Overview
Response is the action taken immediately before, during and in the first period after an emergency to reduce the effects and consequences of the emergency on people, their livelihoods, wellbeing and property; on the environment; and to meet basic human needs.
When viewing the control agencies for response (Table 9) and support agencies for response (Table 10) tables, two response sections of the interactive and functional SEMP PDF should also be considered:
- the Response section under Emergency Management Phases
- the Response section under Emergency Management Arrangements.
Users (including response planners) should use the control agencies for response (Table 9) and support agencies for response (Table 10) tables to identify agencies and functional areas that should be considered and/or included in response plans. The tables do not list all agencies that may be involved in any particular emergency, nor do they list all potential emergencies.
Control agencies for response
Control agencies for response are primarily responsible for managing the response to a specified form of emergency, and responsible for establishing the management arrangements for an integrated response to the emergency.
Control agencies for response (Table 9), which the Emergency Management Act 2013 (External link) (EM Act 2013) requires, identifies control agencies for response in a specified form of emergency, with sub-plans also listed for some emergencies, where applicable, but there are exceptions to the listing in certain circumstances. Where multiple control agencies are listed for the same emergency type, the control agency responsibility is delineated through legislation or administrative arrangements.
Support agencies for response
Response support agencies provide services, personnel or material to support or assist a control and/or a coordination agency and/or members of the public. Support agencies for response (Table 10), which the EM Act 2013 requires, identifies key functional support areas for consideration during the response to an emergency, and the corresponding Lead Response Support Agencies.
The Lead Response Support Agency is the agency that is generally the most closely aligned to the function, with other agencies also having the potential to be response support agencies, if they have the skills, expertise or resources to contribute to the response to an emergency.
Where there is a key functional area required to manage an emergency but is not listed or there is uncertainty as to which agency may potentially support this function, the EMC or relevant emergency response coordinator may request any agency to lead this function.
Table 9: Control agencies for response
Emergency: A disruption to an essential service
| Form of emergency | Control agency | Class of major emergency |
|---|---|---|
| Critical infrastructure damage or disruption | VicPol | 2 |
| Electricity (see State Electricity and Gas Supply Sub-Plan) | DEECA | 2 |
| Natural gas (see State Electricity and Gas Supply Sub-Plan) | DEECA | 2 |
| Petroleum and liquid fuels | DEECA | 2 |
| Public transport (see SEMP Public Transport Disruption Sub-Plan) | DTP | 2 |
| Roads/bridges/tunnels/rail network | DTP | 2 |
| Dam safety | DEECA | 2 |
| Reticulated water and wastewater (sewerage) services | DEECA | 2 |
| Cyber security | DGS | 2 |
Emergency: A warlike act or act of terrorism, hijack, siege or riot
Emergency: Fire and explosion
Emergency: Natural event
| Form of emergency | Control agency | Class of major emergency |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake (see State Earthquake Sub-Plan) | VICSES | 1 |
| Flood (see State Flood Sub-Plan) | VICSES | 1 |
| Heat (see State Extreme Heat Sub-Plan) | EMC | 2 |
| Storm (see State Storm Sub-Plan) | VICSES | 1 |
| Tsunami (see State Tsunami Sub-Plan) | VICSES | 1 |
| Landslide | VICSES | 1 |
Emergency: Plague or an epidemic or contamination
| Form of emergency | Control agency | Class of major emergency |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency animal disease (includes bees and aquaculture) | DEECA | 2 |
| Plant pest or disease | DEECA | 2 |
| Marine pollution oil spills in Victorian coastal waters up to three nautical miles | DTP / Port manager [1] | 2 |
| Wildlife affected by marine and fresh water pollution | DEECA | 2 |
| Exotic marine pest incursion | DEECA | 2 |
| Vertebrate pest/plagues | DEECA | 2 |
| Retail food contamination | DH | 2 |
| Food contamination (potential to cause harm to health) | DH | 2 |
| Drinking water contamination | DH | 2 |
| Human disease | DH | 2 |
| Blue-green algae | DEECA | 2 |
| Wildlife welfare arising from an emergency event | DEECA | 2 |
| Non-hazardous pollution of inland waters | DEECA | 2 |
| Shark hazard | VFA | 2 |
Emergency: Rescue
Emergency: Road or other accident
| Form of emergency | Control agency | Class of major emergency |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | VicPol | 2 |
| Aircraft (designated airports) | ARFFS | 2 |
| Biological releases (including leaks and spills) | DH | 2 |
| Gas leakage | CFA/FRV | 1 |
| Hazardous materials, high consequence dangerous goods or dangerous goods (including leaks and spills) | CFA/FRV | 1 |
| Lifts, cranes or scaffolding and amusement structures | CFA (exc. cranes)/FRV | 1 |
| Building collapse | CFA/FRV/VICSES | 1 |
| Marine (not including marine pollution, cetaceans or wildlife) | VicPol | 2 |
| Military aircraft and ships | ADF | 2 |
| Radioactive materials (including leaks and spills) | DH | 2 |
| Road, rail, tram and industrial | VicPol | 2 |
| Aircraft – inflight emergency | Airservices Australia | 2 |
| Maritime casualty – non SAR (all vessels) in commercial and local port waters | Commercial or local port manager [2] / TSV | 2 |
| Maritime casualty – non SAR (all vessels in coastal waters) not in commercial and local port waters | TSV | 2 |
| Cetacean (whale and dolphin) stranding, entanglement and vessel strike | DEECA | 2 |
Emergency: Search
Table 10: Support agencies for response
| Functional area | Lead response support agency (RSA) |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | DEECA |
| Animal welfare (livestock and companion animals) | DEECA |
| Ambulance services/first aid/pre-hospital care | AV |
| Business and industry | DJSIR |
| Coronial services | Coroners Court of Victoria |
| Corrections and consumer affairs | DJCS |
| Courts | Courts Services Victoria |
| Deceased person identification | VicPol |
| Earth resources (mines) | DEECA |
| Education | DE |
| Emergency services telecommunications | ESTA |
| Environmental impact (air, land and water quality) | EPA |
| Fisheries (in Victorian waters) | VFA |
| Food and grocery supply continuity | DJSIR |
| Health services | DH |
| Health protection – public health | DH |
| Health command | AV |
| Human services and community wellbeing | DFFH |
| Insurance and risk advice | VMIA |
| Local government | DGS |
| Media/communications | EMV |
| Public land | DEECA |
| Public telecommunications | DGS |
| Public transport | DTP |
| Rail | DTP |
| Rescue (aircraft, road, rail, tram, industrial) |
Volunteer Search and Rescue Organisations |
| Responder agencies | |
| Roads | DTP |
| Spatial data | DEECA |
| Specific facilities (including secure facilities) | Owner or manager |
| Threatened ecosystems and species | DEECA |
| Tourism | DJSIR |
| Transport (including ports and access to airports) | DTP |
| Reticulated water and wastewater (sewerage) | Water Corporations |
| Weather | BoM |
| WorkSafe | Victorian WorkCover Authority |
Footnotes
- Port manager for the purpose of the control table are the Port of Hastings Development Authority, Port of Portland, Gippsland Ports and Ports Victoria.
- Commercial port manager for the purpose of the control table are the: Port of Portland, Gippsland Ports, Ports Victoria.
Updates to the SEMP following 2022 Machinery of Government (MoG) changes
Responsible Control and Support Agencies for Response have been updated in Tables 9 and 10 of the SEMP to reflect the Machinery of Government changes introduced in December 2022. Role Statements in the SEMP are currently being reviewed to reflect these MoG changes and are expected to be updated by mid-June 2023.
The department acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.