Released 09/11/2021
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Mick Gentleman today introduced legislation in the Legislative Assembly to implement the recommendations of the Review of the Emergencies Act.
“These changes will further improve our response to emergencies that impact our community and will enable our staff and volunteers to continue to keep our city safe and informed,” Minister Gentleman said.
“I am immensely proud and thankful for the work our emergency services do tirelessly, day in and day out, to support our community,” he said.
The Emergencies Amendment Bill 2021 will deliver a range of legislative amendments to better support our emergency responders, including:
- Empowering the Minister to appoint a Recovery Coordinator to support the community to recover from an emergency
- Strengthening employment protections for emergency service volunteers who are victimised at their paid workplace as a result of their volunteering duties during emergencies
- Broadening the scope of the Bushfire Council to advise on all natural hazards
- Empowering chief officers to compel community members to assist emergency workers, including police officers, during an emergency
- Requiring any declaration of a state of alert or a state of emergency to be broadcast on social media channels, as well as on television and radio
- Strengthening the ESA senior leadership by creating a new position of Assistant Emergency Services Commissioner.
A review of the Emergencies Act is required to be undertaken every five years, and a report of the review was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 16 September 2021. The recommendations of the review are being implemented via the Emergencies Amendment Bill 2021.
The Review follows previous ACT reviews in this area following the 2019-20 bushfire season and the Commonwealth’s Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Arrangements.
- Statement ends -
Mick Gentleman, MLA | Media Releases