Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan Update #3 2018–21 - Progress Update 2019 | Inspector-General for Emergency Management Victoria

All hazards

Risks spanning across multiple hazard types and across the emergency management system.

Biosecurity

Exotic animal and plant disease outbreaks and pest incursions can have significant economic, community and environmental impacts.

Bushfire and other fires

Bushfire and other fires have potential consequences including loss of life and property, and damage to infrastructure and environment.

Climate change

Risks include more days of extreme heat, harsher fire weather, less rainfall and rising sea levels.

Communications disruption

Communications services are crucial in keeping communities safe, connected and informed before, during and after emergencies.

Cyber security and ICT systems failure

Risks relating to the confidentiality, availability, integrity of information and data and disruption of services.

Energy supply disruption

Reliable energy supplies are critical to many social and economic activities.

Flood

Major flood events have occurred in Victoria every 10 to 20 years, with much of the increasing risk created by human settlement.

Hazardous material incident

Potential risks relate to many places where Victoria’s hazardous materials are manufactured, stored, transported, used and disposed.

Heatwave

Heatwaves are considered to be the ‘silent killer’ of extreme weather events and are the leading cause of weather-related deaths in Australia.

Public health emergency

Risks may relate to the delivery of public health services, with impacts on community health and wellbeing and potential for loss of life.

Supply chain disruption

Geopolitical, environmental, economic, societal and infrastructure-related shocks can expose supply chains to wide ranging consequences.

Terrorism and extremism

Attacks carried out by individuals or non-state groups with ideological, political or religious goals can result in loss of life, severe injury and/or material damage.

Water supply disruption

Risks include collection, storage, treatment, delivery, availability and allocation of water for consumption and environmental, recreation and cultural uses.

Workforce and resourcing

Risks may relate to human resource supply and skills to support emergency management operations.

This is the Inspector-General for Emergency Management’s (IGEM) fourth progress report on the state’s implementation of the Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan (External link) (SAP).

SAP Update #3 2018–21 outlines four themes and eight strategic priorities with 32 corresponding strategic actions to support the state in achieving its emergency management vision of safer and more resilient communities.

The report summarises key activities and provides an assessment of implementation progress for the 13 SAP Update #3 2018–21 actions assessed between 1 July 2018 and 31 December 2019, along with key developments since this period.

IGEM found that:

two actions have been completed
two actions have been closed, with no further activity planned

Of the remaining nine actions, IGEM found:

two are progressing satisfactorily
three are progressing with revised timeframes
two are overdue (including one that is on hold)
one action is in the early stages of development
one is yet to commence.

Although significant progress has been made, some SAP actions continue to take longer to deliver than initially anticipated. The reasons for this are varied and include resourcing challenges, competing priorities, and the breadth and complexity of the actions – several of which were realigned at the end of 2019 to better meet the sector's key priorities.

In addition, IGEM also recognises the challenges and operational pressures that the emergency management sector has faced during the 2019–20 fire season and COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease) pandemic.

IGEM will continue to monitor implementation of the SAP as the sector looks towards the future with the development of its 2030 Strategy for Emergency Management in Victoria.

Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan Update #3 2018–21 - Progress Update 2019 was published on 9 July 2020

You can access the report from the link at the bottom of this page, or view as a flipbook (External link).

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