NSW State Emergency Management Committee Annual Report 2019-2020 Contents Introduction 3 From the SEMC Chair 3 Part 1: State Emergency Management Committee 4 Role and Functions 4 SEMC Meetings 7 Part 2: Significant Activities 8 Capability Development Framework 8 Lessons Management Framework 8 State Exercise Program 9 Sub-Committees 10 Part 3: Emergency Management Plans 13 Sub Plans 13 Supporting Plans 14 Regional Plans 14 Part 3: Functional Area Reports 15 Acronyms 22 Annexure: NSW Emergency Management Regions 23 This report has been compiled in accordance with Section 17 of the State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989 to describe the work and activities of the State Emergency Management Committee during the financial year 2019-2020. The report has been produced by Resilience NSW. Resilience NSW can be contacted at: GPO BOX 5434 SYDNEY NSW 2001 Telephone: (02) 9212 9200 Website: www.resilience.nsw.gov.au | www.emergency.nsw.gov.au SEMC Annual Report 2019-2020 2 Introduction From the SEMC Chair The State Emergency Management Guidelines COVID-19 Supplement in June Committee (SEMC) is established under the 2020 to minimise health risks for evacuees. State Emergency and Rescue Management The response to and recovery from the Act 1989 to ensure that NSW has robust, NSW bushfires and COVID-19 involved effective and flexible arrangements in place resources from all SEMC member agencies. to cope with any emergency that occurs. Recovery activities will continue over the The Committee plays a lead role in next few years. coordinating efforts to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies On behalf of the Committee, I would like to and disasters of all kinds and across all recognise and thank the thousands of agencies. volunteers and personnel in the emergency management sector who worked tirelessly to The past year brought about extraordinary protect the NSW community throughout this challenges for the emergency management challenging year. sector and the people of NSW. The community continues to show remarkable Key projects progressed during the year resilience in the face of these events. included the endorsement and publication of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Flood Emergency The 2019-20 bush fire season was the worst Sub Plan, the Sydney CBD Safety Sub Plan, NSW has ever experienced. From 1 July the Aviation Sub Plan, and the Natural Gas 2019 to the end of the bush fire season on Supply Disruption Supporting Plan. 31 March 2020, there were 11,774 bush and grass fires across NSW. Tragically, 26 lives A number of SEMC projects were were lost in NSW. More than five million suspended in 2019-2020 to ensure member hectares were burnt across the state and agencies could prioritise their focus on the 2,476 homes destroyed. operational response and recovery from the NSW bushfires, storms, floods and the The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. a significant impact across Australia. As of 30 June 2020, there were 3,189 confirmed As the new Chair, I would thank the cases in NSW, and 51 deaths. The COVID- members who left in 2019-2020 for the 19 pandemic introduced new risks for the significant contributions they each made to emergency management sector. emergency management in NSW. I look forward to working with the Committee to Member agencies adapted quickly to continue driving sustainable improvements respond to the pandemic while also taking across the emergency management sector, active measures to minimise the risk for our to make NSW safer, more prepared, and frontline volunteers and staff. The SEMC more resilient. also endorsed the Evacuation Management Shane Fitzsimmons AFSM Chair, State Emergency Management Committee SEMC Annual Report 2019-2020 3 Part 1: State Emergency Management Committee Role and Functions the Act or as are related to this Act and assigned to the Committee from time to The SEMC is established under the State time by the Minister. Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989 (SERM Act). As at 30 June 2020, the The SEMC membership consists of: Minister responsible for administering the • State Emergency Operations Controller, SERM Act is the Hon David Elliott MP, • State Emergency Recovery Controller, Minister for Police and Emergency Services. • Chief executive of the Ambulance In accordance with Section 15 of the SERM Service of NSW, Act, the SEMC has the following functions: • Commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW, • To advise the Minister on all matters • Commissioner of Police, relating to the prevention of, preparation • Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire for, response to and recovery from Service, emergencies (including the coordination • Commissioner of the State Emergency of those activities of government and Service, non-government agencies in connection • representatives of such relevant with those matters). government and non-government • To review, monitor and advise the agencies as the Minister may from time Minister on the adequacy of the to time determine, and provisions of this Act relating to • such other persons as may be nominated emergency management. by the Minister from time to time. • To provide strategic policy advice to the Minister in relation to emergency In addition to the Emergency Services, nine management. functional areas coordinate functional support for emergency operations in • To review, monitor and develop accordance with the SERM Act. These emergency management policy and functional areas are: practice at a state level and to disseminate information in relation to any • Agricultural & Animal Services such policy and practice. • Energy & Utility Services • To review the NSW State Emergency • Engineering Services Management Plan and to recommend • Environmental Services alterations to it. • Health Services • To endorse any sub plans or supporting • Public Information Services plans established under the NSW State Emergency Management Plan. • Telecommunications Services • To facilitate strategic State level • Transport Services emergency management capability • Welfare Services through interagency coordination, The SERM Act also establishes Regional cooperation and information sharing and Local Emergency Management arrangements. Committees whose primary role is to prepare • Such other functions as conferred or emergency management plans for their imposed on the Committee by or under region or local areas. SEMC Annual Report 2019-2020 4 SEMC Membership Membership as at 30 June 2020 State Emergency Recovery Controller Agricultural & Animal Services Functional Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons Area Coordinator Dr Leigh Pilkington State Emergency Operations Controller Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys Energy & Utilities Services Functional Area Coordinator NSW Ambulance Mr Navin Subash Commissioner Dominic Morgan Engineering Services Functional Area Fire & Rescue NSW Coordinator Commissioner Paul Baxter Mr Martin Dwyer NSW Rural Fire Service Environment Services Functional Area Commissioner Rob Rogers Coordinator NSW State Emergency Service Mr Stephen Beaman Commissioner Carlene York Health Services Functional Area Coordinator NSW Volunteer Rescue Association Dr Gary Tall Commissioner Mark Gibson Public Information Services Functional Area Marine Rescue NSW Coordinator Commissioner Stacey Tannos Mr Tarek Al Issawi Department of Premier & Cabinet Telecommunications Services Functional Ms Natasha Luschwitz Area Coordinator Ms Kylie DeCourteney Department of Planning, Industry & Environment Transport Services Functional Area Mr Brett Whitworth Coordinator Mr Paul Ducker EICU Mr Bruce Thompson Welfare Services Functional Area Coordinator Environment, Energy and Science Mr Matthew McFarlane Dr Kate Wilson Infrastructure NSW Ms Maree Abood Standing Observers Maritime Combat Agencies • LTCOL Clark Smith, Australian Defence Mr Shayne Wilde Force NSW Treasury • Jane Golding, Bureau of Meteorology Mr David Withey • Marnie O’Brien, NSW Department of Office of Local Government Education Ms Daniela Heubusch • Shaun McBride, Local Government NSW SEMC Annual Report 2019-2020 5 Changes to SEMC Membership The following members were farewelled in 2019-20: • Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy, State Emergency Operations Controller • Feargus O’Connor, State Emergency Recovery Controller • Ms Kristina Hickey, Department of Premier and Cabinet • Sergeant Kevin Daley, Public Information Services Functional Area Coordinator • Sergeant Donna Bruce, Public Information Services Functional Area Coordinator • Mr Ronan Purcell, Energy and Utilities Functional Area Coordinator Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons also changed roles in 2019-2020. Following his departure from the NSW Rural Fire Service in May 2020, Commissioner Fitzsimmons was appointed the State Emergency Recovery Controller, Commissioner of Resilience NSW, and Chair of the SEMC. SEMC Annual Report 2019-2020 6 SEMC Meetings During the reporting period ending 30 June 2020 SEMC members held the following meetings: • Meeting 114 – 5 September 2019 • Meeting 115 – 5 December 2019 • Meeting 117 – 4 June 2020 Meeting 116 was planned for March 2020. Due to high operational activity related to the 2019-2020 bushfire season and the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was cancelled. Attendance at SEMC Meetings Represented by delegate Member 114 115 116 117 (No. of meetings) State Emergency Operations Controller - 2 State Emergency Recovery Controller - NSW Ambulance - 1 Fire & Rescue NSW - NSW Rural Fire Service - NSW State Emergency Service - NSW Volunteer Rescue Association - Marine Rescue NSW - Department of Premier