Review of connecting and collaborating with the private sector and community organisations

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.

IGEM’s Review of connecting and collaborating with the private sector and community organisations was identified in the Inspector-General for Emergency Management’s (IGEM) 2016 Annual Forward Plan of Reviews, and was conducted under section 64(1)(b) of the Emergency Management Act 2013.

The review's objective was to assess the effectiveness of Victoria’s emergency management sector in connecting and collaborating with the private sector and community organisations.

The scope examined the collaborative relationships established for effective emergency management with a focus on the sector’s engagement with private sector and community organisations.

The review highlights the importance of collaboration in emergency management and identifies:

issues relevant to sector organisations in working with private sector and community organisations.
examples of cross-sector collaboration
the challenges experienced by sector organisations in collaborating with private sector and community organisations.

The report also outlines a number of observations for future consideration:

Greater attention to the strategic and organisational competencies and personnel skills that are highlighted in the review will improve the effectiveness of collaborative emergency management activity before, during and after emergencies.
Effective connections and collaborations across sectors will likely support increased self-reliance, reinforced community resilience and the achievement of better community outcomes.

IGEM made no findings or recommendations.