Purpose and Objectives of this Plan
The purpose of this Plan is to provide the community of Western Australia, including emergency services and the animal management sector, with a document that integrates arrangements for animal welfare with the State’s formal management arrangements to ensure that animals are planned for and their welfare is appropriately addressed in any emergency.
The objectives are to:
- define roles and responsibilities for the provision of animal welfare services in relation to the preparation for, response to, and recovery from emergencies for all hazards where this Plan is activated
- provide a framework for the coordination between government agencies, non-government agencies, industry, the community and owners or carers of animals.
Background
In 2018, the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) formally assigned the role and responsibility for coordinating animal welfare in emergencies to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). Initially released in 2019, DPIRD carried out a comprehensive review of the plan in 2024, and version 3.00 was approved by SEMC in March 2025.
