EMERGENCY COORDINATION
Recovery
Recovery management is the coordinated process of supporting emergency affected communities in the reconstruction of their infrastructure and the restoration of their environment, economy and psychosocial wellbeing.
The scale of recovery activity will depend on the nature and extent of the emergency.
It is an accepted principle that the active involvement of the affected community is essential to ensure a successful recovery from an emergency and under the Emergency Management Act 2005, local government is required to ensure that effective local emergency management arrangements are prepared and maintained for its district and to manage recovery following an emergency affecting the community in its district.
However, in some circumstances it may be necessary for the State Government to assume responsibility for coordinating the recovery process.
The State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) established the Recovery Services Sub-committee (RSS) to oversee the planning and operation of State level recovery coordination. This higher-level coordination works only to ensure that the affected community has equitable and appropriate access to available resources, the management of recovery activity must still be determined at the local level.
The SEMC approved State Emergency Management Policy No. 4.4 State Recovery Coordination in June 2009 - outlines a policy framework for community recovery from an emergency.
The State Emergency Management Plan for State Level Recovery Coordination or WESTPLAN RECOVERY COORDINATION - outlines those coordination arrangements and when they will be utilised.
The Department of the Premier and Cabinet has been assigned responsibility for the WESTPLAN RECOVERY COORDINATION and chairs the Recovery Services Sub-committee.