Emergency management

Council plays an important role in managing resources and offering relief and recovery support during an emergency.
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    Council’s role: relief and recovery

    Under the Emergency Management Act 2013, Council has a statutory responsibility to manage resources and coordinate community support services during the response and recovery phase of an emergency, including:

    • providing information to the community about risk and recovery
    • assisting emergency response agencies
    • providing emergency relief to affected residents
    • coordinating response and recovery works
    • chairing the Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee (MEMPC) which sits separate to Council.

    Council also has two internal roles that help assist with emergency relief and recovery:

    Municipal Emergency Management Officer (MEMO)Municipal Recovery Manager (MRM)
    They make sure there are appropriate operating procedures and processes that can be used during an emergency.Ensure there are adequate staff and volunteer resources for emergency relief centres during the relief and recovery phase.

    Municipal Emergency Management Plan

    Council is a part of the Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee (MEMPC) which oversees the creation and maintenance of Port Phillip’s Municipal Emergency Management Plan (PDF). This sets out how we will prevent and mitigate the impact of local emergencies.

    Emergency preparedness

    The best way to reduce your risk during an emergency is to be prepared in advance and to have a plan.

    Some of the most common emergencies experienced are weather-related. For more information on how to be prepared for an extreme weather emergency, check out the below pages.

    Emergency Relief Centres

    In the event of a large-scale emergency, Council may decide to open an Emergency Relief Centre.

    During an emergency, you will be able to find information about any activated Emergency Relief Centres on our Emergencies and extreme weather webpage or via our social media channels.

    Translation and Interpreting Service (TIS)

    Call the TIS National Contact Centre on 131 450 for a phone translation service in over 150 languages.

    If you require this information in an alternative format, such as large print, audio, or braille please contact us via Online Services or call 03 9209 6777.

    Contact us

    Our Emergency Management team is here to help.

    Send us a message on My Port Phillip.

    Phone: 03 9209 6777