Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

What’s at risk?

Emergency Risk Management Project at Serpentine-Jarrahdale

The Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale in Western Australia covers some 920 square kilometres. It is located 50 kilometres south of Perth and has a population of approximately 10,500 residents.

The Shire is currently undertaking the first Local Authority case study in Emergency Risk Management in Australia, the outcome and results of this project will be available to all Local Authorities to pursue their own Emergency Risk Management programs.

A Local Emergency Management Advisory Committee was formed from local police, local Emergency Services, Parents and Citizens Associations, landcare groups, Scouts and the Fire and Emergency Management Services (FESA), Conservation and Land Management (CALM), and Emergency Management Australia (EMA).

The Project is currently coordinated from the Shire office in Mundijong, with the facilitator and teams operating from area Fire Brigade Stations.

Risks, hazards and threats to the communities of the Shire are being documented and mapped to provide a strategy for each risk/threat, to form a Risk Register. This in turn will form the basis for a brochure to distribute to the general community.

After a tentative start with community education sessions there was a successful Emergency Risk Management Course for targeted groups.

This led to a Risk Management Group being formed, with six locality based sub groups, to carry out personal and property risk management strategies and education.

Field supervision comes from the leaders/managers from the State departments involved. There are three externally measured outcomes during the process.

• Completed and prioritised list of all known or perceived risks and threats to the community.
• All known and perceived risks and threats are mapped and documented, in addition, public submissions are sought, mapped and documented.
• Completed public information reference in the form of a detailed calendar and the completion of an Emergency Risk Register for the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, leading to the presentation to Council of an Emergency Management Risk Report and Strategy for the Shire of Serpentine- Jarrahdale

The Risk Management Group will then review the process, assess outcomes and implement the changes required. There will remain an ongoing need for the Local Emergency Management Advisory Committee to maintain the register and the education process.

It is hoped that by educating and enabling each landholder to reduce their risk, a flow on effect may be created where each action taken would reduce the general risk to the greater community.

The following articles are also included in this edition or go BACK to the main page: