Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan 2022–25 - Progress Report 2023 | Inspector-General for Emergency Management Victoria

All hazards

Risks spanning across multiple hazard types and across the emergency management system.

Biosecurity

Exotic animal and plant disease outbreaks and pest incursions can have significant economic, community and environmental impacts.

Bushfire and other fires

Bushfire and other fires have potential consequences including loss of life and property, and damage to infrastructure and environment.

Climate change

Risks include more days of extreme heat, harsher fire weather, less rainfall and rising sea levels.

Communications disruption

Communications services are crucial in keeping communities safe, connected and informed before, during and after emergencies.

Cyber security and ICT systems failure

Risks relating to the confidentiality, availability, integrity of information and data and disruption of services.

Energy supply disruption

Reliable energy supplies are critical to many social and economic activities.

Flood

Major flood events have occurred in Victoria every 10 to 20 years, with much of the increasing risk created by human settlement.

Hazardous material incident

Potential risks relate to many places where Victoria’s hazardous materials are manufactured, stored, transported, used and disposed.

Heatwave

Heatwaves are considered to be the ‘silent killer’ of extreme weather events and are the leading cause of weather-related deaths in Australia.

Public health emergency

Risks may relate to the delivery of public health services, with impacts on community health and wellbeing and potential for loss of life.

Supply chain disruption

Geopolitical, environmental, economic, societal and infrastructure-related shocks can expose supply chains to wide ranging consequences.

Terrorism and extremism

Attacks carried out by individuals or non-state groups with ideological, political or religious goals can result in loss of life, severe injury and/or material damage.

Water supply disruption

Risks include collection, storage, treatment, delivery, availability and allocation of water for consumption and environmental, recreation and cultural uses.

Workforce and resourcing

Risks may relate to human resource supply and skills to support emergency management operations.

SAP Progress Report 2023

This is the Inspector-General for Emergency Management’s (IGEM) 7th progress report on the State’s implementation of the Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan (SAP).

The SAP Progress Report 2023 outlines implementation progress for the 36 actions in SAP 2022–25 focusing on the period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, as well as recent developments between July 2023 and October 2023.

Of these SAP 2022–25 actions, 5 are complete, 29 remain in progress, one is closed, and one is yet to commence. Many of these actions carry through to SAP 2023–26 and IGEM continues to monitor implementation.

The SAP Progress Report 2023 also includes a final summary of progress for 9 actions in SAP Update #4 2019–22 for the period 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2022. Of these SAP Update #4 actions, 6 are complete and 3 are closed.

Emergency Management Planning Assurance Report 2023

IGEM has a legislative function to monitor, review and assess emergency management planning at a system level undertaken in accordance with Parts 5, 6 and 6A of the Emergency Management Act 2013.

The Emergency Management Planning Assurance Report 2023 analysed the State Emergency Management Plan (External link), and all Regional Emergency Management Plans and Municipal Emergency Management Plans.

It identifies and shares examples of better practice in plans across all tiers and highlights key improvement opportunities such as:

a need for plans to better identify their audience and tailor their content
opportunities to support and incorporate more community emergency management planning
opportunities for planners to strengthen the conduct and documenting of exercises as well as lessons to validate and promote continuous improvement of plans
opportunities to improve connections between the emergency management arrangements with other arrangements such as the critical infrastructure resilience arrangements.

IGEM’s Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan 2022–25 Progress Report 2023 incorporating the Emergency Management Planning Assurance Report 2023 was published on 19 September 2024.

IGEM’s report is available in PDF format from the link below or you can view as a flipbook (External link).

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