Public health emergencies can be caused by events which impact on public health or events that can potentially overwhelm the health-system.

For example, a highly infectious disease spreading through the community, health impacts arising from emergencies (for example smoke from a major fire or waterborne diseases during a flood), and any mass casualty situations or weather-related events such as thunderstorm asthma.

Examples of significant public health emergencies include the Victoria’s thunderstorm asthma event of 21–22 November 2016, and the current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. 

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Publish year Assurance activity Summary Organisation
2022 Review of COVID-19 Communications in Victoria (External link) An assessment of the Victorian Government’s approach relating to pandemic orders and health related communications against best practice. The report found that significant effort was made to ensure the timely provision of consistent and relevant information utilising a diversity of methods and platforms. Parliament of Victoria
2022 Public Reporting on the investigation into decision-making under the Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (External link) On 7 December 2021, the Victorian Ombudsman tabled in Parliament the final report following an investigation into decision-making under the Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions. As a result of the investigation, the Ombudsman made five recommendations with Recommendation 5 being that the Secretary to the Department of Health report publicly on Recommendations 1-4 on or before 31 March 2022. Department of Health
2022 Select Committee on COVID-19: final report (External link) On 8 April 2020, the Senate resolved to establish a Select Committee to inquire into the Australian Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The final report identified as government failures: the failure to open quarantine facilities, the slow start to the vaccine rollout, and handling of COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care facilities. Parliament of Australia
2022 Business Continuity during COVID-19 (External link) An examination of all eight Victorian Government departments - plus IT provider Cenitex - on their preparation for a major disruption prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and if plans were effectively implemented to maintain prioritised services during the pandemic. Victorian Auditor-General's Office
2022 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry Implementation of recommendations and affirmations - Progress Report 2021 (External link) IGEM’s sixth report as sole monitor on the progress of the implementation of recommendations and affirmations from the 2014 and 2015–16 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry reports, it summarises implementation progress to August 2021, of the eight government actions and one recommendation directed to the Latrobe Valley coal mine operators that were reported as in progress in IGEM’s Progress Report 2020. Inspector-General for Emergency Management
2021 Strengthening our health communication systems: pandemic lessons for Melbourne’s west (External link) An identification of the elements of an effective health communication system, this report draws upon literature from COVID-19 and other pandemic or emergency responses and provides detailed recommendations for regions, governments and local implementers, including considerations for engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Independent
2021 Investigation into decision making under the Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (External link) An investigation into Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions introduced to manage the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis including matters raised by 315 complainants.
The report acknowledges that the decisions to issue the Border Directions during Victoria’s public health emergency were not unjustified or unreasonable, but makes 2 recommendations to remove the complex and constrained bureaucracy which led to some unjust and inhumane outcomes. 		Victorian Ombudsman
2021 COVID-19 outbreaks in Australian residential aged care facilities (External link) An independent review into COVID-19 outbreaks in Australian residential aged care facilities, commissioned by the Australian government Independent
2021 The widening divide in Melbourne: How COVID-19 transmission through the city increased existing inequality. (External link) An examination of the unequal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it further exacerbated Melbourne’s existing income inequality - while many suffered job losses, others were able to substantially increase their household savings.
 KPMG Australia
2021 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry - Progress Report 2020 (External link) An assessment of progress in implementing recommendations and affirmations from the 2014 and 2015–16 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry reports. In this report IGEM monitors 11 government actions and 1 recommendation that were reported as ongoing in 2019. The report finds that some actions are close to completion, and others involve complex legislative reforms that require time to fully implement. Inspector-General for Emergency Management