1 Lithgow City Council Local Emergency Management Committee EMERGENCY RISK MANAGEMENT REPORT Facilitated and Developed by Echelon Australia March 2007 F:\RS\Echelon\RM CONSULTING\Emergency RM (ERM)\Client Files\CENTROC\Lithgow\Report\2007 March Lithgow ERM Report draft1.5 checklist updates.doc 2 Introduction Australia has adopted a comprehensive and integrated approach to the development of its arrangements and programs for the effective management of emergencies and disasters. This approach is: comprehensive, in encompassing all hazards and in recognising that dealing with the risks to community safety, which such hazards create, requires a range of prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery (PPRR) programs and other risk management treatments; and integrated, in ensuring that the efforts of governments, all relevant organisations and agencies, and the community, as a prepared community, are coordinated in such programs. Ultimately, the goal of all such arrangements and programs is to contribute to the development and maintenance of a safer, sustainable community. Within New South Wales the State Emergency Management Committee has adopted the methodology of Emergency Risk Management (ERM) to facilitate the integrated national approach. ERM is a process which involves dealing with risks to the community arising from emergency events. It is a systematic method for identifying, analysing, evaluating and treating emergency risks. At a local level, Local government is a key stakeholder in the ERM process because it is usually the first level of support for communities in emergencies and it also plays an essential role is supporting the Local Emergency Management Committee. Purpose The Lithgow City Local Emergency Management Committee is working to create a prepared community and therefore safer community in conjunction with Community, Emergency Services and other identified stakeholders to create a holistic Community Risk Based Emergency Management Plan which addresses natural, technological and biological risks that may affect this Community. Objective The objective of the Emergency Risk Management Project is to create a prepared community by identifying, analysing, evaluating Natural, Technological and Biological risks that are appropriate to the Lithgow City and recommending treatment options based on the “Implementation Guide For Emergency Management Committees” developed by NSW State Emergency Management committee. Authority The report was facilitated by Echelon Australia in liaison with the Local Emergency Management Committee Working Group. The draft report will be adopted by the full committee at the local level. Reference & Supporting Documents A list of Reference Documents, Sub plans and supporting plans are included in Appendix 1 - Document List. F:\RS\Echelon\RM CONSULTING\Emergency RM (ERM)\Client Files\CENTROC\Lithgow\Report\2007 March Lithgow ERM Report draft1.5 checklist updates.doc 3 Document Issue & Control This manual has been prepared by Echelon Australia specifically for reference by members of the Lithgow City Council Local Emergency Management Committee Working Group. 3 copies of this manual have been issued to Council’s Local Emergency Management Officer for the local committee. Manual Copy Located At Responsibility of 1 of 5 Lithgow City Council Local Emergency Management Officer 2 of 5 Lithgow City Council Deputy Local Emergency Management Officer 3 of 5 Lithgow Emergency Operations Centre Local Emergency Operations Controller 4 of 5 Bathurst Police Station District Emergency Management Officer 5 of 5 Echelon Reference Library Echelon Project Manager Echelon Australia Pty Ltd ABN No 96085720056 All rights reserved The Emergency Risk Management assessments contained within this document have been developed on the basis of Wellington LGA-specific information supplied by members of the Local Emergency Management Committee working group and have been prima facie accepted by the authors of this document and have not been independently verified for accuracy. Echelon Australia accepts no responsibility for any loss that arises out of the Wellington Local Emergency Management Committee having failed to bring all relevant facts to our attention or having provided inaccurate information. F:\RS\Echelon\RM CONSULTING\Emergency RM (ERM)\Client Files\CENTROC\Lithgow\Report\2007 March Lithgow ERM Report draft1.5 checklist updates.doc 4 Report Revision Whenever this report is reviewed and or amended, details must be recorded on this page Date Revision Summary F:\RS\Echelon\RM CONSULTING\Emergency RM (ERM)\Client Files\CENTROC\Lithgow\Report\2007 March Lithgow ERM Report draft1.5 checklist updates.doc 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS EMERGENCY RISK MANAGEMENT REPORT Page No Introduction 2 Purpose 2 Objective 2 Authority 2 Reference and Supporting Documents 2 Document Issue and Control 3 Copyright Statement 3 Report Revision 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 2.0 SUMMARY OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN 7 3.0 ERM CONTEXT STATEMENT 8 3.1 Identified Problems 8 3.2 Process Limitations 8 3.3 Management Framework 8 3.4 Risk Evaluation Criteria 8 4.0 COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY 9 4.1 Community Consultation 9 4.2 Process Documentation 9 5.0 RISKS 10 5.1 Lithgow City Community Hazard Matrix 10 5.2 Community and Environment Description 12 6.0 RISK ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION 15 6.1 Natural Hazards 15 6.2 Technological Hazards 27 6.3 Biological Hazards 52 6.4 Other Hazards 54 6.5 Summary of Assessments 56 6.6 Risk Referral Summary 57 7.0 RISK TREATMENT OPTIONS 58 7.1 Summary of Mitigation Strategies Identified 58 APPENDICES Appendix 1 Management Framework 60 Appendix 2 Evidence of Process 61 Appendix 3 Hazards Requiring No Further Action 62 Appendix 4 Members of the Lithgow LEMC 64 Appendix 5 Supporting Plans 75 Appendix 6 Australian Tsunami and Earthquake Hazard Zones 65 Appendix 7 Consequence Ratings 66 Appendix 8 Likelihood Definitions 69 Appendix 9 Definitions 72 F:\RS\Echelon\RM CONSULTING\Emergency RM (ERM)\Client Files\CENTROC\Lithgow\Report\2007 March Lithgow ERM Report draft1.5 checklist updates.doc 6 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Emergency Risk Management Report has been prepared in accordance with the NSW State Emergency Management Committee’s “Implementation Guide for Emergency Risk Management”. The report considers the risks associated with a range of Natural, Technological, Biological and Other hazards that, if any of the hazards occurred, would require a “significant and coordinated emergency response” within the meaning of Section 4 of the State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989 (as amended). The report forms the basis for discussion of these hazards in terms of current arrangements, preparation and risk assessments. This process is not intended to replace current plans and arrangements for the management of emergencies, but rather to provide a coordinated view of the emergency response preparation in our community. The Local Emergency Management Committee is not required to implement treatment plans. The Lithgow City Emergency Risk Management Working Group developed their view of the hazards on the basis of exposure across the entire Lithgow City Local Government Area (LGA), identifying examples where each hazard type would have what was considered to be the greatest impact. The Committee accepts that a hazard may occur anywhere in the LGA or may create differing impacts on specific areas of the community. The Community Hazard Matrix was developed to differentiate between hazards that the group believed are: • not relevant in the LGA, or not requiring a multi-agency response if the hazard occurred, and those • expected to occur and would require a multi-agency response. Appendix 3 lists those hazards requiring no further action, including reasons why the view was taken. Risk Statements were developed for the remaining hazards. The risk level of these situations was analysed and the assessment is contained in Section 6 of this report. In summary, of the 38 hazards assessed, 5 were considered to present and extreme risk, 15 to present a high risk, 10 to present a medium risk and 8 to present a low risk to the community. The hazards assessed as presenting extreme and high risks, and the risk statement relating to each are listed in the Table on the next pages. The identified mitigation and control strategies were not tested. In many cases the responsible combat agency identified existing strategies, in other cases the issue was referred to the relevant combat agency for action. F:\RS\Echelon\RM CONSULTING\Emergency RM (ERM)\Client Files\CENTROC\Lithgow\Report\2007 March Lithgow ERM Report draft1.5 checklist updates.doc 7 HAZARDS ASSESSED AS HAVING AN EXTREME RISK Hazard Hazard No Agency Risk Statement Fire - bush NH03 RFS There is a risk that a significant bush fire in the Lithgow region could cause significant damage to property, livestock and or loss of life and road closures with damage to rural infrastructure and electrical supply. Fire - grass NH04 RFS There is a risk that a significant grass fire in the Lithgow region could cause significant damage to property, livestock and or loss of life and road closures with damage to rural infrastructure and electrical supply. Dam failure TH05 Council / Delta There is a risk that local dams (Oberon Dam – Oberon LGA, Lake Lyell, Farmers Creek, Thompson’s Creek, Lake Wallace, Piper’s Flat, ash dam / State Water at Sawyers Swamp) could fail causing immediate flooding and erosion downstream and loss of bridges and property, resulting in possible fatalities. Failure