Australian Local Government Association

Welcome to ALGA's emergency management pages. They contain information on national policies and programs, resources and the results of recent ALGA initiatives in relation to emergency management, disaster mitigation and national security.

The information is arranged in the following categories.

A national approach

Local councils will always have a key role in the response to and recovery from an emergency or disaster event, usually within a state, territory or sometimes national context.

Natural disasters do not conform to jurisdictional boundaries and, in a heightened security environment, there is strong recognition of the need to support emergency management capability at all levels of government throughout Australia.

ALGA emergency management initiatives

ALGA has undertaken a range of projects and activities that relate to the general emergency management field.

Resources for emergency managers

There is a wide range of information available on emergency management and related matters. These pages point to useful resources to assist local government emergency managers in their roles.

Natural disasters

Natural disasters occur in Australia every year. The most frequent are bushfire, flood and cyclone/storm surge. Parts of the country are also susceptible to severe weather events and to earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis.

Natural disasters cost an estimated $1.14 billion annually in 1999 dollars and can cause major disruption to communities. The number and intensity of natural disasters is forecast to increase with the effects of climate change.

Local government emergency managers need to understand the natural disasters that could impact on their community and the frameworks in which these are managed.

Security incidents

Terrorism is now a credible threat in Australia. In this heightened threat environment, local governments are reviewing their security risk profiles as part of all-hazard risk assessments and are acting to ensure emergency management plans can cater for the community consequences of security related events.

Human influenza pandemic

A human influenza pandemic resulting from a new strain of influenza is a serious threat to communities. Emergency managers should be aware of the nature of the threat, of the likely impacts on their community and of the planning being done in the international, national, state and territory spheres.

Pest and disease outbreaks

Australia's pest and disease status is highly regarded in the international community and it is the community's interest to make every effort to retain that standing. Australian governments and industry regard preventative measures as essential but, should an outbreak occur, the plant or animal disease needs to be identified, treated and prevented from spreading. This requires close cooperation between all spheres of government, the affected industries and local communities. This site provides further information.

For information regarding local government and emergency management, please contact: