Emergency Management & Community Safety

Emergency Management & Community Safety Overview

Strategic Objective: To support local government’s community safety and emergency management roles that contribute to the protection of local communities.

Local government plays a crucial role in creating and maintaining safe communities in partnership with a range of government agencies and local organisations. Personal safety is a clear priority across many community groups and all levels of government.

The MAV works with councils on a range of community safety topics including drug and alcohol issues. In addition, the MAV supports the Victorian Safe Communities Network and Victorian Community Safety Month.

Emergency management involves the plans, structures and arrangements which are established to bring together the normal endeavors of government, voluntary and private agencies in a comprehensive and coordinated way to deal with the extent of emergency needs, including prevention, response and recovery.

Emergencies include any event which in any way endangers or threatens to endanger the safety or health of any person or destroys or damages property or the environment.

Victoria's arrangements take an "all-hazards" approach to emergencies, which means the management arrangements for major emergencies are the same as those for lesser-order events. In addition, arrangements are designed to be integrated and comprehensive.

Local Government Role in Emergency Management

Local government has a wide range of responsibilities in Victoria's emergency management arrangements as designated through legislation and the Emergency Management Manual Victoria (EMMV). The EMMV outlines the role of councils in all stages of emergency management: prevention; mitigation and risk reduction; response; and recovery.

Some of these responsibilities are legislated in the Emergency Management Act 1986, the Country Fire Authority Act 1958, the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Act 1958, the Water Act 1989, and the Health Act 1958 and others are designated through the Emergency Management Manual Victoria.

There are a number of positions in councils involved in emergency management including:

the Municipal Emergency Resource Officer (MERO)
the Municipal Fire Prevention Officer (MFPO)
the Municipal Recovery Manager (MRM)
the Environmental Health Officer (EHO).

Some councils coordinate these positions through a Municipal Emergency Manager (MEM). Councils work in cooperation with key State government emergency management agencies such as the police, fire authorities, ambulance services and SES to ensure a coordinated approach to emergency events and a safer outcome for communities.

While local government is not the lead agency to respond to any emergency, it has a support role for a range of emergencies including bushfires, flood, earthquakes, and dam safety. Councils play a significant role in the recovery from any localized emergency events.

Initiatives

Emergency Management

Bushfires Royal Commission 2009
The MAV and 77 councils have been granted leave to appear before the Bushfires Royal Commission 2009.
Find out more about Bushfires Royal Commission>

Influenza Pandemic Planning

Influenza pandemics are associated with high morbidity, excess mortality, and social and economic disruption. An influenza pandemic occurs when a new viral strain appears for which there is little or no immunity in the population, and which is readily transferred between.
Find out more about Influenza Pandemic Planning>

Integrated Fire Management Planning project

Victorian agencies; the State and local government are working together to develop a consistent fire management planning framework.
Find out more about the Integrated Fire Management Planning project>

MAV Emergency Management Resource Sharing Protocol
The MAV and the Municipal Emergency Management Enhancement Group have developed a Protocol for Inter-council Emergency Management Resource Sharing.
Find out more about the MAV Emergency Management Resource Sharing Protocol>

Municipal Emergency Management Enhancement Group

The Municipal Emergency Management Enhancement Group represents local government emergency management practitioners and works to increase the capacity of the sector.
Find out more about the Municipal Emergency Management Enhancement Group>

Emergency Management Discussion Paper

The Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner released an Emergency Management discussion paper in May 2006, which explored opportunities to further strengthen Victoria's emergency management arrangements, and is part of the Government's commitment to exploring more effective partnering between government, its agencies, business, and the community.

Find out more about the Emergency Management Discussion Paper>

Drought Management

As a key representative of affected communities, many councils have taken a lead role in recent years in responce to drought conditions by providing assistance to their communities through provision of counselling, water tanks and carting of water.

Find out more about drought management>

Community Safety

Graffiti Management

Find out more about Graffiti Management>

Gambling

Victorian councils are aware of the potentially harmful affects of gambling on individuals and families within the communities they represent.
Find out more about Gambling>

Resources

Emergency Management & Community Safety project and initiative specific resources can be found on individual pages throughout this section of the website. All key and general resources for Emergency Management & Community Safety can be viewed at the Emergency Management & Community Safety Resources Page.
Go to the Emergency Management & Community Safety Resources page>