Recovery

Overview

This Recovery section (Table 13–18) serves as a guide for agencies involved in recovery. It details the range and types of assistance, and the providers of each, to support community recovery. Refer to the SEMP for an explanation of recovery concepts and arrangements. 

The information shown is in summary form. This guide does not prevent other organisations from providing recovery services, including activities or additional services. Depending on the needs associated with the event, other government organisations, such as community service organisations, may support and deliver recovery services in addition to or alongside the Recovery Lead Agencies (RecLAs) (refer to REMPs and MEMPs for regional and local recovery arrangements as they may differ from those listed in tables 14–18).

However, all recovery services must be managed under the established recovery coordination arrangements.

Recovery tier coordination responsibilities are:

• for state recovery coordination: Bushfire Recovery Victoria (BRV)
• for regional recovery coordination: Bushfire Recovery Victoria (BRV)
• for municipal recovery coordination: Municipal councils [1]

Recovery coordination operates at both tier level and activity level. 

• Tier level coordination is responsible for oversight of all recovery environments and associated activities
• Activity level coordination (Recovery Coordinating Agency (RecCA)) is responsible for overseeing the delivery of recovery services by RecLAs and Recovery Support Agencies (RecSAs). 

Recovery is undertaken across four environments, Social, Economic, Built and Natural, that provide a framework within which recovery can be planned, reported, monitored and evaluated. The environments and their areas of activity can be adapted to meet the needs of people and communities affected, such as consideration for Aboriginal Culture and Healing.

Within the four environments, there are 15 areas of activity. These activities are interrelated across the recovery environments (Table 13) and describe a community need. Each activity has recovery services – programs, services and products – that assist in community recovery. Every recovery service has a Recovery Lead Agency (RecLA), often with several other agencies (Recovery Support Agencies (RelSAs)) supporting them (tables 14–18).

The consequences of the emergency and community needs will determine if the recovery service is required. In some cases, the RecLA reflects existing legislative responsibilities or arrangements in practice/on the ground [2], and if at any time the service extends beyond the RecLA capability or capacity to deliver, it is escalated to the RecCA.

Table 13: Four recovery environments and 14 areas of activity

Recovery Environment	Activity	Recovery Coordinating Agency
Social	Housing and accommodation	DFFH
	Individual and household financial assistance	DFFH
	Psychosocial support	DFFH
	Health and medical assistance	DH
Economic	Local economies	DJPR
	Businesses	DJPR
	Agriculture	DJPR
Built	Energy services	DELWP
	Public telecommunications	DJPR
	Reticulated water and wastewater services	DELWP
	Transport	DoT
	Buildings and assets	Activity leads
Natural	Natural environment, public land and waterways	DELWP
	Threatened ecosystems and species	DELWP

Table 14: Recovery coordination: For services across all environments

Lead and support agencies for recovery services that occur across the recovery environments. These are coordinated at the relevant tier level.

Service	Recovery lead agencies (RecLAs)	Recovery support agencies (RecSAs)
Community information	BRV	EMV Municipal councils
Public health advice	DH	Municipal councils
Formation, leadership and support of municipal recovery committees	Municipal councils	BRV
Provision and staffing for recovery/ information centres	Municipal councils	ARC
Provision and management of community recovery services	Municipal councils	BRV
Organisation of state-led public appeals	DJCS	ARC
Coordination of spontaneous volunteers [3]	BRV (strategic [4]) EMV (strategic [5]) (for relief)	ARC Volunteering Victoria
Management of donated goods	BRV EMV (for relief)	Salvation Army

Table 15: Recovery coordination: Social environment 

Lead and support agencies for recovery services, within recovery activities that occur across the social environment. The social environment considers the impact an event may have on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities. This environment is primarily concerned with safety, security and shelter, health and psychosocial wellbeing.

Table 16: Recovery coordination: Economic environment

Lead and support agencies for recovery services, within recovery activities that occur across the economic environment. The economic environment considers the direct and indirect impacts that an event may have on business, primary producers and the broader economy

Table 17: Recovery coordination: Built environmental environment 

Lead and support agencies for recovery services, within recovery activities that occur across the built environment. The built environment considers the impacts that an event may have on essential physical infrastructure including essential services, commercial and industrial facilities, public buildings and assets and housing. 

Table 18: Recovery coordination: Natural environment

Lead and support agencies for recovery services, within recovery activities that occur across the natural environment. The natural environment considers the impact that an event may have on a healthy and functioning environment, which underpins the economy and society. Components of the natural environment include air and water quality; land degradation and contamination; plant and wildlife damage/loss; and national parks, cultural and heritage sites.

Footnotes

1. Refer to Municipal Emergency Management Plans for local emergency recovery arrangements as they may differ from those listed in the Recovery coordination tables (tables 14-18). Municipal councils recovery coordination responsibilities include local level coordination for the 2019-20 Eastern Victorian Bushfires
2. Where Municipal councils are listed as the RecLA, this is a local level function and escalation can still occur to the RecCA if required.
3. The coordination of spontaneous volunteers may also occur during the response (including relief) phase of an incident
4. ‘Strategic’ relates to the broad strategy for spontaneous volunteers and not the management of spontaneous volunteers in response to an event
5. ‘Strategic’ relates to the broad strategy for spontaneous volunteers and not the management of spontaneous volunteers in response to an event
6. WorkSafe can provide occupational health and safety advice of a general nature. This advice may direct duty holders to the relevant provisions of any legislation administered by WorkSafe, and to any guidance material published by WorkSafe with respect to particular obligations. However, WorkSafe cannot provide advice on how legislation should be applied in any specific circumstance, and the advice provided by WorkSafe does not constitute legal advice. Duty holders should seek their own independent advice on how the requirements of WorkSafe-administered legislation should be applied
7. EPA will initially lead the investigation to determine the cause of a fish death event, in accordance with EPA publication 1793 Interim Response Guide for Fish Death Events. Refer to Natural and Cultural Heritage Rehabilitation core capability (critical task 18.4), for more information.