Department of Justice and Regulation - Annual Report 2016–17 | Inspector-General for Emergency Management Victoria

All hazards

Risks spanning across multiple hazard types and across the emergency management system.

Biosecurity

Exotic animal and plant disease outbreaks and pest incursions can have significant economic, community and environmental impacts.

Bushfire and other fires

Bushfire and other fires have potential consequences including loss of life and property, and damage to infrastructure and environment.

Climate change

Risks include more days of extreme heat, harsher fire weather, less rainfall and rising sea levels.

Communications disruption

Communications services are crucial in keeping communities safe, connected and informed before, during and after emergencies.

Cyber security and ICT systems failure

Risks relating to the confidentiality, availability, integrity of information and data and disruption of services.

Energy supply disruption

Reliable energy supplies are critical to many social and economic activities.

Flood

Major flood events have occurred in Victoria every 10 to 20 years, with much of the increasing risk created by human settlement.

Hazardous material incident

Potential risks relate to many places where Victoria’s hazardous materials are manufactured, stored, transported, used and disposed.

Heatwave

Heatwaves are considered to be the ‘silent killer’ of extreme weather events and are the leading cause of weather-related deaths in Australia.

Public health emergency

Risks may relate to the delivery of public health services, with impacts on community health and wellbeing and potential for loss of life.

Supply chain disruption

Geopolitical, environmental, economic, societal and infrastructure-related shocks can expose supply chains to wide ranging consequences.

Terrorism and extremism

Attacks carried out by individuals or non-state groups with ideological, political or religious goals can result in loss of life, severe injury and/or material damage.

Water supply disruption

Risks include collection, storage, treatment, delivery, availability and allocation of water for consumption and environmental, recreation and cultural uses.

Workforce and resourcing

Risks may relate to human resource supply and skills to support emergency management operations.

The department’s 2016-17 annual report highlights IGEM’s activities including:

conducting reviews and preparing reports for government, including emergency response to November 2016 thunderstorm asthma
conducting proactive and system wide reviews in accordance with IGEM's Annual Forward Plan of Reviews
monitoring and where necessary investigating the non-financial performance of the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority for its call-taking and dispatch services
reporting and investigating breaches of control lines by a planned burn
monitoring and reporting on the implementation the Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan
monitoring, reviewing and assessing critical infrastructure resilience at the system level
monitoring and reporting on the implementation of accepted recommendations and subsequent actions taken in response to the:
- 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission
- 2013–14 Fire Season Compliance Report
- 2014 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry Report including the re-opened inquiry reports
- 2015 Lancefield-Cobaw fire
- 2016 Fiskville Inquiry

The department tabled its 2016–17 annual report in parliament on 19 October 2017.

Read the Department of Justice and Regulation Annual Report 2016-17 (External link)

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Department of Justice and Regulation - Annual Report 2016–17

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