Greater Shepparton City Council adopted the updated Greater Shepparton Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP), which details how organisations with emergency management responsibilities deal with various emergency situations, at the Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday 21 May 2019.
The MEMP is an all services plan that has already been approved by the Greater Shepparton Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee appointed by Council under the Emergency Management Act, 1986. The committee is responsible for the preparation of the MEMP for the prevention of, response to, and recovery from emergencies within the municipality.
Membership of the Committee includes representatives of the emergency services as well as local community groups and organisations with a role in emergency management. Council submits the Plan to the Victoria State Emergency Service for audit every three years.
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr Kim O’Keeffe said she was pleased to see the MEMP approved by the Council. “The Plan provides vital direction for the management of a safe environment for our communities and provides confidence that all organisations responsible for emergency services have guidelines in place to deal with risks and emergencies when needed.”
The history of emergencies in Greater Shepparton includes mostly flood, storm, fire and road accidents and more recently heat health alerts where the Municipal Heatwave Plan has been activated.
“It is critical that all agencies have clear guidelines in the event of an emergency to ensure the welfare of the people within our municipality. Council has a critical role to play in providing resources as a response to an emergency as well as the recovery process after an emergency,” Cr O’Keeffe said.
“Council also has a role to play in the event of a wider emergency at a regional or State level and the MEMP is a valuable resource whatever the level of emergency.”
