Councils and emergency management
Councils play a critical role in Tasmania’s emergency management and have a long history in emergency response and community recovery.
Local government is a key partner to the Tasmanian Emergency Management Arrangements (TEMA), established under the Emergency Management Act 2006. Additionally, local government plays a critical role in coordinating municipal emergency management committees.
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Mitigation investment
Investment in mitigation saves money overall. For example, cost benefit analysis of the City of Launceston flood levy showed the benefits of the levy significantly outweighed the costs that would have been incurred from flood damages.
Disaster funding
According the Productivity Commission’s 2014 report, 97% of disaster funding in Australia is spent on post-disaster relief and recovery.
Increased costs
The costs associated with natural disasters are expected to increase to $39.3 billion per year nationally by 2050 – this equates to around $600 million for Tasmania.
How LGAT advocates for Tasmanian councils
As a key stakeholder in emergency management, the voice of local government is critical. We support councils through advocacy, guidance and practical assistance to enable councils to prepare their communities for emergencies and support them in recovery. We also represent local government on state-level committees and working groups.
We actively engage with the sector and both levels of government on emergency management issues, an area currently under heavy reform and review.
LGAT's advocacy in this area has delivered the following:
- State Government provision of ongoing funding for flood policy capability within the State Emergency Service
- State Government funding for three State Emergency Service planning officers to support municipal committees and coordinators in emergency management
- The inclusion of day labour as an allowable expense in the new Local Government Relief and Recovery Policy
- Additional tools and support to councils in their application for reimbursement under the Local Government Relief and Recovery Policy
- LGAT Representation on the State Emergency Management Committee
- Support for councils in response to COVID-19
- Progress in ensuring that the roles and responsibilities of Crown land in emergency management recovery are documented and understood.
We have also worked with the sector and stakeholders to embed new processes and develop tools to support their roles in emergency management.