Western Australia uses a committee structure to assist the SEMC in the development and implementation of the State emergency management arrangements. This structure consists of committees at the State, district and local-level, as depicted in Figure 1.
In May 2022, SEMC members approved a review of the roles of District and Local Emergency Management Committees to evaluate their effectiveness in achieving the strategic objectives of the SEMC.
More information on District and Local Emergency Management Committees is available on the SEMC website.
DEMC and LEMC functions
Show moreThe Emergency Management Act 2005 (EM Act) establishes District Emergency Management Committees (DEMC) (s31) and Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMC) (s38).
The function of a DEMC is to assist in the establishment and maintenance of effective emergency management (EM) arrangements for the district for which it is constituted.
The functions of a LEMC are to:
- Advise and assist the local government to prepare local EM arrangements for its district.
- Develop, review and test local EM arrangements in consultation with state agencies and other stakeholders.
- Carry out other EM activities as directed by the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) or prescribed by the regulations.
To undertake their functions as outlined in s38 and s39 of the EM Act, DEMCs and LEMCs meet regularly to plan for EM in the district or locality. The State Emergency Management Policy and Plan outline the requirements for DEMCs and LEMCs in terms of reporting to SEMC.
Background to the review
Show moreThe SEMC approved a review into the District and Local Emergency Management Committees in May 2022.
The objectives of the review were to:
- To establish clear roles and responsibilities, functions, and governance for DEMCs and LEMCs in achieving the strategic objectives of SEMC.
- Identify improvement opportunities to the governance arrangements and capabilities to increase effective and efficient emergency management outcomes.
- Create a shared understanding of SEMC expectations of DEMCs and LEMCs within the emergency management sector.
An external consultant was engaged in March 2023 to undertake a consultative review, ensuring that both district and local matters were adequately considered.
The consultants reviewed the current governance arrangements and obtained input from targeted stakeholders. The final report including key findings was provided to SEMC in November 2023.
Alignment with the LEMA Improvement Program
Show moreDuring the LEMA Improvement Program, consideration will be given to the key findings from the Review into District and Local Emergency Management Committees (DEMC and LEMC Review).
Given the close links between the DEMC and LEMC Review and the LEMA Improvement Program, the outcomes from the DEMC and LEMC Review will be taken into account when planning the LEMA Improvement Program activities.
Next steps
Show moreThere are more than 20 key findings in the consultant’s report on the Review into District and Local Emergency Management Committees.
SEMC will examine the report’s key findings and undertake further discussions with stakeholders, to create actionable insights to inform the development of a forward-looking plan.
Employing targeted improvements and changes to the current structure of DEMCs and LEMCs will create a shared understanding of SEMC expectations and increase effective and efficient emergency management outcomes.
