships in emergency
management planning in Victoria. The day combined presentations and panel discussions to explore
the ways that emergency management can be improved across the themes of Resilience Building,
Volunteer Management, Collaboration, and Vulnerable People.
This report provides a summary of each of the presentation as well as lessons learned.
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Program
Time
9:30
10:00
10:30
10:35
11:20
12:10
1:00
2:05
2:25
3:35
Item
Registration and Morning Tea
Keynote Address
Introduction
Resilience
“Be Ready Warrandyte”: a Community
Resilience Case Study
Lead/Presenter
N/A
Mick Bourke, CEO, CFA
Emma Lake, MAV
Bushfire Scenario Workshops: a
multiagency approach to building
resilience
Panel Discussion
Volunteering
Local Government Management of
Spontaneous Volunteers in Emergency:
Reframing Risk as opportunity
Virginia Enticott and Lauren Watt, Surf
Coast Shire
Municipal and Community Connections –
Lessons from the Hazelwood Mine Fire
Roger Chao, Latrobe Community
Recovery Committee and Jodie Pitkin
Latrobe City Council
Lew Wilson, Manningham City Council
Lucy Saaroni ,City of Frankston
Emergency Volunteer Management Pilot
Project
Panel Discussion
Lunch
Collaboration
Emergencies in the Grampians
Sue Noble, CEO, Volunteering Victoria
Greg Little, Northern Grampians Shire
Council
Carmel Flynn, Director, Health and
Human Services Emergency Management
Collaboration in statewide, regional and
local emergency management
Panel Discussion
Afternoon Tea
Vulnerable People
A Local Government Perspective on
Inclusive Emergency Planning
Gail Cumming, City of Whittlesea
Children and Young People in
Emergencies
Susan Davie, Senior Advisor Australian
Emergencies, Save the Children
VCOSS Report Launch
Panel Discussion
Close
Emma King, CEO, VCOSS
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Resilience Building
Presenter: Lew Wilson
Presentation Title: Be Ready Warrandyte
Organisation: Manningham City Council and Warrandyte Community Association
Presentation Summary:
Warrandyte is a peri-urban suburb in Melbourne’s northeast, surrounded by state park land. It is
identified as having an extreme bushfire risk. Warrandyte experienced a fire event in February 2014
which resulted in three houses being destroyed.
The Be Ready Warrandyte project started in 2012 by Warrandyte Community Association
(WCA)and Manningham City Council to increase the number of households with a written bushfire
plan. After conducting a survey in the greater Warrandyte area a toolkit was designed to raise
awareness and understanding of the fire risk in Warrandyte. The WCA has used innovative ways to
develop the comprehensive toolkit that was developed to assist and support residents to develop
their bushfire plans. Included in the toolkit is the Video “Do you have a fire plan” which was
produced in partnership between the WCA and the Warrandyte Theatre Company. Technology has
also been used to keep residents up-to-date with conditions during an emergency. The WCA uses
surveys after bushfire events to monitor the effectiveness of the Be Ready Warrandyte campaign.
Although there have been clear benefits to the community, the project still encounters very
recognisable challenges. This includes securing ongoing funding and reaching more people in the
Warrandyte community, especially those who are less connected with mainstream community
activities.
One of the key benefits of this project has been the development of strong partnerships with the
Country Fire Authority (CFA), councils, Victoria Police, Parks Victoria and the community.
A further challenge has been ensuring that the group is sustainable both in regards to financial
and human resourcing.
Lessons Learned
The key learning from this project was that there is great variance as to what people think a
bushfire plan is. The project found that many people had an intention rather than an actual plan,
and that this had yet to be tested. Many people are unsure about how to prepare a plan or feel they
cannot adequately prepare. Other people may intend to leave early but have no idea what their
trigger to leave is or how long it will take to prepare to leave.
Further, men and women have conflicting ideas about what to do in an emergency and hence
find it difficult to prepare a plan because they want to do different things i.e. men want to stay and
defend and women want to leave early. This often results in arguments/conflicts.
Lastly, for some in the community the consequences of bushfire are too confronting so it is
easiest to adopt a “head in the sand” attitude.
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Presenter: Lauren Watt
Presentation Title: Bushfire Scenario Workshops: A Multi-Agency Approach to Building
Community Resilience
Organisation: Surf Coast Shire Council
Presentation Summary
Surf Coast Shire Council ran multi-agency bushfire scenario workshops in five of its highest risk
townships. The first round of workshops were run in November 2013 and focussed on responding to
a fire emergency scenario in that particular township – agencies involved were CFA, Victoria Police
and Department of Environment and Primary Industry (DEPI).
The second series of workshops was held in March 2014 and focussed on recovery, using
bushfire impact scenarios, this time with Department of Human Services (DHS), VicPol and Victorian
Council of Churches Emergency Ministry (VCCEM).
Evaluation of the project indicates that 90 per cent of workshop participants learnt something
new about bushfire planning. Additionally, 80 per cent met someone new from their community.
These two statistics suggest that resilience in Surf Coast Shire is increasing.
The project is also award winning, having recently won the 2014 APCO Australasia Emergency
Management Resilience Award.
Although the workshops were well attended, it appeared to the council that many were
members of the community who were already well engaged in preparing for emergencies. The
challenge for the council is to reach and engage the complacent.
Lessons Learned
There were very varied levels of preparedness for bushfire within Surf Coast Shire’s high risk
communities.
The scenario-based approach worked very well in this context, allowing everyone to gain
valuable information despite their level of preparedness.
The varied levels of preparedness also highlighted another concern: the people attending these
workshops are already engaged in emergency planning. The question was raised regarding levels
preparedness in those people from the wider community not attending these sessions?
The second key learning from the workshops was the importance of timing. The evacuation
workshops in November were much better attended than the recovery workshops held in March,
indicating that people are more engaged in the lead up to the fire season.. This has been a useful
insight for future planning.
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Volunteer Management
Presenter: Lucy Saaroni
Presentation Title: Managing Spontaneous Volunteers: Reframing Risk as Opportunity
Presentation Summary
Lucy recently conducted an independent study in Frankston City to identify and assess the
perceived risks and benefits associated with using and refusing spontaneous volunteers in council
emergency management activities. Findings from the study confirmed the importance of developing
a municipal spontaneous volunteer management plan as a means to effectively harness the
capabilities of spontaneous volunteers.
The study identified four main categories in regards to these risks: the unknown nature or
spontaneous volunteers; litigious and insurance issues; financial implications; and social
implications. The unknown nature of spontaneous volunteers relates to the identities, qualifications,
motivations and capabilities of the volunteers.
The second set of risks and benefits concerned litigious and insurance issues when spontaneous
volunteers undertake work on behalf of council. The study found that perceived risks were largely
unfounded, as liability mutual insurance and other insurance policies protect councils from litigation
resulting from damaging acts caused by volunteers, minimising a council’s risk.
The level of resourcing required from councils to manage spontaneous volunteers can be a
deterrent to actively engage them following an emergency, yet partnering with local service groups
and volunteer resource centres offer a means for councils to effectively coordinate volunteers at
minimal cost.
Finally, the study examined risks and benefits relating to disaster resilience and recovery. The
research showed that a council policy to accept offers of in-kind support from spontaneous
volunteers where practical is likely to yield long-term social and psychological benefits for councils
and their communities.
Lessons Learned
Having a management plan that clearly documents how, where, when and why spontaneous
volunteers can and cannot be used in council activities is essential in being able to harness public
goodwill.
Approaching spontaneous volunteer management with a policy of engagement, acceptance and
integration is not risk free. However risk is a normal part of emergency management and effective
emergency management is all about placing risk in the hands of those who have a right to manage it,
a responsibility to manage it and a capacity and capability to manage it.
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Presenter: Jodie Pitkin (Recovery Manager, Latrobe City Council) and Roger Chao
(Chair, Latrobe Community Recovery Committee)
Presentation Title: Municipal and Community Connections – Lessons from the
Hazelwood Mine Fire
Organisation: Latrobe Community Recovery Committee, Latrobe City Council (LCC)
Presentation Summary
Following fire entering the Hazelwood mine on February 9 2014, the towns surrounding the
mine were covered in smoke and ash. The fire was not contained until 25 March, making the
incident complex and prolonged. For the council, consideration of how to best connect with
communities during a prolonged emergency was needed.
The Community Advisory Group (CAG) was created to be a conduit between the community,
council and State Government (including Department of Human Services (DHS) and emergency
agencies). Following containment of the mine fire the CAG transitioned into a community recovery
group.
The Community Advisory Group (CAG) informed the messaging that was being sent into the
broader community. Information was further disseminated through the networks that CAG
members also belonged to. As the CAG assisted in the development of messaging they were able to
effectively represent community views.
As a recovery committee success has been achieved by lobbying for a health study for residents,
to be undertaken by the Department of Health. The group has also developed a sense of legitimacy
as an intermediary for residents who are reluctant to raise issues with council and state agencies.
The group also experienced challenges and this included too strong a focus on what was
happening in Morwell, rather than what was happening in the region. As the CAG was developed in
response to the incident they did not have the benefit of being an established and recognisable
group in the community. Although the group feels that it now has an established place in the
community it has struggled to establish it legitimacy.
Lessons Learned
Community Advisory and Recovery Groups can provide members of the community with the
opportunity to have their voices heard by decision makers. Further, community advisory groups can
be utilised to develop effective communication with the affected community. There are benefits to
councils, community service organisations and response agencies in that messaging can be tested
before being taken to the broader community.
Ensuring that the community are aware that such a group exists is important, to ensure its
effectiveness. Further to this it is important for the group to find an established role within existing
recovery structures.
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Presenter: Sue Noble
Presentation Title: Emergency Volunteer Management Project: Greater Geelong Pilot
Organisation: Volunteering Victoria
Presentation Summary
More than 22,000 spontaneous emergency volunteers offered help following the 2009 bushfires.
However, due to limited capacity of councils and other agencies to manage volunteers, few were
used.
The Victorian Emergency Management Reform White Paper made recommendations to improve
management of spontaneous volunteers, and to support the growth and capacity building of
volunteering more broadly.
Volunteering Victoria’s Emergency Volunteer Management Project, to be piloted in the G21 Geelong Region Alliance (covering five municipalities – Colac Otway, Golden Plains, Greater Geelong,
Queenscliffe and Surf Coast), has been designed to recruit, train, deploy and support a skilled
emergency volunteer manager workforce to manage spontaneous emergency volunteers during
disaster relief and recovery.
The pilot will build on established networks and collaborations and will assist relief and recovery
agencies with long-term workforce planning by developing a cohort of trained volunteer managers
who can relieve agency staff or fill workforce gaps. It is anticipated that volunteer managers will be
ready to be deployed by December 2014.
A further project currently under consideration is to manage the recruitment and deployment of
spontaneous volunteers themselves.
Lessons learned:
While this project is still underway, it is anticipated that by harnessing the good will and
expertise of spontaneous emergency volunteers, and ensuring they are capably managed, the
resilience of communities will be increased.
In addition it is anticipated that there will be a reduction in risks for communities, agencies,
spontaneous emergency volunteers and volunteering generally. Through coordinating emergency
recovery and relief volunteer manager resources, it is anticipated that Volunteering Victoria can
build an experienced and mobile volunteer manager workforce to better manage spontaneous
emergency volunteers.
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Collaboration
Presenter: Greg Little
Presentation Title: Collaboration – Emergencies in the Grampians
Organisation: Northern Grampians Shire Council
Presentation Summary
The Grampians region in western Victoria has been hit with a startling number of emergencies in
recent years including bushfires, floods, droughts, locust plagues, landslides and even earthquakes.
This almost continuous cycle of disasters has placed increased pressure on the local council,
community service organisations as well as a socio-economically disadvantaged community.
Both Northern Grampians Shire and Grampians Community Health play critical roles in the
preparation, response and relief phases of emergencies in the Grampians area. Their roles are
clearly identified in a state-first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with both parties bringing
unique sets of complementary skills and perspectives.
Under the MoU, both organisations are part of the incident management team, in the Municipal
Emergency Coordination Centre (MECC) and at relief centres. Through knowledge sharing and
relationship building Northern Grampians Shire Council and Grampians Community Health are able
to work together to effectively distribute resources. The relationship also ensures that someone is
looking out for the wellbeing of council staff and community service organisation workers.
Communities often expect government to act quickly during an emergency and this can put
extra pressure on councils and community service organisations that are often caught between the
community and the state government.
Lessons Learned
The Northern Grampians Shire and Grampians Community Health have learnt that the
partnership approach to assisting their communities through the relief and recovery stages of an
emergency is more than simply collaborating as each does their own job. It is very much about
preparing together, having an imbedded understanding of the roles and resources, establishing
communication structures and then how this can be blended to achieve the best outcomes for the
communities they work for.
Importantly, the partnership also provides the support and care for staff who are often
impacted themselves in a highly stressful and emotive time.
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Presenter: Carmel Flynn
Presentation Title: Collaboration in statewide, regional and local emergency
management
Organisation: Emergency Management Branch, Departments of Health and Human
Services
Presentation Summary
The trust-based partnership and collaboration model that is used in humanitarian responses,
was developed as a move away from competition between humanitarian agencies. The purpose of
the model is to focus on collaboration, with the objective of improving collective humanitarian
response.
DHS is the coordinating agency for emergency recovery at both the state and regional level,
working in collaboration with municipal councils who have that responsibility at a local level.
Recovery services are delivered across the environments of:




Social: to meet the key social and health needs for affected people, including temporary
housing, psychosocial support, financial assistance and health services
Economic: addressing the requirements of economic business and business recovery
Built: restoring essential infrastructure and other built assets in the affected areas
Natural: restoring the natural environment
Significant work is often also undertaken in the rural/ agricultural environment.
Following the Hazelwood mine fire in Morwell in early 2014, DHS worked in partnership with
Latrobe City Council, the Hazelwood Mine Fire Recovery Committee. Underneath this committee
was the Social and Community Recovery Sub-Committee, which included local community sector
organisations such as Anglicare, Quantum women’s refuge, Lifeline Gippsland, Relationships
Australia, Latrobe Community Health Service, Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault, Ramahyuck
District Aboriginal Corporation, Victorian Council of Churches, Red Cross, and the Salvation Army.
Recovery planning was designed to link in with Latrobe City Council municipal public health plan
2013-2017 so that activities would complement established objectives for the community’s
wellbeing and harness existing partnerships.
Lessons learned
Formal arrangements are important – but more important are principles of partnership. There are
many opportunities for improvement and we should all be open to them. It is important to ensure
that local organisations link in to emergency management through councils and municipal/regional
planning.
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Vulnerable People
Presenter: Gail Cumming
Presentation Title: Inclusive Emergency Management – The Tale of Three Whittlesians
Organisation: City of Whittlesea
Presentation Summary:
The City of Whittlesea is located in a unique position both geographically and demographically.
The municipality experiences a range of emergencies from heatwaves to bushfires. This presents a
challenge for the council in developing effective emergency management messaging. Too often
generic publications are developed to communicate with the community and although well
intentioned this may not be the best approach.
Inclusive emergency planning may be a more effective way of engaging with diverse
communities.
Inclusive emergency planning recognises the importance of prior knowledge and networks to
effectively communicate with communities before an emergency. In councils with Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities inclusive emergency planning can help build trust between
those communities and councils and emergency response agencies.
Ultimately, inclusive planning supports and encourages more resilient communities.
Inclusive emergency planning can be time and resource intensive. Councils, especially those with
diverse communities, need to work with local partners to develop ways to engage with different
sub-communities within an overarching community.
Councils are not always effectively resourced to undertake this work. However, councils also
have a number of officers already working with CALD communities in various areas of service
delivery. These contact points are a great place to start with building better CALD engagement in
emergency planning.
Lessons Learned
The key findings indicated that the most urgent need for change lies with local government
agencies, not CALD communities.
The most important understanding highlighted by the project was the need to use existing
networks, communication lines and trusted informants in CALD communities to deepen engagement
around emergency planning.
In general CALD communities were deeply interested in being more involved in local planning
and preparation activities. The manner in which local government emergency planning systems are
set up, however, is often exclusive of all community involvement – not just CALD communities.
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Presenter: Susan Davie
Presentation Title: Vulnerable People: Children and Young People in Emergencies
Organisation: Save the Children
Presentation Summary
The needs of children and young people in emergencies have been recognised through a
national planning for children and youth in emergency management project, and in the Victorian
Department of Human Services’ guide: Emergency management planning for children and young
people: Planning guide for local government.
The needs of children are largely silent in emergency management planning in Australia and this
can place children in a particularly vulnerable position. Children have unique vulnerabilities in
relation to their psychological, physical, developmental and educational needs and they require
targeted interventions especially in emergency recovery.
Planning for the needs of children not only ensures that their needs are being met, it benefits
the whole community. For example, the provision of Child Friendly Spaces in evacuation and
recovery centres not only provides psychosocial support to children. They also allow parents to
address their own immediate needs and have adult conversations without the need to protect their
children from overhearing upsetting discussions.
There is much emerging evidence that shows that children are affected by emergencies in a
number of ways and that they can suffer long term consequences due to the effects of trauma.
Planning for delivery of appropriate interventions can result in children being able to cope better
with stress associated with the emergency.
There are many simple and straight forward ways to safeguard children in emergencies and it is
important that emergency management plans reflect this.
Lessons learned
It is important to seek out the expertise you have in your own organisation and in your networks
with regard to the unique vulnerabilities and needs of children.
It is important to consult with those with expertise in regard to working with children when
emergency plans are being developed. In general these experts are not members of emergency
management planning committees. Ideally all planning committees should have at least one
member with this expertise but if this is not possible or practical then consideration should be given
to consulting with children’s experts when plans are reviewed.
Emergency management plans should be reviewed to ensure that they include strategies and
activities that safeguard children when emergencies occur.
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Report launch - Disaster and disadvantage:
Social vulnerability in emergency management
Presenter: Emma King
Presentation Title: Disaster and Disadvantage: Social Vulnerability in Emergency
Management
Organisation: Victorian Council of Social Services
Presentation Summary
Disasters and emergencies such as bushfires, floods and heatwaves can affect all Australians, no
matter their background or status. But they don’t affect us all equally. VCOSS’ new report –
Disadvantage and disaster: Social vulnerability in emergency management – finds that disasters are
in fact “profoundly discriminatory.” People facing disadvantage are more vulnerable at all stages of
a disaster before, during, and after it strikes. This includes people who are:
•
in poverty
•
migrants
•
refugees
•
children
•
older people
•
people with disabilities
•
people who are homeless or transient, and people living in poor quality housing
VCOSS’ research has found that it is not just the emergency event, but pre-existing structural
disadvantages that deliver devastating blows to vulnerable people and communities in disasters.
Much has been done in Australia, and particularly Victoria, in recent years to improve disaster
prevention, preparation, response and recovery arrangements. However there remain significant
policy gaps in how to most effectively build the resilience and meet the needs of the most vulnerable
groups following an emergency event.
The report makes the following recommendations:
•
That the emergency management sector better understands the diversity of
communities, including those who are disadvantaged
•
That the emergency management sector better plan for disadvantaged people in
partnership with those organisations that support them: the community sector
•
That the emergency management sector deliver enhanced response, relief and recovery
services that address the needs of disadvantaged people, including improved
communications.
As the peak body of the welfare sector, VCOSS’ final recommendation is the need to address the
structural issues that cause or exacerbate vulnerability in disasters: poverty, poor housing, lack of
education and job support, gaps in care for chronic physical and mental health. The Victorian
Government must work to address the causes and prevalence of disadvantage to reduce unequal
disaster impacts.
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Concluding remarks
As Victoria prepares itself for a new fire season, conversations between communities, local
councils, community service organisations (CSOs) and the emergency management sector, regarding
resilience, community, recovery and collaboration will become increasingly important.
The presentations at this year’s forum were diverse and highlighted challenges and benefits
from the perspectives of councils and CSOs. Several key themes appeared throughout the day,
including:
1. The level of preparedness within communities, including levels of additional support,
can vary substantially. Councils and CSOs need to be cognisant of these variances and
adapt their communications strategies to match the preparedness of community
members.
2. Benefits to councils and CSOs effectively harnessing the goodwill of members of the
community include increased rate of emergency preparedness and the potential for
increased numbers of volunteers who being with them unique skills and expertise.
3. Collaboration between councils and CSOs can result in a more effective use of resources.
Close collaboration can provide networks to promote the welfare of council and CSO
staff during emergency response, relief and recovery.
4. Communities are increasingly diverse in terms of age, culture, language and capability.
Emergency management planning needs to effectively and inclusively engage with these
communities to be effective.
The organisers of this year’s VCOSS and MAV Emergency Management Forum would like to
warmly thank all of the presenters for their time, as well as their engaging presentations. They
would also like to thank Mick Bourke, CEO, Country Fire Authority for his thought-provoking and
candid presentation.
They would also like to thank the representatives from local councils and community service
organisation who attended the forum.
The results from the survey that was circulated amongst participants will be used to ensure that
future Emergency Management Forums remain relevant and engaging for the emergency
management community. Presentations from this years’ forum are on the MAV eLibrary or available
from the MAV emergency management team emergenctmgt@mav.asn.au
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