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| Emergency Management Victoria | |
|---|---|
| Name | Emergency Management Victoria |
| Formation | 2014 |
| Jurisdiction | State of Victoria, Australia |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Minister | Minister for Emergency Services |
| Chief | Emergency Management Commissioner |
| Parent agency | Department of Justice and Community Safety |
| Website | [official website] |
Emergency Management Victoria is the statutory agency responsible for coordinating emergency management across the Australian state of Victoria. It was established to integrate planning, response, relief and recovery across agencies such as Victoria Police, Country Fire Authority (Victoria), Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Ambulance Victoria, and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. The agency works with municipal councils, volunteer organisations like the Australian Red Cross, and national bodies including the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs to prepare for and manage hazards such as bushfire seasons, floods, storms and heatwaves.
Emergency Management Victoria was formed following reviews of responses to major events such as the Black Saturday bushfires and the 2010–11 Queensland floods that prompted state-level reform. The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements and inquiries such as the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission influenced structural changes that led to creation of a central coordinating authority in 2014. Predecessors and related agencies included the State Emergency Service (Victoria), the Emergency Management Commissioner (Victoria) earlier arrangements, and functions previously held by the Department of Justice and Community Safety. Subsequent significant incidents that shaped its evolution include the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season and flood events affecting the Goulburn River and the Murray-Darling Basin communities.
The agency is overseen by an Emergency Management Commissioner appointed under Victorian statutes and accountable to the Minister for Emergency Services (Victoria). It operates within the portfolio of the Department of Justice and Community Safety (Victoria) and liaises with statutory authorities such as VicEmergency and municipal Emergency Management Planning Committees. Governance structures reference interagency advisory bodies that include representatives from Victoria State Emergency Service, Parks Victoria, VicRoads, WorkSafe Victoria, and volunteer networks like the Country Fire Authority Volunteers. Internal divisions align with functions found in comparable organisations such as the New South Wales State Emergency Service and relevant Commonwealth entities like the National Bushfire Recovery Agency.
Emergency Management Victoria leads state-level prevention, preparedness, response, relief and recovery coordination. Core responsibilities include coordinating state incident control arrangements with combat agencies such as the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and Ambulance Victoria, administering funding and grants (including disaster recovery programs), and developing strategic frameworks such as the Victorian State Emergency Management Plan. It oversees capability development for organisations like the State Emergency Service (Victoria) and supports resilience initiatives in partnership with bodies such as the Australian Red Cross, Local Government Victoria, and academic partners including Monash University and the University of Melbourne.
Operational activities centre on the integrated incident management system used across Victoria and exercised in incidents from bushfires in the Great Dividing Range to floods in the La Trobe River catchment. The agency maintains situational awareness through platforms like VicEmergency and coordinates whole-of-government responses with agencies including Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, and Parks Victoria. It mobilises taskforces, provides emergency warnings, and manages state relief arrangements alongside non-government partners such as St John Ambulance Australia and the Salvation Army (Australia). Major incidents have involved multi-agency coordination with federal assets from the Australian Defence Force during national-scale emergencies.
Programs include community resilience initiatives, hazard mitigation projects, and post-incident recovery coordination. Mitigation efforts target bushfire risk reduction in interface suburbs around the Yarra Ranges and floodplain management in the Barwon River and Murray River corridors. Preparedness activities are delivered through training and exercises with partner agencies like Country Fire Authority (Victoria), volunteer networks, and councils such as the City of Melbourne and regional shires. Recovery programs coordinate financial assistance, mental health services via partners like Beyond Blue and headspace, and infrastructure restoration with authorities such as VicRoads and the Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria).
The agency operates under Victorian emergency management legislation and policy, including provisions established or amended following the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. It implements the Victorian State Emergency Management Plan and adheres to statutory roles defined in instruments connected to the Emergency Management Act (Victoria), municipal emergency management plans, and national arrangements articulated by the Attorney-General's Department (Australia) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Policy alignment involves collaboration with regulatory bodies such as WorkSafe Victoria and compliance with planning instruments applied by the Victorian Planning Authority.
Emergency Management Victoria convenes local, regional and national partnerships with entities including Local Government Victoria, volunteer organisations such as the Country Fire Authority Volunteers, humanitarian agencies like the Australian Red Cross, and research partners including CSIRO and state universities. Community engagement strategies emphasise public education campaigns delivered in coordination with media partners and community-led groups across regions like the Gippsland and Mallee. The agency also partners with indigenous organisations and Traditional Owner corporations involved in land and fire management across areas including the Grampians and Kulin Nation country.
Category:Emergency services in Victoria (Australia)