IGEM Report 1: 2017-18 - THE CYCLONE DEBBIE REVIEW

Inspector-General Emergency Management

Themes

Public information and engagement

Why The sharing of relevant, accurate and timely information that is easily understood and able to be used by people to take necessary action is critical. It allows governments to build responsive, resilient and engaged communities.

Community engagement processes not only prepare people to respond to an event, but can be fundamental to empowering a community and reducing their reliance on council and state resources. The Standard is clear on the key outcomes: WHO Under the Disaster Management Act 2003 (Qld), both LDMGs and DDMGs have the responsibility to ensure the community is aware of ways of mitigating the adverse effects of an event, and preparing for, responding to and recovering from a disaster. 98

WHY • Communities are empowered through timely public information and through education initiatives to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters • Public engagement outcomes have a positive effect on the action taken by the community across all phases of disaster management

Who The diversity of communities, the

Support In recognition of this complex interplay, Queensland established the Crisis Communication Network (CCN), a whole-of-government communication network. The purpose of this network is to coordinate and distribute reliable and consistent public information to maintain public safety, keep people informed and engaged, and support the Queensland Government’s crisis management activities. 100

complexity of events and the multitude of agencies and information sources available can often mean that informing the public appropriately is a challenging process. Many reviews both in Australia and internationally have identified the importance of coordinated public information in a disaster, and that business as usual arrangements are not sufficient given the complexity of these events. 99 While the Act gives primary responsibility for managing disaster operations to local groups, given the shared responsibilities of agencies, it is often necessary for state and federal agencies to also provide information to the public.

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The Cyclone Debbie Review

Lessons for delivering value and confidence through trust and empowerment