Question – State Emergency Frameworks
Questions asked by Hon Meg Webb MLC on 4 June 2020 and answered for the Government by Hon Peter Gutwein MP, Premier on 26 June 2020
With reference to the formal State of Emergency declared by the Government on 19 March 2020 under section 42 of the Emergency Management Act 2006 (the Act) due to the presence of COVID-19 in Tasmania:—
QUESTION (1) How has the Tasmanian Disaster Resilience Strategy 2020-2025 informed or influenced the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
ANSWER 1: The Tasmanian Disaster Resilience Strategy 2020-2025 was approved by the Tasmanian Government in December 2019. The Strategy builds on current and recent initiatives to pursue a vision of a more disaster resilient Tasmania.
The Strategy’s vision is “Using the best available evidence, everyone works together to reduce their risk, and to prepare to withstand and adapt to the impacts of disaster.” Four goals underpin the vision, namely: understanding disaster risk; working together; reducing disaster risk; and being prepared for disasters.
The Strategy emphasises that disaster resilience is everybody’s business, but also recognises the Tasmanian Government plays a key role. The response to the pandemic is consistent with the Strategy’s vision and goals.
QUESTION (2) Noting the Tasmanian Emergency Management Arrangements (TEMA) is required under section 32 of the Act and that pandemics are identified as a potential ‘emergency’ or ‘disaster’ for which the state needs to be prepared:
QUESTION (2)(a) what is the status of the TEMA;
QUESTION (2)(b) how was TEMA implemented; and
QUESTION (2)(c) how has it informed the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
ANSWER 2a: The Tasmanian Emergency Management Arrangements’ (TEMA) was endorsed by the State Emergency Management Committee before being authorised by the State Controller (Commissioner Darren Hine) and approved by the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, the Hon Mark Shelton MP, on 10 December 2019.
ANSWER 2b: The TEMA does not require implementation, it describes existing roles, authorities and responsibilities for emergency management including governance, administrative and legal frameworks.
ANSWER 2c: Pandemic is an identified hazard in the TEMA and COVID-19 has been managed in accordance with emergency management arrangements. As the Response Management Authority (RMA) the Department of Health is responsible for prevention and response in relation to a pandemic. The RMA is required to develop a more detailed State Special Emergency Management Plan (SSEM P) in relation to hazards for which it is responsible.
In accordance with the TEMA and SSEMP for COVID-19, the State Control Centre was activated on 19 March 2020 to coordinate whole-of-government activities in response to COVID-19. On the same date the Premier, the Hon Peter Gutwein MP, declared a State of Emergency under the Emergency Management Act 2006.
QUESTION (3) What is the status of the current Special Emergency Management Plan and the associated State Recovery Plan that is described by the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC) Office of Security and Emergency Management (OSEM) as a “broad, scalable framework for recovery that can be tailored to meet the needs of each emergency event and affected community”, and which details the state’s Recovery Governance Framework?
ANSWER 3: The State Recovery Plan – which is the SSEMP for recovery – was approved by the State Controller on 7 January 2019.
QUESTION (4)(a) Was the state’s Recovery Governance Framework, as outlined on the OSEM website, implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
QUESTION 4(b) how was it implemented?
ANSWER 4a: Noting that given the prolonged nature of the pandemic emergency, relief and recovery activities have been taking place concurrently with the response.
ANSWER 4b: The State Recovery Advisor (Craig Limkin, Deputy Secretary, Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC)) has a formal role in the State Control Centre to advise the State Controller and Ministerial Committee for Emergency Management in relation to recovery. The State Recovery Committee has been meeting regularly to identify and address relief and recovery needs. Mr Limkin holds the office of State Recovery Advisor on delegation from the Secretary, DPAC under Section 24A of the Emergency Management Act.
When the State Controller stands-down there will be a formal transition to recovery in accordance with Section 24F of the Emergency Management Act.
QUESTION (5) (a) What is the membership of the State Recovery Committee, Chaired by the State Recovery Advisory, who the Premier informed the Parliament on 30 April 2020 has been appointed to that legislated role under section 24A of the Act; and
QUESTION (5)(b) what COVID-19 related work has that committee undertaken?
ANSWER 5a: During the current State of Emergency, the following are members of the State Recovery Committee
- Deputy Secretary, DPAC – State Recovery Advisor, (Chair);
- Deputy Secretary, Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management;
- Deputy Secretary, Department of Health;
- Deputy Secretary, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment;
- Deputy Secretary, Department of State Growth;
- Deputy Secretary, Department of Treasury and Finance;
- Secretary and Deputy Secretary, Department of Communities Tasmania ;
- Deputy Secretary, Department of Education;
- Deputy Secretary, Department of Justice; and
- Police Commanders from all three geographical regions.
Since the establishment of the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council (PESRAC), the Director of the PESRAC Secretariat has also been attending State Recovery Committee meetings.
ANSWER 5b: During the current State of Emergency, the State Recovery Committee has met ten times since 24 March 2020 and has been solely dealing with COVID-19 related issues in that period. During that time the Committee has coordinated the resolution of short term economic and social recovery needs; has led the development of the COVID-19 Safe Workplaces Framework; had oversight of the COVID Safe Workplace Guidelines and COVID Safety Plans: and has helped shape the governance arrangements for the transition to medium and long term recovery.
QUESTION (6) Has the State Recovery Advisor provided, or been asked to provide, advice to the Premier on:
(a) any future appointment of a State Recovery Coordinator; and/ or
(b) the establishment of a Recovery Taskforce, as provided by section 24B of the Act?
ANSWER 6: Advice provided by the State Serice is deliberative and therefore is confidential.
QUESTION (7)(a) Is the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council (PESRAC) intended to fulfil the role of the Recovery Taskforce; and
QUESTION (7)(b) will PESRAC operate instead of, or in parallel to, the Recovery Taskforce and the Act’s Recovery provisions?
ANSWER 7a: PESRAC is established under Section 24C of the Emergency Management Act.
ANSWER 7b: PESRAC has been established to provide high level policy advice to the Government on strategies and initiatives to support the State’s short to medium, and longer term recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 Emergency.
QUESTION (8) Will the Chair of PESRAC fulfil the role of the State Recovery Coordinator as specified under section 24D of the Act, and which is also provided for under TEMA and the DPAC State Recovery Plan?
ANSWER 8: No
QUESTION (9) What advice has the Government sought or received regarding:
(a) the implementation of the Recovery Taskforce and State Recovery Coordinator role in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, and
(b) any implications of establishing PESRAC as an alternative or parallel process?
ANSWER 9: Advice provided by the State Service is deliberative and therefore is confidential.
