With a series of natural disasters recently occurring across the country, disaster recovery and emergency management are at the forefront of most councils’ minds.
Wellington Shire Council in eastern Victoria is leading the way forward in this area, having developed proven partnerships and recovery programs.
Council experienced four major natural disasters in less than 12 months (bushfires in December 2006, mudslides in February 2007, floods in June/July and again in November 2007). However, it was still able to meet the response and recovery needs of its communities, while also delivering its adopted 2007/2008 works program.
Council’s Municipal Emergency Manager and Director Corporate Services, Jim Wilson, said Council’s ambitious budgeted works program for 2007/08 appeared to be compromised by the series of emergencies, which called upon all the Shire’s resources.
“Meeting the response and recovery needs of communities that had experienced widespread social, economic and environmental devastation stretched Council’s works and services capacity to the limit,” he said. “The fact that Council was still able to carry out $12 million of emergency work to the gratitude of the community, while also delivering its adopted $27 million works program, is a credit to Councillors and staff.”
Jim Wilson said the successful undertaking of the relief and recovery efforts by Council and emergency support organisations required effective partnering.
“With the 2007 floods, representatives of community support, statutory and voluntary agencies, such as the Red Cross and Department of Human Services came together in the Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre (MECC) based in the Shire Offices.
“The immediate need was to assess conditions on the ground, determine priorities in attending to the personal needs of affected residents, and to establish the physical damage to public and private infrastructure. In the shorter term, the concentration of effort was on personal welfare and restoration of property access where possible.
“With the provision of early emergency funding and agency support, Council was able to mitigate the effects of the flood disasters.”
Jim Wilson said that from this experience Council has a better appreciation of the role that each of the statutory and voluntary organisations can bring to disaster situations. He said that Council has since formulated a comprehensive Recovery Plan and incorporated it into the organisation’s Municipal Emergency Management Plan, which addresses both response and recovery aspects of emergencies.
“The plan outlines who should do what during an emergency, how to establish community recovery committees and how to liaise with community and emergency services during a disaster,” Jim Wilson said. “Council used the plan during the recent Black Saturday bushfires, where we lost 17 homes, many sheds, fodder, stock and kilometres of fencing.”
Jim Wilson said that while Wellington staff have much experience in disaster management, and were well experienced and trained compared with areas facing their first emergency, the plan helped to activate the recovery process and ensure everyone was in the right place.
“While we don’t get to choose the timing or severity of natural disasters, we have managed these crises to very successful outcomes – for that Council deserves recognition,” he said.
Jim Wilson said new partnerships have come from the disasters, within communities and with other agencies, which will provide longer term benefits.
For further information contact Jim Wilson on (03) 5142 3353.
