Emergency Management in WA
Emergency management in Western Australia is based on an "all hazards" approach. The roles and responsibilities of agencies and organisations are defined under the Emergency Management Act 2005 and the Emergency Management Regulations 2006.
State Emergency Management policies and procedures are prepared by the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) to support the emergency management legislation.
The SEMC has identified the seven natural hazards that are most likely to impact on Western Australia as storm, earthquake, bush fire, tsunami, heatwave, cyclone and flood.
In addition to natural hazards, Western Australia could also be subject to a series of other hazards such as transport emergencies, health related emergencies such as pandemics or animal and plant bio-security hazards, infrastructure failure and technical hazards such as chemical and marine oil spills.
For more information regarding emergency management legislation and policy in Western Australia visit the SEMC website.
Emergency Management in the Shire of Dandaragan
Local Emergency Management Committee
The Shire of Dandaragan has established a Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) The LEMC is chaired by an elected Councillor and meets 4 times per year to consider risks that may impact on the community. The LEMC is comprised of Shire employees, representatives of industry, WAPOL, Emergency Management Agencies, Department of Communities, Local Health Agencies, the Chief Bushfire Control officer and other community representatives. The LEMC has developed both Local Emergency Management Arrangements and a Local Recovery Plan.
Hazard Reduction Planning and Working Group
The Shire of Dandaragan is located within a high risk Bushfire zone. Bushfire is one of the most likely risks that the LEMC has considered and reviewed. Given this high risk factor a Hazard Reduction Planning and Working Group has been established in 2020 to plan and carry out risk mitigation actions to reduce the level of Bushfire risk in the Shire. The Hazard reduction working group is a multi agency group comprised of representatives from the Shire of Dandaragan, the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, it will develop a three year mitigation plan to cover the entire Shire.