Victoria's Critical Infrastructure All Sectors Resilience Report 2019

The health, safety and prosperity of all Victorians is dependent upon the services that critical infrastructure provide. Each day, we enjoy the benefits of access to water, food supply, health services, energy, transport, communications, banking, finance and government services. The uninterrupted provision of these services is important to our way of life.

In order to reduce the impact and associated consequences of emergencies, the Victorian Government introduced comprehensive arrangements to enhance the resilience of Victoria’s critical infrastructure in 2015. Resilient critical infrastructure is more likely to endure changes or challenges to social, economic and environmental circumstances, and allow for the continuous supply of essential services to the community.

This fourth All Sectors Resilience Report published under the critical infrastructure arrangements provides an overview of the eight Victorian critical infrastructure sectors, detailing the most prominent emergency risks likely to disrupt their operation. The report also summarises the resilience improvement initiatives conducted by the eight sectors from mid-2018 to mid-2019, and articulates the scope of the next year’s intended work program.

Collaboration between industry and government is the cornerstone of Victoria’s critical infrastructure arrangements. In an increasingly interconnected world, where critical infrastructure crosses state, national and global supply chains, the range of potential disruptions has become broader. As critical infrastructure systems become more advanced and interconnected, it is essential that we all are invited to discuss emergency risks and mitigation strategies that have the potential to impact our most important critical infrastructure. By working together, we elevate the overall resilience of the assets that we all depend on.

Victorians continue to benefit commitment and contribution made by industry and government to strengthening the resilience of our critical infrastructure. The proactive and collaborative approach by owners and operators, and government helps to prepare for the impact of emergency events and limit disruption to essential service delivery.