Building public confidence in emergency management

Abstract

Over the years the State of Victoria has suffered many disasters, some of them resulting in extensive community, economic and environmental loss. A number of significant events, including the 2009 Victorian bushfires, major flood events in 2010–11 and their subsequent inquiries have resulted in the biggest overhaul of Victoria’s emergency management arrangements since 1983. One significant element of the new arrangements is the inclusion of an entity whose role it is to assure the emergency management arrangements at the system level — the first time such a role has existed. This paper will describe the reform programme currently underway in Victoria, as well as the governance and structural arrangements that have been put in place, before detailing the assurance processes that are being implemented.