Our animals. Our responsibility. A community engagement ... · Our animals. Our responsibility. A community engagement project to . help animals survive natural disasters. Volume

w w w.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Our animals. Our responsibility.

A community engagement project to help animals survive natural disasters.Volume 3 Project Report

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

The total cost to New South Wales of livestock, pets and native animals killed or injured during natural disasters can be hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

The emotional impact on individual farmers, animal carers and pet owners can be devastating.

The suffering endured by animals caught in a natural disaster is heartbreaking.

Published by the NSW Department of Primary IndustriesOur animals. Our responsibility. A community engagement project to help animals survive natural disasters.Volume 3 – Project reportFirst published July 2014ISBN 978 1 74256 649 8www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Acknowledgments Funded under the joint State and Commonwealth Natural Disaster Resilience Program

JTN 12847_3

© State of New South Wales through the Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services, 2014. You may copy, distribute and otherwise freely deal with this publication for any purpose, provided that you attribute the NSW Department of Primary Industries as the owner.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing (July 2014). However, because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information upon which they rely is up to date and to check currency of the information with the appropriate officer of the Department of Primary Industries or the user’s independent adviser.

Every year, emergency services personnel, volunteers, animal owners and carers risk their own lives to save animals from natural disasters.

For individual farmers, pet owners and people involved in raising and caring for animals or providing feed, veterinary medicines, supplies and infrastructure, recovery after a natural disaster can take years.

The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries aims to help communities become more resilient to natural disasters. In particular, we want to ensure that the care of animals during natural disasters is planned well before a disaster occurs.

This involves taking better prevention and preparedness precautions so that animal rescue and recovery operations during and after a natural disaster can be minimised or, wherever possible, eliminated.

NSW DPI should be the trusted and primary source of animal care information for natural disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

However, it is vital that all animal owners and carers understand that it is their responsibility to care for their animals before, during and after a natural disaster.

For communities to ensure that they and their animals are resilient in times of natural disaster, they need to become more engaged – with each other, with emergency services personnel and volunteers, animal welfare organisations, and the participating and supporting organisations (PSOs) of the NSW Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA).

This report outlines the development of a community engagement strategy to support building resilience.

A community engagement strategy to improve animal care for natural disasters.

Contents

1 Project purpose 1Scope 1

Objectives 1

Strategy 2

Goals 2

2 The challenge 3Financial costs 4

Indirect costs 5

Challenging misconceptions 5

Animal groups 6

3 What are natural disasters? 7Definitions 7

Emergency 7

Disaster 7

Emergency Planning 7

Participating Organisations 8

Supporting Organisations 8

PPRR 8

4 NSW DPI responsibilities in natural disasters 9Responsibilities of ESOs in natural disasters 11

5 What is community resilience? 12

6 What is community engagement? 13The nature of communities 13

The community engagement process 13

7 Project research 15Methodology 15

Regional workshops 16

Online surveys 17

8 Profiling report: Kempsey and Bookham/Yass 18Scope 18

Methodology 18

Insights 19

9 Findings and recommendations 24Background 24

Strategy 24

The AASFA Committees 25

Community engagement planning levels 26

NSW Department of Primary Industries – July 2014

Capturing the community’s attention 27

Using printed information 27

Emerging technologies 28

The safety message 29

Data 29

Recommendations 29

10 Appendices 31Appendix 1 Regional workshops summary findings 31

Appendix 2 Regional workshop tools ratings 40

Our animals. Our responsibility. - A community engagement project to help animals survive natural disasters.

11 Project purpose

All communities must be resilient so they can survive emergencies such as natural disasters in practical, sustainable and cost-effective ways. Resilience enables communities not just to survive natural disasters but also to recover quickly, remain viable and thrive over the long-term. Implicit in this is the capacity of a community to maintain its social fabric, the wellbeing of its residents, infrastructure and business continuity.

For those who own, manage or care for animals, natural disaster prevention and preparedness measures must include the protection of animals. For the wider community, this also means the safety and preservation of one of our most priceless and irreplaceable resources: native animals.

ScopeThis project, which was funded under the joint State and Commonwealth Natural Disaster Resilience Program, focuses on building resilience in regional, rural, and peri-urban communities, through a community engagement strategy that promotes resilience in animal care in the context of natural disaster emergency prevention and preparedness. The project involves a state-wide community engagement strategy under the New South Wales emergency management arrangements1 for the Agriculture and Animals Services Functional Area.

The project’s community engagement model recognises the structure of NSW DPI, its arrangements with the participating and supporting organisations of the Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA), emergency services and other groups. The model recognises that NSW DPI does some direct community engagement, however most engagement with animal owners and carers must be achieved through a ‘network of influencers’ or partners with existing links to communities, e.g.:

• AASFA participating and supporting organisations (such as Local Land Services [LLS], WIRES or RSPCA)

• emergency service organisations

• local government

• industry bodies (including producer organisations such as the Cattle Council of Australia and professional organisations such as the Australian Veterinary Association)

• education providers

• non-government organisations supporting animal welfare and other community organisations (such as kennel or pony clubs).

This project does not address hazards to animals from animal disease emergencies or drought, nor does it directly address communication to communities during emergency responses, which are primarily the responsibility of the relevant combat agencies under the NSW emergency management arrangements. The partnerships and networks established as a result of this strategy will improve combat agency awareness of animal care issues, which will help ensure those issues are considered during emergency responses.

Objectives The key objectives of this project are:

• increasing the capacity of DPI’s AASFA to help communities take preventative measures that will reduce impacts of natural disasters on animals and more effectively plan for and manage the care of animals before, during and after a natural disaster

• partner with other agencies to ensure that the care of animals in a natural disaster has a high priority in training, communication and implementation of prevention and preparedness initiatives

• enhance engagement opportunities for communities to participate in decision making, such as determining safer places for animals in an emergency, increasing preparedness for natural disasters to reduce the loss of

1 State Emergency and Rescue Management Act, 1989


2livestock, companion and assistance animals and native animals, and reduce the cost of replacement animals and related infrastructure, and lost production

• ensure that communities and individuals understand that they are responsible for animals in their care before, during and after natural disasters.

Objectives are focussed on ensuring that communities:

• take action to prevent the consequences of a natural disaster on animals

• have prepared for a natural disaster by documenting their action plans

• have improved their capability by rehearsing or applying their action plans

• have strategies or plans to recover from a natural disaster should one occur.

A key principle that must be aligned with the community engagement strategy, is that the DPI has an emergency management focus of ‘doing things with the community’ as opposed to ‘doing things to the community’.

StrategyFrom research, detailed later in this report, NSW DPI has developed a community engagement strategy that has four overall priorities2:

Priority 1 Empowering individuals and communities to exercise choice and take responsibility

Priority 2 Partnering with those who effect changes

Priority 3 Building capability for owners to better plan for the care for their animals during natural disasters

Priority 4 Communicating with and educating people about their animal care roles and responsibilities before, during and after natural disasters.

GoalsEssential goals that underpin the project strategy’s objectives are:

• Building collaborative networks and embedding a community engagement culture throughout the AAFSA

• Providing trusted information on prevention and natural disaster preparedness

• Increasing the number of well trained and resourced people to build community engagement capabilities of the AAFSA

The strategy will:

• increase the capacity of DPI’s AASFA to effectively plan and manage natural disasters

• ensure DPI’s services align with other agencies, participating and supporting organisations and the community

• enhance opportunities for communities to participate in decision making, such as determining safer places for animals in natural disasters

• improving and increasing preparedness for natural disasters which will reduce the loss of pets and livestock and reduce the cost of livestock replacement and lost production

• build community confidence and engagement with the services delivered by DPI and, in turn, the NSW Government.

2 Adapted from COAG’s National Strategy for Disaster Resilience, 2011 Commonwealth of Australia


32 The challenge

Natural disasters are an unfortunate reality in Australia. They occur often in New South Wales and are not always ‘seasonal’. Even using the latest meteorological techniques, the severity and extent of natural disasters cannot always be predicted with precision.

When natural disasters occur they usually happen quickly and can escalate rapidly. Generally, there is little time to safely prepare for action immediately before or during a natural disaster.

The cost to the community and individuals of natural disasters and their impact on animals is assessed in terms of:

• lost production

• replacement of livestock

• lost feed supplies (including crops)

• disruption to the state’s food supply and business continuity

• loss of long-term capital investments (e.g. infrastructure to contain, transport and support animals)

• inability of producers to fulfil trade contracts

• imposts on charity funds and services

• increased insurance premiums

• reduced or disrupted exports

• the cost of veterinary treatment for injured animals

• the cost of medical, emotional and psychological support for humans whose animals have been killed or injured

• increased domestic food prices

• increased tax burdens due to additional government expenditure, compensation, subsidies, and emergencies services costs.

Just as devastating are:

• the suffering endured by animals

• destruction of threatened species of native animals and their habitats

• emotional impacts on a damaged community

• the broken bond between humans and their animals. ‘The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviours that are essential to the health and wellbeing of both. This includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the environment.’3

• the personal risks to animal owners and carers, emergency services personnel and volunteers who attempt to rescue animals caught in a natural

disaster.

Communities can take years to recover from just one natural disaster. The loss of or injury to animals compounds the impact on a community and can further

3 Quote: American Vetinary Medical Association

A focus on prevention and preparedness reduces the financial burden of caring for animals in natural disasters.

More than 8% of fatalities from Australian floods resulted from people’s attempts to save livestock, property or pets. ‘According to several studies, animal owners will risk danger to themselves and may not evacuate disaster areas unless they are assured of their animals’ wellbeing1.’

1 Source: Hall (et al) Psychological impact of the animal-human bond in disaster preparedness and response, Journal of Psychiatric Practice Vol 10, No. 6


4delay recovery through economic disruption (loss of production due to animal death, pasture degradation, increased disease), disruption to social structures (often linked to a sense of ‘winners and losers’ from the impact), and emotional trauma (from the loss of production or companion animals)4.

For all these reasons, communities need to become more resilient so they and their animals can survive natural disasters, recover quickly and thrive. Only a community-wide effort – an engaged community, working together in partnership with NSW DPI and the participating and supporting organisations of the AASFA – can minimise the impact of natural disasters on animals.

This vital project has been developed to build community capacity, strengthen partnerships and activate stronger participation of diverse groups and individuals in order to better care for all types of animals in natural disasters.

Financial costsAnimal industries form a major part of the Australian economy and generate wealth and employment across rural, regional, peri-urban and urban Australia. Animal fatalities and lost production from natural disasters is significant, however much of this loss is preventable. One of the priority outcomes of implementing this community engagement project is to reduce financial losses caused by natural disasters.

The gross value of livestock production in New South Wales in 2009-10 was approximately $4.2 billion5. More than $2 billion is spent annually on the state’s pet animals; the horse sector contributes an estimated $6 billion to the national accounts; and opportunities to view and interact with our unique native animals are high on the wish-lists for visitors, contributing to the $22 billion NSW tourism industry (domestic and international visitors)6.

It is difficult to quantify the total financial cost to New South Wales (direct and indirect; medium to long-term) of animal losses due to natural disasters.

It is reasonable to multiply the number of livestock losses by the annual output value of individual animals. The following chart provides an estimate of gross output per animal for a selection of animal types (in 2011 dollars):7

Livestock Gross output per animal ($)

Cattle (non-dairy) 973

Dairy cattle 1,530

Sheep, lambs and wool 137

Pigs 193

Poultry (meat) 4

Poultry (egg laying) 44

All communities have a much broader mix of animal types than the small sample listed above.

It is estimated that the 2009 bushfires in Victoria caused $18.6 million dollars in lost livestock output. However, that figure only provides an insight into the lost output of production animals in one year. Added to the cost of lost output are the costs of livestock and infrastructure replacement, feed replacement/regrowth, the flow-on effect impacting other industries and consumers, emergency grants, insurance payouts, charitable donations, etc. Nor does this figure include the considerable financial and emotional losses to the community due to the impact of natural disasters on their companion and assistance animals, display animals and native animals.

4 See Federal Emergency Management Agency Animals in Disasters and National Advisory Committee for Animals in Emergencies National Planning Principles for Animals in Disasters

5 Source: ABS, 2012

6 Source: Destination NSW, December 2013 and March 2014

7 Source: WSPA The case for preparedness: Quantification of production losses due to livestock deaths from disasters in Australia 2013


5‘The grief experienced over losing a beloved pet or herds maintained for generations is often unrecognized or minimized in our society. Acknowledging the intricate relationship between humans and animals is an important component of a comprehensive public health approach to disaster response and a critical element in promoting the resilience of individuals and communities. As with companion and assistance animals, the relationship between farmers and their livestock is neither simple nor static. Herds of sheep and cattle are not only a source of income but an ongoing part of the lives of farmers and their families.’8

Indirect costsAll costs relating to the impact of a natural disaster on animal care have to be added to the other direct and indirect costs of the disaster on a community: rebuilding of homes, schools and other private and community infrastructure, losses caused to other types of agriculture (i.e. crops), small businesses and diverse industries.

Any measures taken to reduce the impact of natural disasters on animals should reduce the overall burden imposed on a community. An attitude of prevention preparedness in one area (in the context of this project, animal care) should have a spill-over effect and influence on general natural disaster prevention and preparedness measures, e.g. the development of fully rounded bushfire plans that are practised and updated whenever necessary.

Balanced against losses are costs associated with taking preventative action before natural disasters occur. These costs, which may be relatively small compared with the cost of recovery after a natural disaster, are usually amortised over individual animal owners and carers, regional and local communities, and state and federal governments. As well, costs relating to improvements in the care of animals may also benefit natural disaster prevention and preparedness measures that are designed to safeguard homes, general infrastructure and, of course, human life.

Challenging misconceptionsUnfortunately, there is an attitude among some animal owners and carers (and, perhaps, a few agencies and organisations) that natural disasters are inevitable and there is little that communities can do to save their animals from the effects of natural disasters.

The WSPA’s 2013 paper, The case for preparedness: Quantification of production losses due to livestock deaths from disasters in Australia, reported that ‘In a study of rural landowners in southeast Australia, Erikson and Gill (2010), found little direct correlation between fire awareness and formal preparation and planning. While two-thirds of those interviewed perceived there to be a high to extreme bushfire threat in their local area, only 43 per cent had prepared a personalised bushfire action plan. Further, it became clear during their interviews that many of those who had a bushfire action plan had not written it down, or discussed it with family members.’

Planning for animal care in natural disasters can, and ought to be a part of sound property management for production animals and an integral part of personal and family preparedness. Written plans ought to be living documents; regularly practised and updated.

This project has been developed to try to overcome any apathy or entrenched feelings of powerlessness in animal owners and carers. The reality is that emergency resources are stretched to (and sometimes beyond) their capacity during natural disasters and cannot help everyone. Individuals and communities need to build self-reliance. All animal owners and carers should have access to the information they need to take more effective, practical prevention and preparedness measures, to share information and ideas, and, ultimately, to protect their animals from the effects of natural disasters.

8 Source: Psychological impact of the animal-human bond in disaster preparedness and response, Journal of Psychiatric Practice Vol 10, No. 6


6Animal groupsThe NSW DPI’s project strategy aims to reduce the impact of natural disasters on the following animal groups:

• Production animals, including intensive and extensive animal production animals ranging from traditional to more exotic species, as well as working animals that support farms

• Companion animals, including all varieties of animals, reptiles, insects and fish that are kept as pets, farm pets and animals in small holdings that do not qualify as production animals

• Assistance animals, e.g. seeing eye dogs

• Horses, including racing, campdrafting, show jumping, working, recreational and breeding

• Wildlife (terrestrial and aquatic), including native and introduced species found throughout NSW (including NSW waters): natural environments, bushland, national and marine parks and unincorporated areas

• Zoos, including exotic and native zoos, licensed wildlife parks and reserves, areas for show animals and petting zoos

• Aquaculture, including finfish, oyster and other shellfish farms – both land and water based

• Animal holding establishments, including production animal feedlots, animal boarding kennels, pet shops and veterinary practices.


73 What are natural disasters?

DefinitionsNatural disasters that have and could impact on communities in New South Wales include, but are not limited to:

• floods

• bushfires

• severe storms (wind, rain, hail, cyclones, tornadoes)

• extreme weather (hot or cold)

• earthquakes

• tsunamis.

The Australian Emergency Management Institute defines disasters in the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (2011) as:

‘A serious disruption to community life which threatens or causes death or injury in that community and/or damage to property which is beyond the day-to-day capacity of the prescribed statutory authorities and which requires special mobilisation and organisation of resources other than those normally available to those authorities.’

This community engagement project has been developed to comply with the directions and definitions pertaining to natural disasters (as opposed to other types of emergencies such as terrorist acts, epidemics and war) contained in the NSW State Emergency Plan (December 2012). Definitions in the plan include:

EmergencyAn actual or imminent occurrence (such as fire, flood, storm, earthquake, explosion, terrorist act, accident, epidemic or warlike action) which:

a. endangers, or threatens to endanger, the safety or health of persons or animals in the state; or

b. destroys or damages, or threatens to destroy or damage, any property in the state, being an emergency which requires a significant and co-ordinated response.

For the purposes of the definition of emergency, property in the state includes any part of the environment of the state. Accordingly:

c. threats or danger to property include a reference to threats or danger to the environment, and

d. the protection of property includes a reference to the protection of the environment.9

DisasterAn occurrence, whether or not due to natural causes, that causes loss of life, injury, distress or danger to persons, or loss of, or damage to, property.10

Emergency PlanningThe collective and collaborative efforts by which agreements are reached and documented between people and organisations to meet their community’s emergency management needs.

9 Source: State Emergency and Rescue Management (SERM) Act, 1989

10 Source: Community Welfare Act, 1987

No single agency or individual has all the solutions or capabilities to deal with the impact of natural disasters.


8Participating OrganisationsThe government departments, statutory authorities, volunteer organisations and other agencies who have either given formal notice to agency controllers or functional area coordinators, or have acknowledged to the State Emergency Management Committee, that they are willing to participate in emergency management response and recovery operations under the direction of the controller of a combat agency, or coordinator of a functional area, with the levels of resources or support as appropriate to the emergency operation.9

Supporting OrganisationsThe government departments, statutory authorities, volunteer organisations and other specialist agencies who have indicated a willingness to participate and provide specialist support resources to a combat agency controller or functional area coordinator during emergency operations.9

PPRR

Preventionin relation to an emergency includes the identification of hazards, the assessment of threats to life and property and the taking of measures to reduce potential loss to life or property.9

Preparednessin relation to an emergency includes arrangements or plans to deal with an emergency or the effects of an emergency.9

Responsein relation to an emergency includes the process of combating an emergency and of providing immediate relief for persons affected by an emergency.9

Recoveryin relation to an emergency includes the process of returning an affected community to its proper level of functioning after an emergency.11

11 Source: SERM Act


94 NSW DPI responsibilities in

natural disasters

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has a range of responsibilities to prevent, prepare, respond to and help recover from various natural disaster emergencies through the Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA). In times of natural disaster, DPI generally provides support for animal care to the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and State Emergency Service (SES).

The role of NSW DPI in the management of emergencies such as natural disasters is defined in the NSW Emergency Plan (EMPLAN), December 2012. EMPLAN states that NSW DPI AASFA’s responsibilities in relation to natural disasters are:


10

Agency Roles and responsibilities

NSW Department of Primary Industries – Agriculture & Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA)

[SEMC Representative: State AASFA Coordinator]

Functional area support to combat agencies for natural disasters when agriculture and animal impacts occur.

Supporting agency providing:

Emergency incident management of all hazards (agriculture and animal impacts) including prevention, preparedness, response and recovery before, during and after events, including:

Prevention

Build awareness for emergency prevention and preparedness by primary producers, animal holding establishments and the community.

Preparedness

Provide state and national representation on various emergency management committees.

Ensure all plans, policies and procedures for AASFA are regularly reviewed.

Engage in and provide emergency management training and exercises.

Training and exercising

Maintain the AASFA Supporting Plan, policies and procedures. Contribute to animal care issues in other emergency plans, including Bushfire, Flood, Major Evacuation Centre and Welfare Services plans.

Response

Identify at-risk animals and agricultural and support warning and preparedness measures.

Coordinate support to primary producers, animal holding establishments and the community, including rescue, evacuation, emergency care of animals and the assessment, humane destruction and disposal of affected animals.

The supply of emergency fodder, water and aerial support as required.

Recovery

Agricultural damage impact assessments.

Agricultural natural disaster applications.

Provide recovery information and workshops.

Attend recovery centres and recovery committees when activated.

Administer transport subsidies to primary producers.


11Responsibilities of ESOs in natural disastersEmergency services organisations (ESOs) such as Police, Fire and Rescue, Rural Fire Service (RFS) and the State Emergency Service (SES) all have responsibilities in natural disasters. These are defined in the NSW Emergency Plan.

The responsibilities of ESOs are also focussed on prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

In developing this community engagement strategy, NSW DPI aims to strengthen working relationships with these agencies, with an emphasis on prevention and preparedness measures.

Greater collaboration is necessary in forming partnerships with ESOs to develop profiles of communities and their needs, assess current planning for the care of animals in natural disasters and determine effective methods to improve prevention and preparedness measures.

A more integrated approach will include better information about animal care issues and practices in the natural disaster plans and community education materials produced by ESOs. To achieve this, NSW DPI recognises that AASFA personnel should develop strong partnerships between the participating and supporting organisations and ESOs at state, regional and local levels. The aim is for NSW DPI to be the trusted primary source of animal care information for natural disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

Currently, the NSW SES 16 page Home Emergency Plan includes only one reference to animals: Take your animals with you. The SES provides more extensive information on its website, usually in the form of news items, e.g. Caring for animals in emergencies month (2013) and Information for residents in flood affected areas. Both are very much response-focussed, with only basic information about prevention and preparedness.

In its otherwise excellent Bushfire Survival Plan booklet, the RFS includes this single, brief reference about animals:

PREPARE YOUR PETS AND ANIMALSA bushfire will be a traumatic and stressful experience for your pets and livestock. During a bushfire your animals will need water, shade and a safe place. You should always contain your animals in a well cleared fenced-in area. Never turn animals out on the road to run free. This is dangerous not only for them but also for firefighters and other people on the road.

On the cover of the RFS booklet, there is a call-to-action catchphrase:

Prepare your home, prepare your family.

Ideally, that catchphrase should be expanded to:

Prepare your home, prepare your family, prepare your animals.

NSW DPI includes information about animal care in emergencies on its website, however much of the information focuses on actions to take during emergencies, i.e. responses.

Through this project, NSW DPI recognises the need for agencies to collaborate in their efforts to assist communities take responsibly for their animals and take more effective measures to protect their animals from natural disasters.

For example, it is important that web-based and print information be better coordinated, more consistent and structurally linked on a multi-agency basis so that communities can quickly and easily access all the information they need to minimise the effects of natural disasters on their animals and employ more effective plans and preparedness measures.


125 What is community resilience?

Community resilience is a community’s capacity to bounce back from adversity and traumatic events such as natural disasters. A feature of a resilient community is the cohesiveness of the individuals and groups that make up the community; a consensus of attitude and approach that enables the community to plan for and adapt to all kinds of changes and incidents.

A resilient community doesn’t just survive natural dissters. It recovers quickly because it has proactively worked to prevent the physical effects of natural disasters. It has planned and prepared for the care and safety of its people, animals and infrastructure, and it has learned from previous experiences.

Resilient communities understand the need for open communication, strong partnerships and regular practising of, and updates to, emergency plans. There is also an awareness that the cost of prevention and preparedness is an investment in the community’s future and growth. A resilient community knows that natural disasters can occur at any time and cannot be prevented, however they also know there are actions they can take to withstand the effects of natural disasters. This includes making provision to be self-sufficient for a period during and after a natural disaster and have a reduced dependency on ‘outside’ assistance.

Natural disaster resilience is the collective responsibility of any community. It involves individuals and groups understanding the risks that may affect them, then working together to anticipate the nature of potential disasters, plan for them, take steps to prevent or reduce their consequences and ensure that services can be quickly restored after a disaster.

A natural disaster resilient community is one where:

• people understand the risks that may affect them and others in their community

• people have taken steps to anticipate disasters and to protect themselves, their assets and their livelihoods

• people work together with local leaders using their knowledge and resources to prepare for and deal with disasters

• people work in partnership with emergency services, their local authorities and other relevant organisations before, during and after emergencies

• emergency management plans are resilience-based, to build disaster resilience within communities over time

• the emergency management volunteer sector is strong

• businesses and other service providers undertake wide-reaching business continuity planning that links with their security and emergency management arrangements

• land use planning systems and building control arrangements reduce, as far as is practicable, community exposure to unreasonable risks from known hazards

• following a disaster, a satisfactory range of functioning is restored quickly

• people understand that help could be at least 3 days away, that it is prioritised to support the most vulnerable and that they need to be self-reliant as much as possible.

An empowered community has the resources, information and partnerships needed to make effective plans before natural disasters occur and become resilient. In relation to this community engagement project, partnerships will involve multiple agencies and organisations working together and understanding each other’s roles: NSW DPI AASFA, emergency services, animal care organisations, local government, industry, educators and other specialists.

An empowered community is a resilient community.


136 What is community engagement?

Community engagement is the process of people and groups working together to build resilience through collaborative action, shared capacity building and developing strong relationships based on mutual trust and respect.12

Community engagement can also include state-wide promotional and educational campaigns designed to create a climate of awareness of new regional and local community engagement initiatives.

The nature of communitiesCommunities in New South Wales are very diverse and exist in a variety of climatic, demographic and social environments. Each community, whether it is rural, peri-urban or a town, has its own level of vulnerability and resilience.

Communities can be divided into three broad types:

Communities of placeGroups of people whose commonality is defined by the location they live in, e.g. region, town, peri-urban area, flood plain, bushfire prone area, etc.

As location determines the types of hazards people and their property are exposed to, communities of place play an important part in developing people’s resilience during natural disasters.

Communities of interestThese can form around groups and individuals that share common occupations, pastimes, goals, needs and/or pursuits:

• workplaces that have similar functions (e.g. production animal feedlots, poultry farms, horse studs, zoos, native animal shelters, aquaculturists, pet breeding businesses)

• professional and animal care groups (e.g. veterinarians, animal researchers, RSPCA, WIRES)

• hobbyists (hobby farmers, pony clubs)

• pet and assistance animal owners

• local SES and RFS volunteers

• community associations such as sporting clubs, CWA, Rotary, Scouts

• online networks (including social media).

Communities of interest can also be created when various groups and/or individuals identify that they are at the same risk from a natural hazard (e.g. flood, storm, bushfire, etc).

Communities of cultureCommunities of culture can include indigenous Australians, people of diverse religious faiths and/or from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The community engagement processCommunity engagement in the context of managing the care of animals in a natural disaster is a long-term process. To be most effective, it must take place well before a natural disaster occurs and continue long after it is over. Because natural disasters are often seasonal, risk awareness, prevention and preparedness strategies, and the need for people to review natural disaster plans should be promoted widely and regularly within communities.

12 Adapted from: Attorney General’s Department, 2013: Community Engagement Framework, Handbook 6, Australian Emergency Management Handbook Series


14The desired outcome of engaging with the community is for animal owners and carers to take responsibility for decisions and actions that reduce the impact of natural disasters on their animals. Community engagement involves:

• Informing decisions providing opportunities for the community, organisations and agencies to:

• Share information with each other

• Understand hazards and risks

• Develop a mutual understanding of natural disaster issues relating to animals.

• Strengthening relationships by:

• Building networks and relationships through a participative involvement with organisations, agencies and animal owners and carers

• Sharing knowledge, questions and opinions to obtain ideas and feedback

• Developing an understanding of the objectives and expectations of all parties.

• Building capacity by:

• Partnering with communities to identify risks and issues, develop a range of methods to create awareness of issues and problems, and develop solutions where needed

• Encouraging individuals and communities to accept responsibility and implement initiatives to more effectively care for their animals during natural disasters.

It is important that engagement activities match the community’s needs and resources. Naturally, these will vary from community to community. As well, the outcomes of engagement activities should refer to specific measurable results.

The NSW DPI community engagement project’s strategy has been developed to:

• ensure individuals and communities have access to knowledge, tools and skills to enable them to plan and act to lessen the impact of natural disasters on their animals

• build an understanding of agency and individual responsibility during a natural disaster

• encourage hazard identification, elimination or reduction on properties as part of a farm/property planning process that can be integrated with existing plan formats such as RFS bushfire plans and SES flood plans

• encourage families to prepare for the impact of natural disasters on companion and assistance animals as an integral part of overall family preparedness, e.g. using plans developed by other agencies such as the RSPCA and Red Cross (e.g. Redisplay).

The strategy and its accompanying guide provide guidelines for how NSW DPI AASFA and the community will engage before and after a natural disaster, and establish:

• the priorities that guide the planning and conduct of community engagement activities

• how and why the AASFA collaborates and engages with animal owners and carers, peak bodies and other organisations.


157 Project research

MethodologyIn 2009, COAG published a National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (NSDR). Building on that strategy, Emergency Management Australia (EMA) published the Community Engagement Framework as part of implementing the National Strategy. These strategies have informed the development of NSW DPI’s community engagement project.

The COAG strategy and EMA framework recognise that empowered communities, working in partnership with industry, government agencies and non-government organisations, can develop more effective, timely and cost efficient ways to prepare for natural disasters and minimise their impact.

Contemporary Australian natural disaster, animal care and community engagement literature and reports were reviewed to determine best practices and their application to various regions in New South Wales. Existing community engagement programs in similar contexts and other jurisdictions were examined. The use of various types of communication media were studied and evaluated, both in terms of how information is currently disseminated by organisations and how consumers prefer to receive information. State-wide stakeholders were identified and workshops and surveys were conducted. Finally, a strategy document, guide and tools were prepared for use by AASFA personnel to develop and implement community engagement plans (CEPs).

Emphasis was given to:

• what is working in communities

• what is constraining engagement

• what would enhance engagement

• the extent to which engagement activities across the range of emergency management agencies (e.g. RFS and SES) is consistent with AASFA guidance

• the extent to which other emergency service engagement activities include AASFA content.

Key sections of the development and final drafting of the community engagement strategy included evaluations and explanations of:

• Purpose, scope and development a CEP

• Risks and opportunities

• Approach and objectives

• Stakeholder analysis and key interfaces

• Organisations and responsibilities

• Community engagement – who, why, when, how

• Community consultation (e.g. workshops, advisory group, community consultative committee, liaison groups, meetings, presentations)

• Community information (flyers, brochures, newsletters, websites, advertisements, media releases, information phone line, fact sheets, displays, presentations, social media, etc)

• Protocols and procedures (e.g. media communications, approval procedures, etc)

• Training resources and information

• Evaluation, monitoring and reporting of results

• Community action plans:

• purpose of activities


16• community involvement in activities

• proposed date(s)

• targeted community and organisations

• community needs

• resources

• responsibilities

• outcomes / results

• monitoring and evaluation

• reporting

Development of the strategy took into account:

• Building on existing AASFA/DPI strategies

• The range of target audiences and how they prefer to receive information

• The incorporation of new media opportunities, where relevant and appropriate, based on target audience needs and preferences

• Developing a gap analysis of existing resource material and staff capability in the following contexts:

• for specific AASFA engagement activities

• for inclusion in existing ESO engagement activities

Communication network profiles drew on knowledge from existing organisations, agencies and the local community. Information was obtained through workshop meetings with stakeholders, including government and non-government organisations, and local community organisations and groups. The purpose of this profiling was to understand and document the formal and informal communication networks within various communities, particularly in regard to animal care in natural disasters.

Drafts of the communications engagement strategy, guide and tools were evaluated by AASFA and ESO stakeholders and refined where appropriate.

Regional workshopsRegional ‘Building Resilience’ workshops were conducted in November 2013 to learn from people in a diverse range of communities how they currently care for animals before, during and after a natural disaster.

The aim was to identify stakeholders, draw on their knowledge, learn about their needs, examine the roles of emergency services and other agencies in animal welfare, and determine what works and what doesn’t. These workshops helped determine ways NSW DPI AASFA can assist communities and their animals with practical, timely strategies and tools.

Workshops were conducted in Goulburn, Wagga Wagga, Central Coast, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth and Dubbo.

Attendees included AASFA personnel, Local and Regional Emergency Management Officers, and representatives of industry bodies, LLSs, local government and emergency services organisations such as the SES and RFS.

Summary findings from those workshops are included at Appendix 1. A ratings summary of the kinds of community engagement tools participants use or would consider using is included at Appendix 2.

Chapter 8 provides details of a pilot community profile study that was conducted in two regions, Kempsey and Bookham/Yass.


17Online surveysTwo online surveys were prepared to gather information for this project. One was directed at organisations, the other at individuals.

The surveys asked respondents to identify their community type, the kinds of animals in their care, the natural disasters they have had to deal with or are vulnerable to, the standard of their preparedness for the care of animals during natural disasters and the methods they use or would prefer to use to disseminate or receive information about planning for better care for animals in natural disasters.

Unfortunately, the response to these surveys was very poor. This could be indicative of a degree of apathy or lack of awareness of the seriousness of the issues involved or, more likely, a lack of awareness of the existence of the surveys. In any case, this highlights the need for more effective state-wide community engagement to improve communication about prevention measures and preparedness for the care of animals in natural disasters.

We believe the online surveys should continue as a measurement of target stakeholders’ collective ‘pulse’. A strategy to promote the surveys in conjunction with a state-wide community education campaign is described later in this report.


188 Profiling report:

Kempsey and Bookham/Yass

A pilot community profile study was conducted in two regions, Kempsey and Bookham/Yass during April 2014 to investigate in-depth their preparations for the care of animals in natural disasters and their actual experiences of natural disasters.

ScopeThe purpose of these profiling studies was to map the communities in the Kempsey and Yass areas, and understand their responses to flooding (Kempsey) and bushfires (Yass/Bookham). Existing information was obtained from NSW DPI AASFA internal groups and the Rural Support Program, which provided a solid foundation for enhancing and developing the profiling. The project team prepared a stakeholder analysis with input from NSW DPI and other relevant sources.

In the studies, profiling identified:

• key stakeholders,

• key formal networks (animal types, animal interest/sport associations, clubs, community service organisations, etc)

• informal networks (personal relationships, social media use, shared knowledge)

• levels of flood and bushfire prevention measures, planning and preparedness

• issues associated with flood management for livestock, pets and community animals in Kempsey.13

MethodologyData gathering included identification of emergency plans, previous reports, after action reviews and survey results to ascertain the current level of on-farm flood plans and impact mitigation (flood mounds, fodder storage on farm, etc) and new opportunities to build resilience.

Initially, key stakeholders and significant individuals were identified through formal meetings with NSW DPI AASFA regional staff, Regional Emergency Management Committees, and members of the Local Emergency Management Committees (including local council officers, SES and RFS personnel, and animal specialists in Local Land Services. Interviewees were identified by agencies, landholders or by cold-canvas (especially in the case of peri-urban dwellers and businesses).

From these interviews, ‘leads’ to other local people were identified and followed up via face-to-face interviews or telephone interviews. Identification of resources and projects conducted by other sections of NSW DPI and other agencies was also undertaken.

Information regarding the level of planning and prevention measures in rural and peri-urban areas was ascertained, along with key organisational structures, personnel, aspirations and motivations.

Interviewees were identified by agencies, landholders or by cold-canvas (especially in the case of peri-urban dwellers and businesses).

An open format of qualitative interview was used, enabling the identification of informal networks, issues affecting flood and bushfire preparedness and post-flood/bushfire animal care, social and demographic issues, communications of flood heights and bushfire outbreaks, and the capacity for informed decision making. Key interviews were conducted with:

• Dairy farmers affected by flood

• Animal owners and carers affected by bushfires

13 Native animals and aquaculture were not included due to time constraints.


19• Stock and station agents

• Local media (print)

• Gen Y and younger rural farmers and pet owners

• Emergency Services Organisation personnel (RFS, SES)

• Rural government support departments, e.g. DPI, LLS (fodder drop coordination) and emergency manager

• Clubs and special interest groups, including alpaca, equine, dog showing/working/sports

• Educators (TAFE, indigenous studies, agricultural high school teachers)

• Hobby farmers and peri-urban animal owners

• Private veterinary practitioners

InsightsIn this study, the effects of bushfires in an extensive sheep and wool grazing district at Bookham in the Yass Valley Shire were compared with flooding in and around Kempsey, which affected a very diverse peri-urban fringe (cattle, horses, goats, sheep and companion animals) and a mix of intensive dairy farms and semi-extensive beef cattle properties.

Fire and flood events in both communities varied in their speed of impact, duration of effects and impact on animals.

The insights outlined here reflect a consensus of opinions among those interviewed for the study. They are not necessarily the views of NSW DPI and not all are reflected in the recommendations advocated in this report and its supporting strategy document. However, the conclusions do reflect the attitudes and opinions of some major stakeholders and should be considered when NSW AASFA personnel tailor community engagement plans to suit the needs of different communities.

NetworksCommunity networks, both formal and informal, are significantly different in Bookham and Kempsey. The formal networks associated with specific communities of animal types are distinctive qualitative indicators of industry organisation support for peers, and their specific capacity for community resilience.

Examples in Bookham focus around the Bookham Agricultural Bureau, while Kempsey focuses on the dairy industry, some horse groups and a few groups concerned with alpacas and working and show dogs.

Networks are usually stronger where there is long-term livestock production involvement (e.g. multi-generational ownership of livestock enterprises).

Factors decreasing resilienceMulti-generational ownership provides first-hand experience in a district with common natural disasters, and is a major factor in the level of disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery (PPRR) by producers. However, reduced financial profitability and ability to invest in capital infrastructure (e.g. flood mounds and fodder conservation in Kempsey) severely impairs the ability of traditionally resilient livestock industries to continue to improve or develop natural disaster mitigation resources.

Increasing government pressure for prevention of personal injury and death, e.g. WH&S, road closures, advice such as the SES If it’s flooded, forget it message, the increased need for accuracy in warnings and emergency alerts, and minimising environmental impacts of work that might benefit livestock owners (such as road grader waste used for flood mound building vs. risks of weed spread) can impact on ‘traditional’ natural disaster mitigation measures in a community.


20Negative responses to some legitimate safety messages need to be addressed by community engagement plans so that the idea of safer, more enduring techniques and practices can be ‘sold’ to communities. Occasionally, traditional methods could be built on, using more contemporary and safer practices.

Speed of responseThe speed and ability of government agencies to respond to a natural disaster event was an issue in both Bookham and Kempsey. A major factor in the success of Bookham’s response to bushfires in 2013 was the fact that a few local graziers ‘stood-up’ to manage the recovery after the fires.

In promoting the message that animal owners and carers must take responsibility for their animals it should be emphasised that the safety of humans must be paramount. Messages need to be skewed to the (safer) PP phases of PPRR.

Local NetworksLocal experience and effective formal local networks (e.g. Bookham Agricultural Bureau established as part of a state-wide initiative by the then Department of Agriculture in the 1960s) has partly resulted in long-term community resilience in Bookham.

It should be noted that the outcomes realised in Bookham may not have been so successful if the fires had avoided Bookham and impacted on the urban community of Yass or peri-urban areas where local and strong networks are not as well established.

Can-do attitude of agenciesGovernment agencies (including councils, DPI staff and the then Livestock Health and Pest Authorities [now LLS]) with a ‘can do’ attitude and extensive local knowledge, rapport with clients and ESOs, and established professional and social connections, were significant motivators for success in disaster response in the natural disasters studied.

This kind of attitude, working in harmony with modified, safer, traditional approaches, can expect to have positive impacts on the care of animals in natural disasters.

Champions‘Champions’ that ‘step up to the plate’ and lead responses by direct assistance to animals and their owners and carers affected by natural disasters can be critical to the success of response and recovery. Sometimes, these champions rise to significant influence, due to their perceived discontent with emergency responses by agencies. During and immediately after a natural disaster, key relationships are formed.

Capitalising on these relationships, the issues identified during natural disaster responses and in after action reviews is critical to enhancing the PP phases of PPRR.

Resourcing natural disaster community engagementAdequate resourcing (staff dedicated to the community engagement aspect of animal care before natural disasters, and budgets for creating an awareness of the need for PPRR) is essential.

Often, normal duties of personnel in government preclude more active PPRR engagement activities. Likewise, local government needs adequate resourcing to enhance already stretched budgets associated with maintenance of, and improvements to, community infrastructure. These issues are critical to the success of future community engagement activities.

Ideally, templates and standard operating procedures for use by communities of interest (e.g. livestock industries, animal clubs and associations) should be standardised. The opportunity to


21utilise these resources across different agencies, industries and animal groups would increase resilience within communities of interest. The most obvious would be a standardised Natural Disaster Plan, with different versions for households, farms and peri-urban holdings.

Policy and regulatory impositions Major policy and regulatory impositions on livestock owners (contributing to reduced resilience) were major findings from discussions in Kempsey:

• Heavy vehicle access on flooded roads (e.g. livestock transport, fodder, milk tankers)

• Speed of communication of river heights and flood impacts (especially automatic river gauge function and maintenance) is critical to allow trigger point identification and actioning of flood plans

• Lack of funding for maintenance of river flood gauges severely impacts on livestock owners’ ability to implement animal care emergency plans and practise self-responsibility. An individual’s capacity to make sound decisions about the welfare of their families, animals and enterprise can be severely compromised.

Again, some of these relate to the RR phases of PPRR, and need to be addressed in better planning before natural disasters. However, in some cases, the failure of critical equipment and infrastructure will compromise effective prevention and preparedness measures. Those responsible for the care of animals need to be able to trust prevention and preparedness measures (including equipment and infrastructure) in order to be able to safely implement their natural disaster plans.

DividesSignificant social, interest and economic differences and priorities can all affect successful responses to, and recovery from, natural disasters. These include:

• Geographical divide

• Urban vs. rural vs. peri-urban

• Sole income from animals vs. >50% income from off-farm employment

• Cultural and family attitudes to responsible animal care.

These divides were more evident in the Kempsey flood events than the Bookham bushfire. However, as referred to earlier, the situation in the Yass region may have been very different if the fire had engulfed the urban area of Yass or peri-urban areas such as Murrumbateman.

Dividing factors can severely hinder community engagement activities aimed at natural disaster PPRR. State, regional and local community engagement planning must take these divides into consideration. Local planning must be tailored to individual communities.

Agency attitude to risk and adherence to emergency plansPerceptions of attitude and risk avoidance by government officials may be a key factor differentiating the Bookham and Kempsey natural disaster events. Yass Valley Council’s local networking between executive, operations managers, the Local Emergency Management Officer the then Livestock Health and Pest Authority and ESOs was cited as a critical success factor. However, this came at some risk which would be of major concern if human life or property were lost and reviews identified issues relating to non-adherence to formal emergency plans and protocols.

Compounding the Kempsey flood event experience, were changes in government policy that may have impacted on damage and loss assessment, and changes to staffing within NSW DPI in Kempsey (causing perceptions of a loss of local and corporate knowledge). Reliance on government extension staff (livestock


22officers) in the past for damage assessment and local ‘ground-truthing’ of data that validates reports to the Ministry of Police and Emergency Services (in its role supporting recovery operations) was a key factor that caused issues with the speed of recovery efforts.

However, new initiatives (such as the Dairy Industry Resilience Project and SES and RFS community engagement activities) have highlighted the desirability of including industry peak bodies, associations and community clubs in PPRR community engagement activities. This could help communities as a whole assume greater responsibility for PPRR, with reduced dependence on government agency involvement, however it would require the allocation of more resources by peak bodies, associations and community clubs. Also, it could deflect from the important formal network and protocols for community engagement. Training and support, delivered by NSW DPI AASFA personnel, would be needed.

Communication and social mediaSignificant differences were apparent within the two communities in their use of, and reliance on, social media. This was partly due to:

• the speed of movement of fire and flood modelling by forecasters (e.g. RFS and Bureau of Meteorology [BoM])

• the differences between fire and flood (fire could have affected any location in the Yass region, but floods could not impact on animal owners/residents in high flood-proof areas in Kempsey)

• the frequency of recent flooding events in Kempsey, possibly causing apathy or ‘disaster overload’, which in themselves may have been extremely dangerous given that many animal owners on small land holdings were new to the district and had never experienced 1 in 100 year (or 1% annual exceedence probability) flood events

• ESOs (in Yass) struggling with the speed of information delivery through their official channels, while local community updates (without any level of checking and validation) were posted immediately on non-moderated social media sites.

The use of social media in the two profiled communities differed partly due to the initiative of the Yass Tribune editor’s active involvement in using Facebook as a conduit between formal information sources (e.g. ESOs) and on-the-ground intelligence from local landholders in the vicinity of the fires. The local newspaper in Kempsey was not a primary or influential source of information and local intelligence.

Kempsey flood event predictions relied heavily on rainfall in various areas of the catchment, previous rainfall (affecting runoff), river height upstream and BoM predictions of flood heights supported by SES descriptions of flood impacts. This information guides various levels of alert and warnings to the community through mass media (especially the ABC), and SES and BoM websites, Facebook and smartphone app alerts.

Due to issues around the ownership and maintenance of river height gauges and faulty (or unreliable) readings, advanced telephone systems are critical for animal owners in flood plains.

One-on-one calls to locals upstream (or to local government, where relationships forged allowed access to private phone numbers) were very important in enabling animal owners (especially dairy and commercial beef cattle owners) to activate emergency flood plans and commence moving livestock to higher ground, flood mounds or refuges.

Information gathered from local contacts was also augmented by Telephone Tree subscriptions to SES alerts. These facilities are aimed at communicating flood information to animal owners (and other community members). This can be faster than information uploads to official websites and the Facebook sites of the SES, BoM, or local council.


23It is important to understand that, just before and during natural disasters, animal owners cannot necessarily obtain emergency updates on a home or office computer. They need to be moving stock on motorbike, 4WD, horseback, tractors or the family car, or implementing other preparations in their natural disaster plan.

SMS text is more immediate and easy to read on any type of mobile phone. There is no guarantee, however, that an SMS message will be transmitted immediately. Mobile apps, web and Facebook alerts all require smartphones with internet access.

New Smart Apps for Animal CareThe purchase of new animal veterinary care apps by one local private veterinary practitioner in Kempsey to help clients manage animal vaccinations, worming and other procedures, has enormous implications for targeting companion animal owners outside of an immediate emergency response (e.g. adding an emergency preparedness message with a vaccination reminder).

Community engagement activities, using smartphone and tablet PC apps, targeting private practitioners, kennel clubs, indigenous community support groups and organisations such as the RSPCA could be key elements of natural disaster PPRR.


249 Findings and recommendations

BackgroundThe DPI is a division within NSW Trade and Investment that works to develop and sustain diverse, profitable food and fibre industries, and ensures best practice management of our natural resources. The Department’s responsibilities include developing profitable, sustainable and biosecure agriculture and fisheries; ensuring best management of catchments, natural resources and water; and regulating the state’s food sector.

Biosecurity NSW, a branch of DPI, manages the risks posed by pests, weeds, diseases and chemicals to the economy, community and environment, responds to emergencies and disasters, and manages animal welfare.

The DPI has a range of responsibilities to prevent, prepare, respond to and help recover from various natural disaster emergencies through the Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA), which is overseen by Biosecurity NSW. During a natural disaster response, the AASFA provides support to the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and State Emergency Service (SES) for animal care and broader agriculture issues.

StrategyIn tandem with this report, NSW DPI has developed a strategy (as a separate volume) to guide the implementation of state-wide, regional and local community engagement activities that are aimed at preparing for the improved care of animals in natural disasters. A supporting guide has also been produced as a reference for AASFA personnel who will be designing and implementing community engagement plans (CEPs) throughout New South Wales. The guide includes a variety of activities that can be modified to suit different types of communities.

The existing AASFA networks will be central to the strategy, supported by the network of Local Land Services as a key participating organisation.

There are a number of methods and goals that have been considered in developing NSW DPI’s engagement strategy:

InformationOpportunities need to be provided for the community, organisations and agencies to trust and share accurate and up-to-date information with each other, understand hazards and risks, and develop a mutual understanding of the different ways natural disasters can adversely affect their animals. Animal owners and carers must understand that they are responsible for the care of their animals before, during and after natural disasters – Our animals. Our responsibility.

Strengthening relationships and partnershipsNetworks and relationships should be built or strengthened through involvement with organisations, agencies and animal owners and carers. Information, questions and opinions should be shared to obtain ideas, tips, methods and feedback. The objectives and expectations of all parties need to be understood by everyone involved. The strategy is predicated on working with partner agencies, such as the RFS and SES, and participating and supporting organisations to implement community engagement activities, with the NSW DPI acting as the trusted primary source of animal care information for natural disaster PPRR.

Building capacityBy partnering with communities, agencies and organisations, improved practices and preferred solutions can be developed. Individuals and communities need to be encouraged to accept responsibility for their animals, implement PPRR initiatives and strengthen their own disaster resilience and capacity to recover quickly from natural disasters.


25Removing silosMany organisations tend to develop ‘silos’ over time, where people focus on their own organisation, responsibilities or community. Regular reviews are needed to ensure that all people within an organisation, and the communities they serve, understand the roles of the different areas of the organisation’s operations, and share knowledge, insights and information.

This also includes understanding what other agencies do and how they do it. Communities can become confused when they receive inconsistent messages from multiple agencies and organisations.

In researching this report, it became apparent that most agency personnel involved in the care of animals during natural disasters tended to receive important information about animal care PPRR primarily from within their own agencies.

NSW DPI’s community engagement strategy aims to ensure that information about animal care PPRR in natural disasters must be consistent and, ideally, integrated into the communications and community engagement strategies of ESOs and participating and supporting organisations.

The AASFA CommitteesThe AASFA committee structure at State, Regional and Local level provides a unique and mandated mechanism for promoting the resilience message. In addition, AASFA members invariably sit (or ought to) on emergency management committees at state, regional and local level, where they can advocate to increase the attention being paid to animal safety issues.

At all levels, the AASFA representative needs to be assertive regarding their functional area, drawing attention to resourcing needs for animal care prevention and preparedness issues.

AASFA committees bring together a range of agencies, NGOs and stakeholders that can reach into different parts of the community. The critical importance of these committees cannot be underestimated. Wherever possible, organisations that want to contribute to animal care during natural disasters should be encouraged to become a participating or supporting organisation of the AASFA, which will bring them into the NSW emergency management arrangements.

Based on the project’s research, the committees should be supported, enhanced or developed as follows:

State AASFA committee• Meetings should continue to be held on a regular basis

• The committee, as a peak body, needs to be adequately resourced, with a solid secretariat

• Meeting agendas should include a standing item on community engagement, including activities focussed on prevention and preparedness measures, monitoring effectiveness of programs, and the development of sound and consistent practices across a range of different industries

• The State AASFA committee needs to work much more closely with emergency management agencies, particularly the RFS and SES. Representation could also be expanded to include industry, educators, animal care agencies and community organisations.

Regional committees• Issues and recommendations are similar to those for the state committee (listed above)

• DPI regional directors should also be regional AASFA coordinators and committee chairs

• Regional committees should share the same broad structure as the State AASFA

• Ideally, regional AASFA committees should meet one month before REMC, in time to contribute findings,


26issues and recommendations to the REMC

• Regional AASFA coordinators should actively encourage combat agencies to include animal safety issues in the regional emergency management exercise program

• Regional community engagement ‘ambassadors’ could be appointed to help local AASFA personnel and partner agencies plan, target and implement community engagement activities – building up capacity and capabilities in local areas.

Local committees• Local committees work at the ‘coal face’. Their knowledge, networks and current engagement activities

need to be supported by state and regional initiatives (such as the strategy, guide and tools that support this report), state-wide education campaigns, web support and printed collateral

• Local DPI staff and LLS personnel will be integral to the success of community engagement planning and activities, and some (or all) of them will need training in better ways to engage their communities

• AASFA personnel must be confident in their ability to promote prevention and preparedness measures with stakeholders and engage with appropriate community organisations and individuals who own, care for or work with different types of animals.

Community engagement planning levelsNSW DPI’s community engagement strategy will be delivered state-wide, regionally and locally.

State and regionalCommunity engagement planning at these levels is a collaborative approach across multiple levels of government, industry and animal care organisations. This type of engagement can result in:

• Development of state-wide and regional promotional and educational campaigns to reinforce the message that animal owners and carers must take responsibility (and plan) for the care of their animals in natural disasters

• Collection of more timely and thorough data and statistics to determine cost benefit analyses, i.e. ensuring that PP phases of PPRR are cost effective when balanced against RR phases and the long-term resilience of communities

• Cohesive cross-organisation / government policy being developed and implemented

• Increased efficiency of resources

• Consistency in policy and terminology

• Complementary and/or joint planning, programs and services at state, regional and local levels

• Interconnection between communities, e.g. shared experiences, resources, ideas and techniques

• Development of agencies as learning organisations

• Holistic approach to issues management

• Broader community input

• Joint outcomes, indicators and budgets

• Establishment of working groups to tackle specific tasks

• Establishment of better working relationships before, during and after natural disasters.


27LocalPlanning at the local level involves operational personnel working with local animal care organisations, community interest groups, organisations in local communities and local government.

Using local knowledge and expertise as valuable resources helps foster partnerships and increase levels of awareness of animal owners and carers’ responsibilities.

Engagement at the local level aims to help communities:

• Develop capabilities to assume greater responsibility for assessing their issues, risks, problems and needs in relation to animal care and management during natural disasters

• Assess why issues exist, and what is needed to change behaviour and increase adoption of desired outcomes, then act to implement solutions

• Work with existing government agencies and organisations and, if necessary, create new networks to support these efforts

• Evaluate baseline data and outcomes, and make any necessary adjustments to goals and activities.

Capturing the community’s attentionDisaster’s, and preparing for them, is low on most communities’ priority list. An engagement campaign is necessary to capture the attention of the wider community, local ESOs, industry organisations, local government and participating and supporting organisations. The campaign would ‘prepare the ground’ for regional and local AASFA-initiated partnerships and community engagement activities. Such a campaign would ‘warm-up’ a community (and/or communities) so that planned engagement activities wouldn’t be implemented ‘cold’. The campaign would use several of the following information tools:

• State-wide, regional and local print advertising and community service announcements, coordinated through the State AASFA committee

• Facebook, Twitter and YouTube links to content developed for the purpose

• Web banner ads for the DPI website and AASFA organisation websites

• Advertising in online and print publications of animal care organisations and clubs.

There is potential for such a campaign to be sponsored by a major corporation or co-funded by multi-agencies or NGOs, such as an AASFA participating or supporting organisation. Regardless, the campaign would be a cost-effective resource that could precede and complement tailored community engagement activities organised by local AASFA personnel. It would prevent unnecessary repetition of general promotional efforts.

Such.

Using printed informationPrinted information kits have been produced for a number of communities. These kits contain generic prevention and preparation content, supplemented with local risk information and tailored preparedness advice. Continuing to provide these kits, and expanding the areas they cover is an important element of community education and engagement.

The existing kits can be enhanced by including the key information contained in the DPI website and share the same graphic style of a community education campaign. It would be helpful if the kits could be coproduced and disseminated by partner agencies such as ESOs. They would contain templates for natural disaster plans or property plans and accompanying guides targeted at:


28Households Covering companion (pets), assistance, peri-urban and native animals

Primary industryCovering major production animal holdings, aquaculture, equine industry, show/display animals and other businesses that work with large numbers (or a diversity) of animals, including native animals.

Local AASFA personnel could use these kits as the basis for the dissemination of tailored, community-specific information.

Ideally, templates and guidelines for use by communities of interest (e.g. livestock industries, animal clubs and associations) should be standardised. The opportunity to utilise these resources across different agencies, industries and animal groups would increase resilience within communities of interest. The most obvious would be a standardised Natural Disaster Plan, with different versions for households, farms and peri-urban holdings.

Printed kits should contain links to the website and online surveys.

Emerging technologiesNew technology based largely around the internet creates a number of opportunities for increasing community engagement, from websites to blogs, text messages to videos, social interaction to gaming. Taking advantage of these emerging technologies requires continuing research and an investment in the development and upkeep of any initiatives.

While potentially resource-intensive to create, emerging technologies offer the advantage of being able to disseminate a consistent message quickly, reliably and cheaply to a huge audience.

Because NSW DPI aims to be the recognised ‘go to’ trusted source of animal care information for natural disaster PPRR the agency needs a web presence that integrates and/or links with important animal care PPRR information in the websites of other agencies, particularly ESOs, peak industry bodies, community service organisations such as the Red Cross, and animal care organisations such as the RSPCA and WIRES.

Such a website could be engineered more as a social system platform (akin to an intranet, with secure social media capability). People using the site would need to be registered to gain full access to all the site’s capabilities. Registered site users could also contribute information, experiences and tips, however these would need to be moderated.

Ideally, the site would be established and curated by NSW DPI perhaps in concert with partner agencies. It would be a trusted, one-stop, coordinated repository for the latest information, consistent planning guidelines, news, ‘knowledge sharing’, case studies and other material directly related to prevention measures and preparedness for the care of animals during natural disasters.

The site would contain links to the online surveys outlined earlier in this report.

There is potential for the site to be sponsored by a major corporation (possibly in the animal care/products industry). Such a site would become an important resource for AASFA CEP working groups across NSW and be the ‘landing connector’ for any state-wide community education campaign.

Apps and online communications are only effective if stakeholders have the equipment and knowledge to quickly access information (e.g. tablet PCs, smartphones, etc). Also, sophisticated communications infrastructure can be unreliable, especially in natural disasters. Simple, easily understood printed brochures and flyers are still important means of communicating key messages and templates for disaster plans.

However, new smartphone app technology, such as vaccination reminders used by many veterinary clients, could be adapted for owners of animals of all types. They could be used to help prepare individual natural disaster plans and include guidance for adequate provision for food, veterinary medications, cages, etc,


29Apps will not be a panacea for animal care in a community in natural disasters, as only those who are ‘into’ smartphone technology and/or have a special regard for their animals, particularly companion and assistance animals, will be enthusiastic about their use. However, younger generations, educators and tech-savvy adults who are familiar with apps could easily use this technology to assist them in the care of their animals.

Children can be excellent proponents to adults of information about animals and their care. App technology could be built into existing natural disaster education programs and coordinate with initiatives developed by the SES, RFS, RSPCA and other organisations.

The safety messageToo many people are hurt or killed attempting to save animals in natural disasters. The key to minimising this toll is well thought-out prevention and preparedness measures.

Negative responses from communities to some current safety messages need to be addressed by community engagement plans so that the idea of safer, more enduring techniques and practices can be ‘sold’ to communities.Traditional methods can be built on, using more contemporary and safer practices.

In promoting the message that animal owners and carers must take responsibility for their animals, it has to be emphasised that the safety of humans must be paramount. Messages need to be skewed to the (safer) PP phases of PPRR.

Those responsible for the care of animals need to be able to trust and rely on prevention and preparedness measures (including equipment and infrastructure) to safely implement their natural disaster plans. Communities must ensure that monitoring, alert and safety equipment, signs and infrastructure (including evacuation sites), will function correctly and safely during natural disasters.

DataPrecise, relevant information on the financial implications of deaths and injuries to animals, and estimates of lost production caused by natural disasters is difficult to obtain. It is therefore hard to create meaningful cost benefit analyses to influence communities and government that there is an urgent need to improve prevention and preparedness measures for animal care in natural disasters. Added to that is the difficulty in quantifying the emotional impacts on animal owners and carers, and the suffering endured by animals.

Improvement is needed in gathering quality data about animal losses immediately after natural disasters so they can be used as more effective and trusted baseline measurements.

It is important to track the losses sustained by communities in the aftermath of natural disasters and the recovery costs for a community to regain its sustainability and, more importantly, its growth and resilience potential. Current work by the Ministry of Police and Emergency Services in this respect is important and needs to include animal safety issues.

Advice and cooperation are needed from the Australian Bureau of Statistics,, industry peak bodies, Insurance Council of Australia, charities, primary industry support industries (e.g. feed suppliers), veterinarians and other specialists.

RecommendationsSeveral of the following recommendations are adapted from insights detailed in Chapter 8. Others have been developed as a result of the project’s consultation program.

Each recommendation includes an indication of its priority.


301 A community engagement strategyHigh priority, on-going

Adopt and implement the NSW DPI’s A community engagement strategy to improve animal care for natural disasters, and the supporting Community engagement guide; including resourcing that implementation with a dedicated and appropriately qualified program manager

2 State-wide community education campaignMedium priority, once-off

Design and implement a community announcement and promotional campaign(s) to convey key messages and create a ‘climate’ for change, e.g. Our animals. Our responsibility. Help them survive natural disasters.

3 An engaging, contemporary web presenceHigh priority; ongoing

• Create a website (or major and immediately visible link from the DPI’s existing website) that integrates with and/or links animal care preparedness messages across ESOs and AASFA organisations.

• Explore options to engineer interactivity and social engagement in the website; particularly for the ‘animal care in emergencies’ survey data.

4 Printed information kitsMedium priority; ongoing

Build on existing printed information kits, tailored to local areas, and expand the project to high-risk communities as resources allow.

5 SafetyMedium priority; ongoing

Reinforce the message that preparing animals for natural disaster increased their safety and that of their carers and emergency responders.

6 AASFA committeesHigh priority; ongoing

• Adequately resource support for, and encourage strengthening the effectiveness of, AASFA committees at all levels.

• Validate the membership of the AASFA to ensure it is comprehensive and inclusive at all levels.

7 Information and data gatheringHigh priority; ongoing

• Develop base-line data on preparedness

Medium priority; ongoing

• Develop measures of economic loss and a database to allow trend measurements over time


3110 Appendices

Appendix 1 Regional workshops summary findings This is a summary of the regional workshop attendees’ responses to questions about improving community engagement in the context of developing of strategies and tools that will improve the care of animals in natural disasters. Details of the workshops are outlined in Chapter 7, Project research.

Q: What would you like to do more of?

Information sharing• Especially between key agencies, supporting and participating organisations

• Meet regularly with individuals and organisations who will be part of the preparedness and response

• Share excellent resources and information with the community

• Coordinate, share and co-author information with key agencies, especially ESOs.

Preparedness• Help communicate the right messages about being prepared

• Help people prepare for all risks to their animals

• Communicate preparedness messages well in advance of a natural disaster

• Help prepare people for emergency responses and the safe custody and care of their animals during a natural disaster

• Access better reference websites and preparation information kits

• Increase livestock owners’ awareness of the risks of natural disasters to themselves and their livestock. This information must be made available to new and absent landholders.

Use of existing networks• Build community awareness capabilities, including social media

• Liaise with and use the knowledge of rural support workers, LEMCs and relevant agencies (e.g. Red Cross, Salvation Army, RSPCA) before natural disasters

• Identify and define local emergency management committees, personnel and areas of responsibility

• Compile contact list of all key agency and community leaders – include name, address, phone and email address, and list resources that are available in any given location

• Build on cohesive networks in own region – some have large distances to cover

• Identify key community people or landholders and leaders from each district – find ‘champions’ and work with them

• Increase liaison opportunities and improve communications with ESOs, especially RFS brigades, SES units and VRA squads

• Focus on the local level to build relationships and trust.


32Planning• Adopt constructive, collaborative, multiagency planning processes

• Define ‘go to’ people for each defined action

• Use recent event statistics to create factual information on what worked and didn’t work. Build this information into fact sheets to be disseminated at field days and similar events

• More time needed to plan improved property management ahead of natural disasters

• Identify all safe keeping locations for stock

• Establish at least two types of evacuation centres – one for companion and assistance animals, the other for livestock

• Include planned evacuation centre locations on DPI website so locals can identify and plan

• Ensure that communities and ESOs understand the different needs and functions of assistance and companion animals, and livestock.

One on one contacts• With owners of livestock and companion and assistance animals to ensure that they are better prepared for

natural disasters

• Talk with communities more often about the PP phases of PPRR

Stakeholder and community engagement• Engage and consult with stakeholders more effectively and strategically (communities, landholders, industry

groups, supporting organisations, veterinarians)

• More engagement with the community in general to manage natural resources (including native animal habitats) to help prevent natural disasters – before, during and after an event

• Include multi agency approach (DPI, RFS, SES) so each agency can gauge what the others are doing and need to do

• Identify targets from preparedness literature, who do we need to inform?

• Engagement with supporting organisations

• Engage more regularly and collaboratively with response agencies (i.e. ESOs)

• Design and promulgate community education programs to encourage empowerment

• Communicate ‘headline messages’ more widely via media campaigns, community meetings, websites, social media and educators

Education on Roles• Ensure animal owners are aware of their roles in emergencies – connect animal owners with their

responsibilities, actions and safety protocols

• Decide and document who does what and how

• Ensure ESOs understand what LLS roles will be – where do LLSs fit in the emergency management structure?

• Clarify what information LLS needs to receive from NSW DPI

• More familiarity needed of the work of support groups (WIRES, RSPCA, animal carers) in local areas

• Know more about each other and how everyone works with respect to PPRR, better community understanding of each agency’s capabilities and responsibilities


33Training and workshops• Structured training and workshops on specific aspects of disaster management, including basic skills

• Training for networks of volunteers (e.g. WIRES, SES), so that they understand when they can gain safe access to fire grounds (or flood areas) during natural disasters (under supervision) or after a disaster area is declared safe

• Provide training in native animal rescue and care to RFS and SES

• Training, more information to groups, closer communication between groups, face to face meetings

• Public education program – more presentations to landholders on emergency management responsibilities

• Simulations/scenario training

• University, tech courses

• Training of staff within areas and organisations responsible for responses to animals caught up in natural disasters

• Training in the use of social media

Native animals• Incorporate more information about native animals and natural area protection into emergency PPRR – a lot

of the focus is on production and companion and assistance animal care

• Consider native animals and their habitats that are impacted as a result of changed and intensified fire regimes (e.g. back-burning, hazard reduction)

• Promote the work involved to rescue and rehabilitate native animals and, if necessary, temporarily relocate them before natural disasters

• Promote the extent of native animal suffering in disasters

Use opportunities• Arrange tours of affected and unaffected properties as soon as practicable after a natural disaster to try to

determine what succeeded and what didn’t. Take before, during and after photographs where possible. Use these experiences to revise natural disaster plans and enhance prevention and preparedness measures

• Distribute fridge magnets with essential information

What do you need to do prepare and disseminate information?

Training Provide training and information e.g. bushfire preparedness that includes animal care

• Training in how to manage animals in an emergency, e.g. animal handling skills, rescue methods (native animals, companion and assistance animals and livestock), and skills in appropriate responses to stressed animals and owners

• Training in carrying out various roles (as prescribed by NSW DPI)

• Training in assistance to communities to be better prepared to respond to natural disasters – personnel also need the capacity to communicate with people from non-English speaking backgrounds who are living in low-lying areas, bushfire prone areas or regional lands

• Skills needed to work with indigenous communities

• Provide reward and/or recognition for attending training and community engagement activities e.g. certificate, dinner.


34Resources• Develop materials to raise awareness of the effects of natural disasters on native animals

• Make information easily accessible and understood

• Consider ‘new’ media, e.g. tablet PCs, iPhone, apps, laptops with remote access, smartphones, etc

• Develop education packages

• Work with local media to run community based media stories about the care of animals in natural disasters and PPRR

• Provide or identify financial assistance for equipment, fuel, veterinary medical supplies, food, transport, rescue tools, etc

• Promote brochures, workshops and messages on local government rate notices

• More personnel, time and better resources (e.g. mapping, databases, training)

• Support from LEMC

Planning• Coordinated, state-based planning within NSW DPI AASFA – all parties need to share the same vision and

goals

• Policy making should stress strategic hazard reduction

• Collaborative action needed from RR teams to build into new PP information: fact sheets, videos, e.g. Hunter Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority Flood Awareness Program

• Format roles of groups so they are consistent across NSW

• Elevate the importance of emergency planning within AASFA.

Funding• Increased funding needed to respond to, conserve and recover native animals and their habitats from

bushfires and floods

• Funding for training, events, activities from Ministry for Police and Emergency Services

• To organise meetings to engage with supporting organisations

• Ongoing funding to build capability over time

Information availability• Use local knowledge – use existing agency information

• Map of communication pathways (across all phases of PPRR, to keep them up to date)

• Information on who the support groups are, their contact details, what resources they have, what they need

• Information regarding response to local native animals caught in or threatened by natural disasters.

• Need to integrate information and take a more holistic view of property management – include all hazards (e.g. bushfire, flood, storms, etc) rather than the single agency-focussed and individual hazard-based material currently available (from NSW DPI, RFS, SES, etc)

• Preparedness – prepare information in an audit/checklist style

• Property plans – need to do ratings on properties to asses risks


35• Simple companion and assistance animal, livestock and native animal emergency plans should be made

widely available to the public and stakeholders to share and distribute

• Central agency to compile and update information. Use a computerised data capture system. Use questionnaires to get resource information

• Most of these exist within NSW DPI Tocal College Profarm short courses. Funding for landholders to attend free training would be a main need.

Who or where do you think you could get information?

DPI• Expert to talk at workshops, resources that are already published by DPI

• DPI to take leadership role

ESOs• Rescue services

• RFS/SES

Local government• Councils and community groups

Government• State and Federal Governments and local councils

Other• Intranet

• Media

• Coordinated information from relevant ‘trusted’ sources e.g. bushfire plan from RFS; equivalent animal care information should be more prominent and with a clearer line to the NSW DPI

• Universities, CMAs, WIRES

• Legislation/Acts, empowered to do things which matter

• Written submissions for funding

• RE agents.

How might you use social media to receive information about animal care in natural disasters?

Key sharing tool• To report on activities, provide basic information and safety warnings, promote the need for PPRR

• Use case studies of success stories to get the message out there, set up a discussion board to generate new ideas and concepts or to outline existing programs and resources

• Produce an online forum to generate discussion, information sharing and expanding networks

• Must ensure all organisations are giving consistent messages, viz: NSW DPI, RSPCA, councils, SES, RFS, etc

• Update social media with information on how to treat injured native animals, where to send them, etc. How


36to help natural areas recover from fire, flood and other natural disasters

• Share correct and consistent information so it is accessible to the public in a timely manner

• Advertise and generate general community awareness

• Opportunity to promote training, co-operation, networks and partnerships in the community

Information sources• Animal pictures are popular on Facebook and YouTube, could use appropriate photos and captions to

improve peoples’ preparedness for disasters

• Community networking

• Web-based training, public education – needs to be moderated to ensure appropriate use and legitimate updates

• Information dissemination – linked with trusted organisations

• Have a Facebook page about asset protection and managing native bushland to help with habitat – needs to be secure

• RDA and media unit to update social media, e.g. on Facebook page include step by step PPRR

• Once the overall community engagement plan is in place, distribute it via appropriate social media

• Needs to be at all levels, LinkedIn groups for specialists, discussion forums for online communities of practice; Twitter, Facebook for notices and updates

• Promote real solutions – explain how current policy is not protecting out natural resources, assets or volunteers

• Broadcast events and updates of general information, new methods, systems and technology.

Use of apps• App should be developed to assist event preparation, what and how to do? Well before, just before and

during.

Not useable• NSW DPI media people are involved in emergency situations – the suitability of social media should be

decided by those personnel

• Don’t exclusively use social media – some people don’t use it

• Capability accessed mainly only in office, i.e. need outside office network facilities or public Wi-Fi

• Don’t use Facebook – stories can be modified and there is the potential for disseminating incorrect information and abusing personnel and volunteers.

What would you like to see from NSW DPI that would help improve awareness of natural disaster preventative and preparedness actions by famers and other animal owners and carers?

Roles and responsibilities • Change current reactive thinking of those who are being impacted to proactive thinking that reduces

impacts on animals

• Reframe ‘the Business’ to focus on sustainability – role of NSW DPI to promote production necessarily


37includes reducing impact of disasters, an extension of good business planning practice

• Increased interaction with community networks (leverage of existing structures wherever possible)

• Support the interagency committees at the regional level

• Strengthen industry engagement and liaison

• Be more proactive on social media and do not just rely on website to engage with community

• Greater acceptance needed from combat agencies that AASFA are partners and not seen as another combat agency for animal welfare issues

• Understand the large distances in the western region and the problems these raise

• Develop mechanism to help people understand their individual roles and responsibilities

• At Emergency Evacuation Centre (Animals) use chaplains and counsellors to help cope with stressed people; NSW DPI personnel are not trained to cope (based on experience at Hawkesbury Showground evacuation centre)

• Make preparedness and recovery information available during the response phase or soon after

• Important for everyone to understand that native animals and natural areas are a priority and the responsibility of all

• Define local emergency management areas with LLS and DPI personnel and clarify who should be involved in various phases of PPRR

• Property planning to include emergency response planning personnel on the ground or delegate emergency response property planning services

• Define responsibilities, roles and provisions of local government with DA conditions pertaining to animals, e.g. farming, peri-urban areas, etc.

Engagement activities• Facilitate more workshops to engage with the community

• Regular meetings for AASFA

• Desktop exercises that deal with or focus on bushfires and floods in peri-urban areas

• Practical workshops – on farm, preparedness template, tools to plan, record (for animal clubs, e.g. horse group)

• Greater interaction with producers at a grass roots level to make the wider community aware of hazards and risks that face stakeholders in each area

• Media blitz (electronic/print), promotional material, field days, shows etc

• Involve Aboriginal Affairs in LEMC meetings, to assist in dealing with town dog issues

• Work more closely with RFS media on combined messages and delivery strategies – for a fire perspective

• Use media (local paper, etc) to let people know what resources are available to prepare and respond in a natural disaster

• Help each other with fire zones, coordinate action on boundary lines with a AASFA presence to assist the community to work in groups

• Make people accountable for their animals, develop fact sheets and information, and network groups so that communities are more prepared


38• Emergency management unit to coordinate with farm groups and animal care groups. Provide contact

details to LEMC personnel

• Act as leader in the establishment and formation of planning for the care of animals in natural disasters

• Present regularly at LEMC meetings

• Regular meetings and workshops with NSW DPI and agencies – determine what is required and what is needed

• Better co-ordination from within NSW DPI with other stakeholders

• More local meetings with local groups – each property to have a natural disaster plan that incorporates the care of animals

• Closer communication with local officers and personnel – local NSW DPI meetings at least four times per year and before summer – provide training on fire ground for group teams

• Be proactive immediately following natural disasters, thereby ensuring landholder engagement while issues are current.

Resources• Full-time person dedicated to emergency management needed within each region

• Current emergency management training for personnel is excellent

• More newsletters, information and publications

• More staff out west – the cost of a few extra personnel to effect prevention and preparedness will save considerable sums in the response and recovery phases

• Proactively plan for animal safe places, similar to neighbourhood safe places, that are activated during a natural disaster

• Increase the ability of the community to be prepared for emergency, identify or clarify roles. Community groups may require tools (radios, tablet PCs, smartphones) to aid in communication

• Training needed on animal handling for Catchment Management Authority (CMA) personnel who have a biodiversity background NOT a production background

• DPI needs to develop an app/website that will direct links to various stakeholders’ interest areas – can be used for general preparedness information and for updates during emergencies

• Distribution of information to farmers and animal owners about how volunteer agencies can help and how they can access that help

• Funding for buying disaster gear for teams – incident controller training needed (to understand NSW DPI plans).

Guides and tools• Single source of information needed, including a guide on planning – there are so many emergency planning

tools out there, which one should I use?

• Managing the media:

• system to manage the media is needed

• skills and training for dealing with the media

• approaches – holding statements and guides for media spokespersons


39• Single Source of Truth (refers to the NSW DPI having this role)

• Need to provide this for all communications methods

• NSW DPI should maintain this for consistency of messages

• Case studies – short stories that can be used by the media

• Assistance with preparing plans and risk management

• Checklists and media

• Farmers and other animal owners and carers in peri-urban areas need to be targeted with preparedness messages.


40Appendix 2 Regional workshop tools ratings Following, is a summary of regional workshop attendees’ average ratings of community engagement tools they currently use or may consider using. Ratings are calculated as a score from 0 (unhelpful) to five (very useful). The development of new tools or refinement of existing tools could reasonably be assumed to increase tool usage and ratings.

Method/tool Used by Average rating

Apps – smart phones RFS 3.75

Community meetings & workshops Partner agencies Council officer

Murray CMA RFS Council agencies Interested groups

Support organisation Various community groups

4.01

Compliance enforcement DPI

LHPA

3.5

Create self-sustaining groups – if motivated to continue

BFMC, LEMC 3

Email/ E-news Interested groups Council officers & agencies General public Partner NGOs and agencies, Murray CMA, KKTC DPI

3.47

Emergency management meetings LEMC

REMC

3.3

Education programs - schools RFS

SES

DPI

Police

3.3


41


Face to face, site visits, door-knocking General public

Council officer

Murray CMA

Field staff

Landholders

RSPCA, LHPA vets & rangers

Police

3.66

Field days LHPA 3

Flood maps SES website 4

Introductory (general community members) & ongoing (club members) classes

3

Mail-out, letterbox drop Partner agencies

NGOs and person of interest

Local councils

Community

2.78

Media Murray CMA, Community Management WIRES, Govt Departments Senior staff

3.02

Memberships Taronga Zoo 3

Monthly seasonal condition reports DPI 3

Newsletters DPI 3.16

Printed Material

Checklists

EM plans

Codes of practice

Fact sheets

Fridge magnets

Posters

SES, RFS

Office of Water DPI Council agencies

3.11


42


Radio/TV Announcements

Interviews

Warnings (flood/fire)

General public Transport SES, RFS ABC

3.08

SharePoint Partner NGOs and agencies 2

Signs – Educational/Safety Council agencies,

General public

2.5

Social Media

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

LinkedIn

Senior management, LHPA Council RFS, SES, Fire, Police Murray CMA

3.3

Street Stalls Council Agencies 4

Survey (Online or In Person) Council 4

Telephone Direct to person of interest Council officer, Murray CMA, field staff RFS, SES

3.43

Telephone/SMS Messages SES/RFS, Police On ground impact area Welfare Services Functional Area

3.45

Website DPI, LHPA

BOM, RFS, SES, EMA, LEOC Council Agencies & Organisations General Public

Community Agencies Universal Kyeamba Kennel and Training Club

3.08

Word of mouth Community 2

Workshops with industry groups DPI Council agencies RFS

3.38

Documents

Our animals. Our responsibility. A community engagement ... · Our animals. Our responsibility. A community engagement project to . help animals survive natural disasters. Volume