On 4-6 June NEMA supported the 2025 Emergency Management Public Affairs (EMPA) Australia conference in Melbourne. This yearly event focuses on building a community of practice of emergency communicators and researchers and promoting excellence in crisis communication. The conference heard from local and international experts on mastering crisis communication. 

We supported the conference through a partnership with EMPA. This is linked to our strategic goal to boost national resilience by building strong relationships with jurisdictions, the not-for-profit and private sector stakeholders and other agencies.

The year of crisis communications

Our Deputy Coordinator-General, Joe Buffone, gave the opening keynote address where he labelled 2025 ‘The year of crisis communications’. He reflected on the last 25 years of emergency media and public affairs approaches and improvements to how we coordinate crisis communications.  

“For a quarter of a century, dedicated professionals like yourselves have united at this event to reflect on triumphs, explore new realities, and uncover innovative tools in our sector.”

Our session on collaboration during crisis

We held a workshop to test our disaster crisis communication plans with partners and stakeholders. This included a hypothetical disaster scenario that got participants to tackle real challenges including:

misinformation and disinformation

• communication black outs
• ensuring critical messages are consistent and coordinated.  

Attendees shared insights and experience that offered a range of different perspectives. The activity highlighted the need for clear and consistent messaging so communities have the information they need to take action and stay safe. We made great connections across different jurisdictions, levels of government, and sectors which will support greater collaboration in future disasters.

Key Insights

The range of sessions and panels over the three days offered valuable insights from local and international experts, including in the use of AI in crisis communication. 

Inclusive crisis communication was a key theme and many presenters stressed the importance of connecting with all Australians. This included more vulnerable and at-risk communities. Feedback from participants was that these discussions would help the sector continue to improve our approach to inclusivity and diversity.

NEMA committed to ongoing engagement and collaboration with crisis communication specialists and will look for other opportunities to highlight shared challenges, encourage new ideas, and promote knowledge exchanges. This will include hosting an EMPA webinar before the Higher Risk Weather Season so there is a shared understanding of the season ahead and the challenges we may face.  

Thank you to EMPA for hosting and driving improvements in coordination, collaboration, and decision-making. 

As Joe summarised, “None of us can say what big event will come next in our line of work, but by leaning into collaboration, coordination and communication, we’re well placed to respond to anything that comes our way.”