Local Government the Quiet Achievers Through a Summer of Emergencies

Local Government The quiet achievers through a summer of emergencies The summer of 2019-20 was a very busy one for local government, with councils playing key roles supporting their communities and the emergency services through fires, storms and other incidents. Councils are the quiet achievers in emergencies, playing their part in traffic management, tree management, creating control lines for fires, distributing sandbags, sharing information, providing facilities for relief centres, speaking up for their communities and maintaining regular services. The summer also provided the first major test for the Local Government Functional Support Group (LGFSG), which was created in 2016 under the State Emergency Management Plan to coordinate the local government response in emergencies. Local Government Functional Support Group Councils across South Australia and the LGFSG became involved in supporting the emergency response efforts Angle Vale Fire between November 2019 and February 2020. Across all Flinders Ranges the incidents, there were 39 councils involved, with 218 Gawler / Playford Ceduna crew members contributing 6,421 staff hours and deploying 20 December 2019 68 Port 68 units of plant and equipment at a total estimated direct Augusta Orrorroo cost of $500,000. Streaky Bay Ha Carrieton Cudlee Creek Fire Mount In addition, the LGA provided 17 staff working 792 hours Remarkable Whyalla Peterborough at a cost in excess of $50,000. In many cases, the support Wudinna Mount Lofty Ranges Kimba provided from local government was extensive and involved Northern 20 December 2019 allocation of people and resources over many weeks. Port Areas Pirie Franklin 23,295 Elliston Harbour Goyder Cleve Ha Barunga West Wakefield Copper 228 Lower Coast Clare & Duck Ponds Fire Eyre Tumby Bay Gilbert Ha Peninsula Valleys Yorke Renmark Berri Paringa Peninsula Loxton Barmera Eyre Peninsula Light Mallala Waikerie 11 November 2019 Mid Port Murray Lincoln Barossa Adelaide Playford Hills Karoonda Mt. East Murray Barker Murray Port Lincoln Flooding Bridge Alexandrina 5,017 Southern Eyre Peninsula Salisbury Yorketown Fire Mallee Ha Yankalilla Victor 31 January 2020 Tea Tree Harbor Coorong Port Gully Walkerville Adelaide Yorke Peninsula Kangaroo Island Prospect Enfield Charles Campbelltown20 November 2019 Sturt Norwood, Payneham & St Peters West Torrens Tatiara Unley Holdfast Bay Kangaroo Island Fires Kingston Marion Kangaroo Island 26,055 Ha Naracoorte 20 December 2019 Keilira Fire Lucindale 211,474 Onkaparinga Robe Ha Lower South East Wattle 30 December 2019 Range Mount Gambier Grant Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast BayHoldfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay workingHoldfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay Holdfast Bay 6,421 council staff together hours 68 units of plant 39 councilsBurnside & equipment 218 crew members Learnings by councils The LGA’s Council Ready program supports councils with emergency management planning. Over the past few months, the program supported Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island, Mount Barker, Playford and Yankalilla councils with debriefs to help capture learnings, and ensure these learnings are fed back into the emergency management planning process. Each council’s experience was different; some Frequently identified opportunities for councils were directly impacted while others improvement include: deployed staff and resources to support other 1. Uncertainty about the emergency management councils and the emergency services. arrangements, and communication pathways The key strengths of councils’ involvement with the emergency services in the emergencies consistently identified 2. Not understanding the role of the LGFSG and through the debriefs were: how to access assistance 1. Willingness, skill and attitudes of council staff 3. Reliance on key staff, and not having 2. A strong focus on safety and wellbeing contingencies for when people are away 3. The importance of local relationships 4. Not having suitable documentation and/or staff being unaware of policies and processes 4. Clear internal and external communication pathways 5. The need for more training and refreshers for both frontline and incident management roles 5. Having the right documentation in place, and staff familiar with necessary polices 6. Better practical resources for staff in and processes We now have the theory the field, along with more robust behind us, and just communication technology 6. The support provided by other councils need to record it in case and LGFSG, and the great solidarity across 7. Balancing emergency response with The mobilisation was there is a next time. the local government sector. business-as-usual demands. quick and focused, and Council employee, people were supporting each Kangaroo Island Council other throughout e.g. seeking “A committed team of people who came together quickly to offer advice from someone assistance. Excellent facilities… more experienced. ICT resources worked reliably… Council employee, communication to Council Consider whether some IMT members may be needed in City of Playford Members was frequent other aspects e.g. early recovery work or getting business and informative” as usual back, while the incident is still going. Council employee, Council employee, Adelaide Hills Council Mount Barker District Council’s Incident Operations Manual worked Support with staff and plant from mainland well, providing clear was good and needed… pairing up local guidance on key activities to be performed. staff with mainland staff worked well. Council employee, Council employee, Kangaroo Island Council Adelaide Hills Council Learnings by the LGFSG This summer has been the biggest test of the LGFSG since its inception. As a result, the LGA commissioned Andrew Lawson to independently review the operations of the LGFSG. The review is based upon almost 100 interviews across the local government and emergency management sectors. The review found that there were many successes in the first major test of the LGFSG, including • The service, coordination, systems and The review also identified areas where the LGFSG communications from the LGFSG could improve its effectiveness, and made 27 recommendations addressing the following areas: • The sharing of learning enabled some councils to take advantage of previous experience of • Resourcing - improving technology-based other councils resources, including a robust Operational Information Management System (IMS) and • The support offered by many councils via the Common Operating Picture. LGFSF, including those from some distance away, was greatly appreciated by councils whose • Governance - further develop and implement In an emergency, it is comforting to resources were stretched contemporary, best-practice doctrine (i.e. know that the LGFSG is at the end of the documentation, policies, procedures Joint telephone, the Duck Ponds fire and Port • The LGFSG played an important role in lobbying Operating Guidelines and Fact Sheets etc) and Lincoln flood being good examples. for the continued support from State Recovery – resourcing to implement those systems and and information sharing in recovery in the months The guidance given to staff acting as processes with councils and emergency services after the fires. Liaison Officers within ZEST or Incident • Capability Development - strengthen education Management Teams has given those staff and development for all council personnel a level of confidence in an unfamiliar area. who make themselves available to support Rod Pearson, emergency response District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula I was really honoured and proud that I could • Operations - facilities and equipment to enable the put my training and experience in Emergency LGFSG to operate, safely effectively and efficiently Management to good use and be able to help in support of councils and the emergency services, a community in need. It was great to be able the other Functional Support Groups, Support to work in a collaborative environment with Agencies and the community of South Australia. other Local Government personnel from all over the state. The success that we achieved The LGA Board has committed to working with councils would not have been possible without the and the emergency management sector to address knowledge, enthusiasm and dedication of these opportunities. A copy of the review is available on the Kangaroo Island Council staff, they the LGA’s Emergency Management website. During the most recent fire season I spent 26 days working on behalf of the LGFSG coordinating local were a great bunch to work alongside of. government support to the fires in South Australia. My role was primarily coordinating Local Government personnel / heavy plant in support of the CFS, initially up at Cudlee Creek and then over on Kangaroo

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