A handbook about government responsibilities during emergencies and disasters has been updated to help authorities plan for future incidents.

Produced by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, the free Australian Emergency Management Arrangements Handbook was guided by a working group, which included the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). It includes additions to reflect changes in approaches to managing an emergency and places a new emphasis on the education sector, the insurance industry, not-for-profits, natural resources management bodies, scientists and researchers.

The chapters cover aspects of disasters including legal and administrative frameworks, prevention and mitigation measures, response and recovery arrangements. It also features links to each state and territory’s emergency management plans.

The book proposes that local governments play a fundamental role in emergency management because of their strong relationships with local community networks and knowledge of locally-available resources: 

“Local governments often have a more detailed knowledge of the population dimensions within a local government area such, as people with special needs, vulnerable and at-risk people, and special interest groups.

“Where local government powers exist, and state legislation enables, local governments have responsibilities, in partnership with respective state and territory governments, to contribute to the safety and well-being of their communities by participating in local emergency management planning and providing capability.”

Local governments’ principal roles and responsibilities may include but are not limited to: building and promoting resilience to emergencies, risk assessments of land use planning, and ensuring all requisite local emergency planning and preparedness measures are undertaken and that plans are exercised regularly.

Losses from natural and human-caused hazards are increasing globally because of various factors such as population growth, migration to urban areas, and settlements in and industrialisation of vulnerable areas such as coastal zones and flood plains. The publication warns Australia is not immune from these factors, stating “these trends may increase the vulnerability to, and the impacts of, emergencies and disasters.”

The document is part of the Institute’s Australian Disaster Resilience Handbook collection, with editions on communicating with people with a disability, community recovery, evacuation planning and incident management.