INQ116

TitleLong
Review of Australia’s Ability to Respond to and Recover From Catastrophic Disasters
INQAuthor
Australian Emergency Management Committee
Year
InquiryType
DisasterType
State
Status

Recommendations for this Inquiry

INQ-ref REC-UID CODE SubCode SrcNUM Recommendation
INQ116 REC116-2098 C - Response 15 - Inter-service cooperation Recommendation 1

The Working Group recommends that Emergency Management Australia (EMA) facilitate national discussions into the capability of States/Territories to ensure thorough collaborative systems and plans for inter-jurisdictional resource interoperability exist, and where this has not already occurred at

INQ116 REC116-2115 B - Preparedness 41 - Emergency Management exercises Recommendation 18

The Working Group recommends that the results of the scenario modeling be presented to the Australian Emergency Management Committee (AEMC) upon completion, and that AEMC form Sub Working Groups of State/Territory emergency management representatives as appropriate to be tasked with considering r

INQ116 REC116-2116 B - Preparedness 39 - Disaster Risk Management Recommendation 19

The working group recommends that a similar project to the Review of Australia's Ability to Respond to and Recover from Catastrophic Disasters be established to consider the longer term consequences of catastrophic disasters and their resulting recovery implications.

INQ116 REC116-2117 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 20

The Working Group recommends that potential shortfalls in the capacity to deal with large numbers of unprotected children and other special needs groups in a catastrophic event be referred to the Disaster Recovery Sub Committee of Community Services Ministers’ Advisory Council (CSMAC) for conside

INQ116 REC116-2118 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 21

The Working Group recommends that State/Territory Recovery Committees review their membership to ensure that it is reflective of community needs, including representation from the Insurance Disaster Response Organisation. 

INQ116 REC116-2119 D - Recovery 6 - Insurance and legal liability Recommendation 22

The Working Group recommends that the National Recovery Coordinators Group approach the Investment and Financial Services Association Limited, with a view to identifying the most appropriate way of engaging the life insurance industry in the recovery process.

INQ116 REC116-2120 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 23

The Working Group recommends that the National Recovery Coordinators Group considers the issue of emergency relief centres in the context of catastrophic disaster with a view to assisting jurisdictions to plan for the need to accommodate thousands of people following a disaster. 

INQ116 REC116-2121 A - Responsibility 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry Recommendation 24

The Working Group recommends that the Australian Government investigate, in consultation with the finance and banking sector, the development of arrangements to ensure that essential transactions can continue in the event of a catastrophic failure of the banking system that includes access to cas

INQ116 REC116-2122 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 25

The Working Group recommends that States/Territories consider their ability to house large numbers of domestic pets, and where necessary, develop plans and arrangements that facilitate this need. 

INQ116 REC116-2123 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 26

The Working Group recommends that the Australian Government consider developing an overarching whole of government disaster plan that clearly articulates authority, roles and responsibilities of agencies, inter-departmental committees and key officials, to link the range of existing Australian Go

INQ116 REC116-2124 E - Agency Organisation 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform Recommendation 27

The whole of government disaster plan should also be written in such a way as to manage continuity of national government, ensure delivery of key services for which the Australian Government has responsibility and establish (or document existing) command and control mechanisms. 

INQ116 REC116-2125 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 28

The Working group recommends that the Australian Government take a leadership role with regard to addressing the national capability issues identified within this review.

INQ116 REC116-2126 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 29

The Working Group recommends the Australian Emergency Management Committee note that: 
• The Catastrophic Disasters Emergency Management Capability Review should be seen as the first phase of a multi-faceted work program

INQ116 REC116-2127 B - Preparedness 39 - Disaster Risk Management Recommendation 30

The Working Group recommends that the Australian Government and the States/Territories use the survey templates compiled in each of their jurisdictions during the capability review workshops, and the scenarios to consider their current and future capabilities, to respond to and recover from large

INQ116 REC116-2128 E - Agency Organisation 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform Recommendation 31

The Working Group recommends that jurisdictions review their emergency management arrangements (plans, legislation, etc) to ensure that they are able to mitigate, respond to and recover from disasters, and maximise the duration of self reliance that can be achieved.

INQ116 REC116-2114 A - Responsibility 21 - Role of Commonwealth Government Recommendation 17

Related to recommendation 16, the Working Group recommends that the likelihood and consequences be systematically assessed by appropriate agencies that would include Geoscience Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry among others.

INQ116 REC116-2113 F - Research and technology 26 - Research Recommendation 16

The Working Group recommends support for ongoing research into natural hazard risks and an improved understanding of emergency management capability.
The research program should include:

INQ116 REC116-2099 E - Agency Organisation 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform Recommendation 2

The Working Group recommends that a review of the operation of the Commonwealth Mutual Recognition Act 1992 be conducted and that agreed national protocols be developed to manage the integration of

INQ116 REC116-2100 E - Agency Organisation 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform Recommendation 3

The Working Group recommends that agreed national protocols be developed to manage the integration of overseas workers and international aid into an affected jurisdiction. 

INQ116 REC116-2101 A - Responsibility 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry Recommendation 4

The Working Group recommends that each jurisdiction; 
• Examine the interdependency of essential services provided by the private sector, utilising where possible other existing programs such as the National Critical Infrastructure Protection Initiative

INQ116 REC116-2102 A - Responsibility 35 - Business and Industry in relation to industry Recommendation 5

The Working Group recommends that jurisdictions identify appropriate commercial organisations/bodies able to ensure maintenance of supply of food items and packaged water to commercial outlets in times of disaster. 

INQ116 REC116-2103 D - Recovery 33 - Relief and recovery Recommendation 6

The Working Group recommends that jurisdictions plan for the logistics of supply and delivery of meals to large numbers of homebound persons in an attempt to identify possible ways of resolving existing shortcomings. 

INQ116 REC116-2104 B - Preparedness 39 - Disaster Risk Management Recommendation 7

The Working Group recommends that in addition to existing disease control and pandemic management plans, States/Territories should consider developing a pandemic emergency management plan that considers the impact of pandemic disease broadly, encompasses all government and private sector agencies

INQ116 REC116-2105 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 8

The Working Group recommends that the adequacy of existing national mortuary capability to meet the likely demands of a catastrophic disaster be assessed by State/Territory Coroners.

INQ116 REC116-2106 E - Agency Organisation 16 - Training and behaviour Recommendation 9

The Working Group recommends that appropriate building/surveyor peak bodies be identified, and that discussions be held between the emergency management sector and those peak bodies at State/Territory and national level with a view to:

INQ116 REC116-2107 B - Preparedness 10 - Infrastructure Recommendation 10

The Working Group recommends that State/Territory emergency management plans should explicitly take the need for rapid assessment of damaged physical infrastructure into account.

INQ116 REC116-2108 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 11

The Working Group recommends that all States/Territories and the Australian Government should regularly (annually) test their continuity of executive government plans and contingencies. 

INQ116 REC116-2109 A - Responsibility 24 - Govt responsibility Recommendation 12

The Working Group recommends that participants in the exercises designed to test continuity of executive government plans and procedures should be the office holders themselves. 

INQ116 REC116-2110 A - Responsibility 9 - Community education Recommendation 13

The Working Group recommends that EMA convene a national forum to explore community information and warning needs in catastrophic disasters, to review existing information and warning systems, and to identify possible technologies and techniques that might be used to enhance community needs in di

INQ116 REC116-2111 A - Responsibility 9 - Community education Recommendation 14

The Working Group recommends that the national forum mentioned in recommendation 13 consider the ongoing need for dissemination of information on a national basis both during and following a catastrophic disaster and also identify strategies to ensure the ability of this to be facilitated.

INQ116 REC116-2112 C - Response 8 - Communications and warnings Recommendation 15

The Working Group recommends that the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department hold discussions with the Commonwealth Department of Communications, Information, Technology and the Arts regarding the Integrated Public Telephone Network Database (IPND) being made accessible for use in times of em

INQ116 REC116-2129 B - Preparedness 41 - Emergency Management exercises Recommendation 32

The Working Group recommends that Emergency Management Australia and the jurisdictions through the AEMC develop a three year rolling national exercise strategy aimed at testing the response and recovery aspects of large scale disasters.