The Emergency Management Commissioner (EMC) is supported by a multi-agency State Emergency Management Planning Committee (SEMPC) at the state level. Regional Emergency Management Planning Committees (REMPCs) and Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committees (MEMPCs) promote shared responsibility for planning by requiring relevant agencies to participate in the planning process.
State Crisis and Resilience Council
The functions of the State Crisis and Resilience Council (SCRC) are outlined in section 7 of the Emergency Management Act 2013 (External link), which include:
- to consider the State Emergency Management Plan submitted by the Emergency Management Commissioner to SCRC for approval
- when consulted, to provide advice on any guidelines to be issued by the Minister for Emergency Services (the Minister)
- when consulted, to provide advice to the Minister on declaring regions.
Emergency Management Commissioner
The functions of the Emergency Management Commissioner (EMC) are outlined in section 32(1)(ma)-(me) of the Emergency Management Act 2013 (External link) (EM Act 2013), which include:
- issuing guidelines in relation to community emergency management planning
- be responsible for the preparation and review of the State Emergency Management Plan
- consider any Regional Emergency Management Plan submitted by a Regional Emergency Management Planning Committee (REMPC) for approval
- provide guidance to REMPCs in relation to compliance with the requirements of Parts 5 and 6A of the EM Act 2013
- share information with REMPCs to assist effective emergency management planning in accordance with Part 6A.
State Emergency Management Planning Committee
The State Emergency Management Planning Committee (SEMPC) is established in policy as an ongoing specialist committee to:
- Lead and champion Victoria’s emergency management planning arrangements by supporting its integrated, coordinated and comprehensive framework for planning at state, regional and municipal levels.
- Enhance emergency management planning.
- Provide a planning-specific committee to address and endorse planning matters and products prior to being provided to the State Crisis and Resilience Council (SCRC) for approval, including reviews and updates to the State Emergency Management Plan and its sub-plans, and other work outlined in the workplan. Presentation of advice to SCRC occurs as required, with no formal reporting line to SCRC. The relevant SCRC member is the conduit back to SCRC.
- Provide a state level committee to actively and pragmatically engage Whole of Victorian Government state-level input, approval (where appropriate) and oversight to emergency management planning, (noting most SEMPC member agencies are also represented on SCRC, SCRC’s Policy and Strategy Sub-Committee, Regional Emergency Management Planning Committees (REMPCs) and Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committees (MEMPCs).
- Provide varied agency perspectives, endorsement and advice to the Emergency Management Commissioner (EMC) to support their legislated functions for emergency management planning, as outlined in the Emergency Management Act 2013 (External link).
- Enable REMPC and MEMPC member agencies, or representatives of, to:
- provide state level representation and support to their REMPC and MEMPC members as appropriate.
- arrange the internal coordination of and delegation to own-agency REMPC and MEMPC members.
- Provide a forum for members to provide the EMC (SEMPC Chair) with reports, recommendations or information in a manner that enables multi-agency visibility and input.
Regional Emergency Management Planning Committee
Regional Emergency Management Planning Committees (REMPCs) are established under, and required by, Part 5 of the Emergency Management Act 2013 (External link).
The functions of REMPCs are outlined in section 57(a)-(f) of the EM Act 2013:
- to be responsible for the preparation and review of its Regional Emergency Management Plan (REMP)
- to ensure that its REMP is consistent with the State Emergency Management Plan (SEMP)
- to consider any Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP) submitted by a Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee (MEMPC) for approval
- to provide guidance to MEMPCs operating in the region in relation to compliance with the requirements of Parts 6 and 6A
- to provide reports or recommendations to the Emergency Management Commissioner (EMC) in relation to any matter that affects, or may affect, emergency management planning in that region
- to share information with the EMC, other REMPCs and MEMPCs to assist effective emergency management planning in accordance with Part 6A
- to consult other REMPCs to assist effective emergency management planning in accordance with Part 6A
- to perform any other function conferred on the REMPC by or under this or any other Act.
Section 56 of the EM Act 2013 allows REMPCs to regulate their own procedures, subject to legislation requirements and the Guidelines for Preparing State, Regional and Municipal Emergency Management Plans.
Emergency Management Commissioner’s Statement of Intent for Regional Emergency Management Planning Committees
The Emergency Management Commissioner’s (EMC) Statement of Intent for Regional Emergency Management Planning Committees (Statement of Intent) is a document provided to Regional Emergency Management Planning Committees (REMPCs) as guidance, as per section 32(1)(md) of the Emergency Management Act 2013 (External link) which provides the EMC the function to provide guidance to REMPCs in relation to compliance with the requirements of Parts 5 and 6A.
The Statement is an internal document only.
The Statement of Intent was prepared as, since their formation, REMPCs had developed organically within their understanding of the emergency management planning framework and the work of a REMPC within it. There was an identified need to ensure REMPCs are provided guidance for a consistent approach to REMPC functioning and anticipated outputs over the planning cycle.
The Statement of Intent provides clear parameters which REMPCs are not expected to extend beyond without good cause.
Alignment with the Statement of Intent reflects a ‘walk before run’ approach and seeks to enable REMPCs to mature at a measured, sustainable pace.
The first Statement of Intent was issued to guide REMPC activity between June 2021 and November 2023 (as the point of the first Regional Emergency Management Plan review) and will remain current unless superseded by an updated statement.
Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committees
The functions of Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committees (MEMPCs) are outlined in section 59D(a)-(f) of the Emergency Management Act 2013 (External link):
- to be responsible for the preparation and review of its Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP)
- to ensure that its MEMP is consistent with the State Emergency Management Plan and the relevant Regional Emergency Management Plan
- to provide reports and recommendations to the Regional Emergency Management Planning Committee (REMPC) for the region in which the municipal district is located in relation to any matter that affects, or may affect, emergency management planning in that municipal district
- to share information with the REMPC for the region in which the municipal district is located and with other MEMPCs to assist effective emergency management planning in accordance with Parts 6 and 6A
- to collaborate (having regard to any guidelines issued under section 77(2)(i)) with any other MEMPC that the MEMPC considers appropriate in relation to emergency management planning, including preparing MEMPs
- to perform any other function conferred on the MEMPC by or under this or any other Act.
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.