The Australian Government’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has successfully concluded its second National Preparedness Summit ahead of the upcoming Higher-Risk Weather Season (HRWS).
The Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Jenny McAllister, joined more than 250 crisis management, response, and recovery specialists from governments, industry and the not-for-profit sector at the two-day event convened by NEMA.
With parts of Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Victoria and Eastern South Australia facing an increased risk of bushfire this spring, NEMA is also preparing for the likelihood of more severe weather such as the storms experienced across southern Australia earlier this month.
Participants were briefed by the Bureau of Meteorology on the national seasonal outlook for the 2024-25 HRWS, discussed lessons from last season and ‘war-gamed’ a range of scenarios based on the long-range weather forecast.
NEMA’s Coordinator-General, Brendan Moon, said the event’s success was based on collaboration and the sharing of best practices across the emergency management continuum.
“Our second National Preparedness Summit has provided an invaluable opportunity for us to come together as a country and test our preparations for the upcoming season,” Mr Moon said
“The insights and strengthened partnerships here over the last two days have significantly enhanced our national readiness, and by engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders, we are better equipped to handle the complexities of the HRWS.
“NEMA continues to provide national leadership and coordination to support states and territories, and communities, to prepare, recover, and build resilience to future disasters.”
NEMA’s Deputy Coordinator-General for Emergency Management and Response, Joe Buffone said the Summit underscored the importance of integrated response strategies.
“Our state and territory government counterparts are undertaking a significant number of preparedness activities in their own jurisdictions, so by bringing everyone together through the Summit, we saw how those efforts could be coordinated to boost our national preparedness overall,” Mr Buffone said.
“The expertise and commitment demonstrated over the last two days was best seen through the ‘war-gaming’ exercises based on the long-range forecast, as we all worked together to respond to concurrent and compounding emergencies that could affect communities across the country.
“The Summit has set a new benchmark for national disaster preparedness and the collaborative efforts and strategic insights gained from this event will be instrumental in safeguarding communities and enhancing national resilience.”
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