Council's role in emergencies
Council has a role to play before, during and after emergencies. We work closely with emergency service and recovery agencies to keep our community is safe and supported during an emergency event.
Before an emergency we:
- work with the community to increase resilience to emergencies.
- work with emergency agencies to develop and maintain a Municipal Emergency Management Plan(PDF, 7MB)
which outlines arrangements at a municipal level to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. The Plan includes specific sub plans for fires, floods, heatwaves and pandemics.
- conduct fire prevention works on council land and fire hazard inspections and fuel reduction programs with the community.
- work with agencies to identify and maintain Neighbourhood Safer Places - Bushfire Places of Last Resort.
- work with Forest Fire Management Victoria, Parks Victoria and the CFA to reduce fuel loads in strategically important areas.
- conduct an annual rural roadside slashing program, starting in the northern parts of the Shire and working towards the Coast
During an emergency we:
- activate emergency relief centres as needed to assist displaced people and to coordinate emergency relief services to support our community
- assist emergency services with road/tree clearing, traffic management support, animal welfare related services, volunteer coordination, and assisting the distribution of warnings and information to the public and media.
After an emergency we:
- assist in ongoing recovery activities with affected communities including clean up and infrastructure restoration, building and environmental health assessment, provision of information, management of recovery centres, and establishment and support of community recovery committees and associated programs.
- conduct impact assessments in the impacted area.
State and national parks
Responsibility for the management of state and national parks rests with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
Department of Health
During major emergencies the Department of Health works to minimise the impact of emergencies on individuals, communities and the health system.
The department is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the health system’s response and works in partnership with emergency services, Victorian government agencies and non-government organisations to ensure there is a whole-of-government response.
Disaster relief for national and state emergencies
The government's Better Health Channel has information about disaster relief for national and state emergencies.