Emergency Management and Recovery Forum highlights the importance of local knowledge during and after disasters

Last week we hosted elected representatives and council staff from 19 different Tasmanian councils in Launceston and online at our Emergency Management and Recovery Forum.

Local government plays a critical role in emergency management and has a long history in emergency response and community recovery. The sector works closely with the State Government, emergency services and other organisations to ensure our communities have access to the information and resources they need when they need it the most.

During his opening speech, LGAT President Mayor Mick Tucker recognised that many of the attendees present had supported their communities through natural disasters such as bushfires, severe weather events, floods, and pandemics.

Throughout the event, speakers shared the experience of being involved in disasters – before, during and after they occurred. This was a valuable opportunity to learn from past events and identify ways to reduce risks and prepare for the future.

Bree Hunter from the City of Hobart spoke about the lessons learnt from their Sparking Conversations, Igniting Action program. This resilience initiative aimed to increase household planning and preparation for bushfires. Working in the greater Hobart area, this was a real boots-on-the-ground endeavour, with door knocking, community forums and neighbourhood events. To date, they have visited 1,996 houses and completed 211 Risk and Readiness Assessments. The impact of this initiative has been felt within these communities, with 84% of residents finding it ‘extremely valuable’. This success was not without pain points, as Bree shared multiple lessons for attendees to consider if they wish to undertake a similar initiative in their communities.

We’ve all heard the assumption that councils only deal with roads, rates and rubbish. Linda Snell from Yarra Ranges Council asked the question ‘What about recovery?’. In 2021, her municipality was hit by an unprecedented storm with strong wind speeds causing extensive damage to trees and infrastructure. Widespread power outages saw 11,363 homes without power for 1 to 2 weeks. Even though 70% of council staff were impacted, 189 staff supported the community by doing one or more shifts in relief hubs. Linda shared the immediate recovery that occurred post-storm, including the removal of fallen trees and the disposal of food waste from homes without electricity, all while navigating a COVID lockdown. But she also highlighted the long-term recovery efforts that Yarra Ranges has been undertaking, such as community group training, supporting those who need to rebuild homes and re-establishing gardens across the area. Watch the team from Yarra Ranges reflect upon their recovery experience.

Jenny Lloyd shared how councils and communities can work together following a disaster. Mallacoota, a remote Victorian town, was impacted by bushfires on New Year's Eve 2020. Over 120 homes were lost with many more houses and businesses damaged. There was widespread loss of wilderness and historical infrastructure like jetties, tracks and bridges. Local residents soon conceived a plan to ensure they had a voice during recovery, so the Mallacoota and District Recovery Association was born. As the Inaugural Deputy Chair of the Association, Jenny helped organise a community-led Recovery Plan. During her presentation, Jenny highlighted the important role councils play in not only rebuilding what was physically lost, but helping people recover. She shared numerous initiatives that the council supported that empowered the community to build back better.

Towards the end of 2021, Tasmania was shaken by the Hillcrest Primary School tragedy where six children lost their lives. Karen Hampton was Devonport City Council’s Social Recovery Coordinator and was immediately placed on ‘standby’ before the whole extent of the tragedy was known. She quickly became the ‘local’ conduit into the State agencies for the local community, attending daily briefings with numerous other government stakeholders. Quite quickly, a spontaneous memorial site appeared at the school and within two weeks the number of tributes had exceeded 2,000 items. Karen formed the Spontaneous Memorial Working Group to develop an Action Plan to outline arrangements for the sensitive removal and storage of the tributes. As part of the long-term recovery plan, Karen was seconded to the State Government’s Hillcrest Recovery team for 12 months to provide local representation. She shared with attendees how she assisted in the preparation for the one-year commemoration event. This included engaging community recovery experts, which reinforced the importance of seeking guidance and support from those with similar shared experiences. Karen reminded attendees that in these situations they should trust their local knowledge, as they know their communities better than anyone else.

To close the Forum, we looked to the future. Belinda Loxley from Kingborough Council shared what they have learned from recently undertaking an Emergency Management Audit. The Audit was an opportunity to increase the linkage between climate change and business continuity and gain support from leadership for dedicated resources. As a result, Kingborough Council now has increased depth in Emergency Management and Recovery Coordinators and within the Evacuation Centre Management Team. They have also strengthened key partnerships and gained support for initiatives with other groups. As other Tasmanian councils start undertaking their own audits, Belinda recommended that they complete exercises with scenario planning and share the risk information to raise awareness in their communities.

We are grateful to these speakers for sharing their personal stories with our attendees. While the responsibilities of local government during emergencies are clearly outlined in various Acts and State Government plans, a lot of the planning for how to respond and recover happens at the local level. This event recognised how crucial it is to have strong connections, both within communities and across different areas, to ensure that emergency preparedness, response and recovery efforts are effective.

We all know investment in prevention and preparedness is less expensive than disaster response. For every dollar spent on disaster risk reduction, there is an estimated $9.60 return on investment. This is why LGAT continues to advocate for funding from the Australian Government to invest in resilience initiatives to reduce the risk of disaster impacts and ensure that communities are in the best possible position for recovery when disaster does occur.