Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning

The Swan Region covers over 1 million hectares including the Perth Metropolitan area, the Swan and Canning river catchments, and extends offshore to include islands such as Rottnest and Garden Island. The Swan Region is part of an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot, due to its high floral diversity and endemism. Supporting the growing population of Perth is a productive and diverse agricultural system covering large areas of the east and north-east subregions.

There is a growing need to enhance our preparedness for natural disasters and their impact on biodiversity and agricultural natural capital assets. Ensuring the survival of species and places helps to preserve key ecosystems services such as clean air, water, food production, and climate regulation, all of which profoundly affect human well-being. Disaster preparedness bolsters the resilience of ecosystems, enabling them to recover and flourish following catastrophic events.

In 2023, the departments of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) contracted Perth NRM to prepare a Biodiversity and Agricultural Natural Capital Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPR Plan).

The Plan was built on the lessons learned during the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires in the eastern states, but more locally, fire events at Wooroloo in 2021, severe heatwave and fire events of the Perth region in 2023/24, and other recent environmental disasters like the polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB).

Better preparation and response also contribute to stronger regional economies through sectors such as tourism and agriculture. For example, by investing in disaster preparedness, long-term costs for recovery and restoration post-disaster are reduced.

This Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (ERP) considers the most likely disaster scenarios for the Swan Region, which include bushfires, severe storms, heatwaves and plant pest/disease incursion.

The ERP is a collaborative project, with input from organisations who traditionally undertake activities in the emergency management space ie Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and local governments, as well as feedback invited from other stakeholders.

To access further information about the ERP, please contact:

Ingrid Sieler
Stakeholder Engagement Manager
[email protected]

This project is funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by Perth NRM, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.

Partners

We acknowledge and appreciate the support of all our partners, supporters, funding bodies and sponsors.