Municipal Emergency Management Planning

Council's role in emergencies and emergency planning

Under the Emergency Management Act 2013, council is required to play a key part in emergency planning, response and recovery.

Council is responsible for the

  • Establishment of the Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee (MEMPC) through a resolution of Council
  • Chairing the MEMPC
  • Participation in the preparation and maintenance of a Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP) through the MEMPC
  • Appointment of a Municipal Emergency Management Officer (MEMO) who is responsible for liaising with agencies in relation to emergency management for their municipal footprint and assisting in the coordination of emergency management activities for their council. 
  • Appoint a Municipal Recovery Manager (MRM) responsible for:
    • coordinating, in consultation with agencies, the resources of the municipal council and the community for the purposes of recovery 
    • liaising with any municipal emergency management officer appointed for the municipal district in relation to the use of the municipal council's resources for the purposes of recovery 
    • assisting any municipal emergency management officer appointed for the municipal district with planning and preparing for recovery.  

Council also has responsibilities under the State Emergency Management Plan, including:

  • Local relief coordination 
  • Local recovery arrangements through Municipal Recovery Committees
  • Provision of council services to support control agencies
  • Coordination of secondary impact assessment

To see the full list of council emergency responsibilities go to the State Emergency Management Plan.

 

Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP)

The Emergency Management Act 2013 requires that a Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP) be developed for each municipal district. The MEMP must detail the municipal level arrangements for the mitigation of, response to, and recovery from emergencies that may impact the local community. The MEMP also provides information on ways members of the community can support emergency management through their own preparedness.

Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee (MEMPC)

The Cardinia MEMP is developed and maintained by the MEMPC, chaired by Council. The MEMPC includes representatives from

  • Cardinia Shire Council
  • Victoria Police
  • Country Fire Authority (CFA)
  • Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV)
  • Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES)
  • Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH)
  • Ambulance Victoria
  • Australian Red Cross
  • Emergency Recovery Victoria
  • Ausnet
  • Department of Health
  • Water companies
  • Department of Transport and Planning
  • Agriculture Victoria
  • Victorian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry
  • Puffing Billy Railway
  • Two community representatives. 

 

The MEMP is reviewed on an ongoing basis and is approved by the Regional Emergency Management Planning Committee (REMPC) every three years. The Cardinia MEMPC uses the CERA (Community Emergency Risk Assessment) process to assess risks within the shire.  CERA is an all-hazards risk assessment tool which aims to identify, mitigate and reduce risk within the community following the Australian Standard for Risk Management, ISO 31000. 

MEMP sub-plans

In Cardinia, the MEMP is supplemented by multi-agency sub-plans that have been prepared to address specific hazards that are locally significant. 

The following sub-plans have been prepared by MEMPC subcommittees which include representation from agencies with a relationship to these hazards and which are chaired by Council Emergency Management Officers.  The MEMPC sub-plans are:

  • Cardinia Fire Management Plan
  • Cardinia Flood and Storm Emergency Management Plan
  • Cardinia Shire Municipal Dam Safety Plan
  • Cardinia Municipal Relief and Recovery Emergency Management Sub-Plan

Sub-plans maintained by the MEMPC are:

  • Cardinia Shire Municipal Emergency Animal Welfare Sub-Plan
  • Cardinia Shire Municipal Heat Health Plan

Municipal Plan links

Related pages