Awards to highlight Local Government efforts in overcoming emergencies
Innovative Local Governments across Australia are expected to once again perform strongly in the 2003 Australian Safer Communities Awards. The Awards are organised by Emergency Management Australia in partnership with State and Territory emergency management agencies. They recognise best practice and innovation by organisations and individuals that helps to build safer communities.
The Awards cover all aspects of emergency management – risk assessment, research, education and training, information and knowledge management, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. There are two categories: projects aimed at preventing or mitigating disasters or emergencies, and projects covering response and recovery. Entries are divided into streams such as Local Government, Federal and State Government, volunteer organisations and community groups, the private sector, and research bodies.
This is the fourth year the Awards have been held.
In 2002, ten Local Government entrants, sometimes in conjunction with other organisations, won a total of 15 national, State and Territory awards.
As in previous years, judging panels representative of each of the six streams will select State, Territory and national winners. They will assess how entries improve community safety; the degree to which they represent best practice nationally or internationally, how well they were carried out and the scope for others to follow their lead.
Emergency Management Australia enables winners to present their work at key venues in Australia, such as conferences dealing with emergency management and at the Emergency Management Australia Institute. EMA will consider helping fund winning projects that have the potential to apply more widely.
EMA and its State and Territory partners are pleased at the growing interest in the Awards and the recognition they bring to innovative organisations, and expect an exciting range of entries this year. The Awards have well justified the aim of recognising and rewarding best practice and innovation in all aspects of emergency management. The program’s success has been greatly helped by the support shown by EMA’s partners such as Local Governments.
An important element of the Awards is that winning projects contain benefits that can be adopted by other emergency management organisations. EMA’s program to add value to the Safer Communities Awards is playing an effective role in bringing such projects to fruition.
Entries in the 2003 Awards must cover completed projects substantially undertaken between January 2002 and the end of April 2003. Entries close on 8 August 2003. State and Territory winners will be announced in September 2003. National Awards will be announced in November 2003. For more information on entry requirements for the 2003 Awards and details of previous Award winners visit www.ema.gov.au, where there is also a State and Territory contact list.
Local Government Safer Communities winners in 2002
- Launceston City Council, Tasmania: Launceston Recovery Management Plan.
- City of Joondalup, WA: Cliff Hazard Strategy.
- Lismore City Council, NSW: Flood Awareness Week Project.
- Shire of Roebourne, WA: Karratha/Cape Lambert Storm Surge Impact Mitigation Study.
- Wollondilly Shire Council, NSW: Wollondilly Bushfire Recovery Project.
- Shire of Halls Creek, WA, with Fire and Emergency Services Authority and Halls Creek Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services Unit: Community Centred Emergency Management.
- Brisbane City Council, Qld: Bushfire Awareness Program.
- Hornsby Shire Council, NSW: Emergency Response Plan.
- City of Monash, Vic: Interactive Emergency Management Plan CD-ROM.
- Rural City of Wangaratta, Vic., Alpine Shire, and North East Catchment Management Authority: Ovens and King Rivers Improved Flood Warning System.
For more information about the 2003 Safer communities Awards and an entry form click here www.ema.gov.au
Partnership with Local Government
Emergency Management Australia, a Division of the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, works with Local Governments and a wide range of other partners to achieve safer, sustainable communities. EMA programs involving Local Government, in addition to the Australian Safer Communities Awards, include training courses, such as Emergency Management for Local Government, Land Use Planning and the recently announced access to funding through the EMA-ALGA Local Government Management Capability Development Program.
Of great interest to people in Local Government will be the Safer Sustainable Communities 2003 Australian Disaster Conference in Canberra from 10 to 12 September.
Visit www.ema.gov.au/disasterconference.
