PRESENT
Frank Goodyer Local Emergency Management Officer (Chair)
Owen Plowman REMO, NSW Police Force
Gerard Horsley NSW Police Force - Wagga Wagga
Nadine Roberts NSW Police Force – Wagga Wagga
Wendy Frankham Department of Defence, Wagga Wagga
Andrew Behan Army Recruit Training Centre, Kapooka
Lisa McNaughton 31 Squadron RAAF Base Wagga Wagga
Donna Argus Family & Community Services
Roger Orr Rural Fire Service
Stewart Alexander NSW Fire & Rescue
Daryl Manson NSW Fire & Rescue
Phil Jenkins APA
Denise Garner NSW Health
Paul Billingham Transport for NSW
Barry Griffiths State Emergency Service
Eamon Purcell NSW Ambulance
Jason Ip Riverina Water
Samuel Quinton Essential Energy
Sandra Grentell Anglicare
Leon Burger Airport Manager, Wagga Wagga City Council
Sharomi Dayanand Environmental Health Coordinator, Wagga Wagga City Council
Lauren Pezet ABC Riverina
The meeting of the Local Emergency Management Committee conducted via Zoom from Bob Osborne Skills Centre and commenced at 2.00pm.
Acknowledgement Of Country
I would like to acknowledge the Wiradjuri people who are the Traditional Custodians of this Land. I would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present of the Wiradjuri Nation and extend that respect to other Community members present.
APOLOGIES
Bob Noble Riverina Police District Commander
Alternate REOCON
CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES – 3 May 2021
That the Minutes of the proceedings of the Local Emergency Management Committee Meeting held on 8 February 2021 be confirmed as a true and accurate record.
Carried
BUSINESS ARISING - ACTIONS
Local Emergency Management Plan
Updated and amended to reflect 2016 Census data and demographic changes. Completed draft distributed to members for review and comment if necessary. Once adopted by LEMC – submit to SEOCON for approval.
Wagga Wagga Flood Emergency Sub-Plan
Distributed by Barry Griffiths, Deputy Zone Commander, SES to LEMC members for review and comment. No further amendments required. No additional comment from members present. Adopted.
Evacuation Co-ordination Centre
LEMC informed that Wagga Men’s Shed is now included in the EM plan as an additional Evacuation Co-ordination resource.
GENERAL BUSINESS
Leon Burger, Airport Facility Manager, Wagga Wagga City Council.
Airport Emergency response “live exercise” scheduled for 14 August cannot be replaced with a desktop exercise. CASA provides a 12-month window for compliance which expires on 21 September. Application can be made to CASA for 90-day extension. If not conducted within that timeframe, certification to operate may be withdrawn which would trigger a lengthy and complicated process to be re-accredited.
REMO advised that all Region EM exercises have been postponed at the direction of the REOCON and that LEMC’s should postpone any planned EM exercises during the current pandemic emergency.
LEMO advised that written confirmation from combat agencies that they are unable to participate, may assist in a submission to CASA in seeking either an extension or deferment.
Barry Griffiths – Deputy zone Commander SES, Southern zone.
Confirmed Local Operations centre now up and running. Overview of current situation regarding Murrumbidgee catchment and flood risk.
AGENCY REPORTS
LEMO
As per business arising and attached report
REMO
See attached report.
LEMC’s have been asked by the REOCON to consider lockdown scenarios for their LGA’s. Wagga LEMC conducted similar exercise in 2020 and will revisit the outcomes from that exercise in the context of the current emergency on 4 August.
LEOCON
EMERGENCY SERVICES
§ NSW State Emergency Service
§ NSW Ambulance Service
o Currently exploring options for business continuity for operations.
o LEMO assisting with available options utilising Council facilities.
§ NSW Rural Fire Service
§ NSW Police Force
§ Fire and Rescue NSW
§ NSW Rescue Association
o Now to be know as VRA Rescue NSW
o New uniforms – Green
o NSW Government supplying two heavy and two light rescue trucks per financial year across the state.
FUNCTIONAL AREAS
§ Defence
o Kapooka. Andrew Behan – Base desktop exercise conducted on 30 July 2021 to test the EM plan.
o Confirmed that short term defence support from available resources can be approved locally.
§ Essential Energy
§ Department of Primary Industry
§ APA Group
§ Murrumbidgee Local Health District
o Denise Garner – No local COVID cases.
o Provided overview of data regarding testing and vaccination
o Currently conducting workforce planning and modelling response to service vulnerable communities during the current emergency.
o Prioritising staff vaccination in aged care facilities
§ Wagga Wagga City Council – Airport
o As per general business – Air services at the airport have been drastically reduced during the current public health emergency.
§ Wagga Wagga City Council - Public Health
o Council Environmental Health officers have been out and about to ensure retail stores located within shopping malls where compliant with current PHO with specific reference to implementation of most updated Covid Safety Management Plans including Services NSW CR codes checks. Last week 6 malls were covered with 148 premises complying. These figures has been sent across to NSW Health’s Environmental Health team, Tony Burns.
§ Transport for NSW
§ Anglicare
§ Community Services
o Overview of local level decision making in Evacuation management.
o Several options being considered and modelled regarding registration during evacuation in current COVID emergency. – Self registration online – Drive Through model – combination of drive through with an actual centre.
o Current evacuation modelling is about co-ordinating and facilitating relocation as early as possible without the need to be accommodated at an actual centre.
o Local decision making based upon local knowledge and available services/facilities.
§ Other
o Media – Lauren Pezet, ABC Riverina reaffirmed support to the LEMC for public messaging as the recognised emergency broadcaster.
NEXT MEETING
The next Local Emergency Management Committee Meeting will be held on 1 November 2021 at 2:00pm and the Bob Osbourne Skill Centre, Fernleigh Road, Wagga Wagga.
The Local Emergency Management Committee rose at 3.15pm.