IGEM Report 1: 2017-18 - THE CYCLONE DEBBIE REVIEW

The Cyclone Debbie Review

Themes

Introduction

The recovery for Debbie is still going on. This review has not attempted to look at the good practice and lessons that will undoubtedly emerge from it. Five major themes emerge. They highlight how Queensland dealt with Debbie, and what should be done to prepare for the next similar event.

Preparedness, response, and recovery in a disaster is all dependent on good planning . Plans based on risk that include mitigation, business continuity, emergent events and the subsequent transition to recovery, will work better with the involvement of the community. Public information and engagement is therefore important. Information management will enable better planning, messaging and decisions. In Debbie, evacuations brought out lessons that otherwise may have been overlooked. All the above rely on capability for their implementation. We have used these themes to structure this section of the review. The review showed that agency plans were not necessarily consistent with each other, neither based on jointly agreed priorities, nor integrated, nor linked. 87 Many were not visible to other entities in the sector. There was also great variation in the resourcing and capacity of the 77 councils operating across the diverse geography and demography of Queensland. In the response to Debbie we found some higher capacity councils with good plans and sub-plans, and the capability to conduct robust event planning, particularly when time was available. Others with lower capacity or less experience were pleased to take up the offers of support and guidance, provided by the SDCC and state agencies, to inform local planning and preparation. For example, the Isaac local group was delighted with the deployment by QFES of an experienced emergency management coordinator from Brisbane. The officer supported the LDCC through Debbie and then assisted council to draw up their recovery plan.

Planning

Plans and planning are a fundamental part of disaster management. Planning activities that bring representatives from across the sector together can build relationships and lead to a shared understanding of each other’s roles, priorities, capability limits and trigger points. The results should be documented in an effective plan that is exercised regularly and updated by lessons from exercises, events, or thorough review. As one experienced DDC put it, “it’s not the plan that’s important, but the planning.” h Ability to plan During our recent review of the effectiveness of the State Disaster Management Plan , we heard from a range of stakeholders about disaster management planning. Their view was that planning was regularly undertaken in a siloed manner, leading to a duplication of effort and a lack of understanding of the responsibilities and functions of different entities. 86

Notes h. Warwick DDC.

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6 THEMES

Introduction • Planning