The emergency management sector has faced significant challenges in recent years, which have tested us, our arrangements and how we work with communities to keep them safe.
These events provide us with valuable lessons and are an opportunity for us to reflect on what we have done right and what we can improve upon. Importantly, it’s about how we can integrate responses and recommendations from various reviews and inquiries, and foster a culture of continuous improvement, working with our community to keep them safe.
For the time I’ve been in the role of Commissioner, one thing has been absolutely clear to me and that’s the strong commitment of our emergency management agencies, departments, and staff, in working together to keep the community safe. For our volunteers, their commitment has never been compromised and we are thankful for all that you do to keep your local community safe.
Through the actions outlined in this Strategic Action Plan 2023-26 (SAP 2023-26), our sector will build on some of the great work done over past years and deliver better outcomes for our communities through all phases of emergencies.
We are focused on working with communities, building their understanding of emergencies, so that they can be better prepared for future risks and improve their resilience.
The establishment of a dedicated 24/7 workforce in the State Control Centre (SCC) has ensured operational capability and capacity to maintain a state of readiness and ability to issue a warning at a moment’s notice.
Victoria is committed to continuing to strengthen a sustainable and agile SCC workforce, strengthening culture and wellbeing across the emergency management workforce.
The SAP is an important document that helps guide work in our sector and we are focused on delivering on those actions so that we can continue to work with, and better support, our community through future emergencies.
My thanks to all those involved in developing this action plan, and for the continued commitment to deliver on these actions over the next three years.
Rick Nugent APM
Emergency Management Commissioner
The department acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.