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Report name
Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian Fire Season - Phase 1
Lead agency
EMV - Emergency Management Victoria
Status
In Progress
Due date
June 2022 (revised)
Finding
IGEM notes progress on this action, noting a revised due date was approved by SCRC
Recommendation theme
Recommendation 16: Cross-border interoperability
Recommendation details

The Inspector-General for Emergency Management recommends that Emergency Management Victoria works with the emergency management sector and relevant emergency management entities in New South Wales and South Australia to identify and address key cross border operational and resource management issues. This engagement should aim to enhance interoperability and maximise the capability and capacity of agencies to work together during emergencies along Victoria's borders.

Action

EMV will work closely with relevant stakeholders in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania to implement improvements in emergency preparedness and response, including formalising procedures for deployment of liaison officers across borders.

Summary of progress

In October 2021 the State Crisis and Resilience Council approved a revised due date for this action of June 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic related delays to engagement with multiple interstate and intrastate stakeholders, exacerbated by funding and resource constraints.

Improvements in emergency preparedness and response
EMV continues to engage with cross border emergency management committees such as:

  • the Tri-State Emergency Management Cross Border Liaison Committee
  • the Upper Murray Cross Border Fire Coordinating Committee
  • the Eastern Coordinating Committee
  • the Far South West Coordinating Committee.

These committees cover both New South Wales and South Australian borders and have an interoperability focus. EMV provided IGEM with examples of meeting minutes demonstrating a focus on improvements in emergency preparedness and response.

Cross Border Emergency Management Liaison Officers 
To further strengthen interoperability and interstate relationships during border emergency events, EMV is developing a new role of Cross Border Emergency Management Liaison Officer (CB EMLO) to assist incident management teams in neighbouring jurisdictions.

EMV intends to finalise the CB EMLO role statement by the end of 2022, pending agency approval.

Related activity
The EMC is Victoria’s representative on AFAC’s Commissioners and Chief Officers Strategic Committee (CCOSC). Among other issues, the committee considers formal arrangements for interstate resource sharing (refer to FSIP1 Action 16.5).