Wingecarribee Shire Council will review its emergency management plan in the coming months with climate change considerations in mind.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This comes after an unprecedented bushfire season, the spread of which was worse than the Rural Fire Service (RFS) initially predicted.
The council's latest emergency management plan was published in June 2016.
According to its website, the local emergency management committee reviews the plan every three years.
Reviews are also prompted by any activation of the plan in response to an emergency, legislative changes affecting the plan and exercises conducted to test all or part of the plan.
A Wingecarribee Shire Council spokesman said the plan was reviewed in 2018/19 and was scheduled to be presented to the Regional Emergency Management Committee in late 2019. The committee meets on a bi-annual basis.
"In light of the emergency events that beset the shire in 2019, it was decided the plans should be further reviewed with respect to climate change effects on emergency events," the spokesman said.
"An emergency management plan does not give direction on what the community should do in an emergency.
"Its primary purpose is to identify and risk assess the most prevalent hazards likely to be experienced so that hazard-specific plans can be prepared.
"Any hazards that rates medium or higher trigger the creation of a Consequence Management Guide. This guide informs the relevant combat agencies on how to manage such a specific hazard."
The council spokesman said the emergency management plan "is still relevant" after the summer bushfires.
"Council is however reviewing these plans with respect to climate change considerations," he said.
"Councillors will be briefed ahead of the upcoming bushfire season of the respective emergency management roles and responsibilities of council and the relevant combat agencies.
"Council continues to promote and advocate community preparedness programs."
The Wingecarribee Shire emergency management plan details the "arrangements for, prevention of, preparation for, response to and recovery from emergencies".
The plan describes the arrangements at a local level to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies.
The bushfire danger period for the next season started early for six local government areas on Saturday, August 1.
These areas include the Armidale region, Walcha, Uralla, Glen Innes Severn, Inverell and Tenterfield.
The bushfire danger period will roll out for the rest of NSW, including the Wingecarribee Shire, over the next two months.
Residents are advised to start thinking about their bushfire survival and property preparation plans now.
Visit the RFS website for more information about how to create a bushfire survival plan.