COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY-GENERAL
HON ROBERT McCLELLAND MP
AND
VICTORIAN MINISTER FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES
HON BOB CAMERON MP
Commonwealth Attorney-General, Robert McClelland and Victorian Minister for Emergency Services, Bob Cameron, today attended the first bushfire pre-season briefing for State and Territory emergency management agencies to facilitate better disaster planning and preparedness.
The briefing, which will be conducted in all States and Territories, was a key recommendation of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and will provide details of Commonwealth support arrangements that are available in the event of a serious disaster or emergency.
“These sessions recognise that cooperation and information sharing between the Commonwealth, States and Territories is critical to the effective utilisation of resources during bushfires and other disasters,” Mr McClelland said.
The briefing, conducted by Emergency Management Australia (EMA), will include:
- information on the availability and capability of Commonwealth assets;
- natural disaster support arrangements;
- cooperative response procedures under the Australian Emergency Management Arrangements, such as the Commonwealth Disaster Response Plan;
- seasonal outlooks from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) in relation to severe fire weather and cyclone activity; and
- bushfire detection and mapping capabilities within Geoscience Australia.
This year’s briefings will also include facilitated scenario-based exercises between Emergency Management Australia, Defence and the States and Territories. These will be used to refine communication and information sharing arrangements, identify capacity constraints in the most common types of emergencies, and identify likely support that may be requested.
“The presence of organisations like the Bureau of Meteorology, Geoscience Australia and the Australian Defence Force allows us to see the full spectrum of support and services available to Victoria,” Mr Cameron said.
The annual bushfire pre-season briefing demonstrates the commitment of Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments to improve emergency management arrangements and build community resilience to withstand the impacts and effects of natural disasters.
Media Contact: Daniel Gleeson (McClelland) 0417 886 111
Cameron Scott (Cameron) 0448 346 942
