Chapter 7: Recovery

7Chapter 7:Recovery117

RECOVERY7. RecoveryKey points7.1 Recovery starts during the emergency responseand encompasses linked and overlappingphases of relief and short term recovery, earlyrecovery planning and medium to long termrecovery. Recovery activities extend across social,economic, infrastructure and environmentaldomains.Recovery is the process of dealing with the impacts of anemergency and returning social, economic, infrastructureand natural environments to an effective level offunctioning. Recovery starts during the emergencyresponse and encompasses linked and overlapping phasesof relief and short term recovery, early recovery planningand medium to long term recovery. Recovery is focused on and led by affectedcommunities. Government recovery efforts aimto support communities through the recoveryprocess and should recognise the key leadershiprole of landowners, local communities and theirleaders. Effective coordination, planning andcommunication is essential. Recovery effortsgenerally involve all levels of government,including municipal, regional and stateemergency management structures, as well asnon-government and community organisations. 118DPAC is the SEMC Advisory Agency forrecovery and maintains the State Recovery Plan.OverviewRecovery is an incremental process which often takes along time.The need for formalised recovery assistance varies withinand across communities. Well-connected and wellprepared individuals, businesses and communities areoften able to move to a new normality after a disasterwith little or no assistance. Others require formalisedand coordinated assistance after an emergency andthroughout the recovery process.Recovery aims to empower people and communities toparticipate in activities that restore community wellbeingand economic activity, and involves coordinated effortsacross government, non-government, community andprivate sector organisations.Successful recovery is community-led. Affectedcommunities play a key role in guiding and deliveringrecovery assistance at the municipal level, with supportand coordination at regional and state levels, dependingon the complexity and magnitude of the event.Tasmanian Emergency Management Arrangements: Issue 1

RECOVERYFigure 13: Summary of recovery processesMUNICIPALREGIONALSTATENATIONALResponse to emergency(operational and emergency management)Monitor impact assessments,situation reports and advisestakeholders as requiredAssess consequences and impactNOAre additionalresources requiredfor recovery?YESMunicipal / Regional coordination of relief and short-term recovery(social, infrastructure, economic, environmental).Support and coordination from State is requiredWill recoveryactivities be requiredlonger term?YESNORelief and short-term recovery activities end with transition to longerterm recovery arrangements.Affected Area Recovery Committee/sRecovery Taskforce may be established.Long term recovery activities coordinated.Review of recovery activitiesand post-recovery administration.Prevention / mitigation - PreparednessTasmanian Emergency Management Arrangements: Issue 1119

RECOVERY7.2 Overarching principlesAustralia’s National Principles of Disaster Recovery guideTasmania’s approach to recovery, and are based on sixcentral themes:1. Understanding the context: successful recoveryis based on an understanding of the communitycontext.2. Recognising complexity: successful recoveryacknowledges the complex and dynamic nature ofemergencies and communities.3. Using community-led approaches: successfulrecovery is responsive and flexible, engagingcommunities and empowering them to moveforward.4. Ensuring coordination of all activities: successfulrecovery requires a planned, coordinated andadaptive approach based on continuing assessmentof impacts and needs.5. Employing effective communications: successfulrecovery is built on effective communications withaffected communities and other stakeholders.6. Acknowledging and building capacity: successfulrecovery recognises, supports and builds oncommunity, individual and organisational capacity. Learn from experience and continually refinearrangements to enhance future recoveryprocesses.7.4Coordination arrangementsRelief and short term recovery is coordinated throughmunicipal and regional arrangements described in theTEMA Response chapter.In the early stages of recovery, the State RecoveryAdvisor will seek advice from RECC/s to informcoordinated recovery needs assessment and planning.Medium to long term recovery is locally-coordinated,state-supported, or state-coordinated, as appropriate tothe recovery needs.7.3 Recovery objectivesThe Tasmanian Government recovery objectives are to: Support the restoration of social, economic,infrastructure and natural environments tominimise long-term consequences for individualand community wellbeing, the economy andenvironment; Facilitate community participation in recoveryplanning and decision-making; Ensure that government and non-governmentsupport is targeted and appropriate; Assist communities to rebuild in a way thatenhances resilience across social, economic,infrastructure and environmental values andencourages risk management; and120Tasmanian Emergency Management Arrangements: Issue 1

RECOVERYTable 25: Recovery coordination arrangementsCATEGORYRESPONSIBILITYSUPPORTRelief and short term recovery management and coordinationMunicipalMunicipal EM CoordinatorMunicipal Council General Managers may appoint Municipal RecoveryCoordinators to manage recovery responsibilities (section 24G of the Act).RegionalRegional EM ControllerTasmanian Government agencies coordinating recovery domains nominateSocial, Economic, Infrastructure and Environmental. Recovery Coordinators tosupport the Regional EM Controller.StateState EM ControllerState EM Controller is supported by the State Recovery Advisor, DPAC OSEMand/or Recovery Taskforce (DPAC), Coordinating Agencies, and recoverypartners.Long term recovery management and coordinationLevel 1Municipal EM CommitteeSupported by Municipal Councils and local support services.Level 2Recovery UnitAARCsSupported by Municipal Councils, Tasmanian Government agencies andrecovery partners.Level 3Recovery TaskforceAARCsSupported by Municipal Councils, Tasmanian Government agencies andrecovery partners.7.5 R ecovery domains andresponsibilitiesRecovery measures are planned, coordinated andimplemented across four domains: social recovery; economic recovery; infrastructure recovery; and environmental recovery.A Tasmanian Government agency is allocatedresponsibility for coordinating, managing and reportingon activities under each of the above domains, and for afifth group of cross-domain functions. Social recovery focuses on ensuring safety, securityand shelter and restoring health and psychologicalwellbeing (Coordinating Agency: DoH) Infrastructure recovery focuses on restoringcritical assets and essential services that may havebeen damaged or destroyed (Coordinating Agency:DSG) Economic recovery focuses on supportingTasmanian Emergency Management Arrangements: Issue 1businesses and industries to overcome the impactsof an emergency (Coordinating Agency: DSG) Environmental recovery focuses on protectingnatural and cultural assets and values, supportingprimary producers and managing waste, pollutionand biosecurity (Coordinating Agency: DPIPWE) Cross domain functions include whole-ofgovernment functions which cut across the social,economic, infrastructure and environmentaldomains (Coordinating Agency: DPAC)For more details on functional domains and specificresponsibilities see the State Recovery Plan; and the planning and guidance documents of theRecovery Coordinating and Responsible Agencies.Agencies with functional responsibilities prepare andmaintain arrangements to manage the delivery andcoordination of relevant recovery functions, includingpartnerships and support arrangements with NGOs andcommunity groups.121

RECOVERY7.6 Early recovery planning7.7 Medium to long-term recoveryEarly recovery refers to activities undertaken during and/or immediately after an emergency event to: understand and evaluate impacts, damage andrecovery needs; consider and design appropriate governancestructures and arrangements; and develop an initial action plan for medium to longterm recovery.Medium to long-term recovery involves theimplementation of programs to help communitiesrestore, rebuild and return to an effective level offunctioning. Assistance may be delivered throughgovernment or non-government organisations, guided byrelevant plans and arrangements, and the suitability andavailability of local support services. Longterm recoverymay be coordinated by a Municipal Recovery Committee,or through an AARC, which may be supported by astate-level Recovery Unit or Taskforce.This usually happens in parallel to, and is informed by,relief and short term recovery activities occurring as partof response management structures.Municipal EM Coordinators (Municipal RecoveryCoordinators) are responsible for identifying impactsand recovery needs within their local government area.If recovery assistance or coordination is required, theyshould advise the Regional EM Controller and/or RECC(if activated) which work in consultation with MunicipalEM Coordinators to prepare and collate early impactassessments.The State Recovery Advisor DPAC works in consultationwith Regional RM Controllers, RMAs, RecoveryCoordinating Agencies, and Municipal EM Coordinators(or Municipal Recovery Coordinators) to assess recoveryneeds, support the immediate recovery, and plan themedium to longterm recovery approach, including theneed for State Government support and Affected AreaRecovery Committees.In consultation with the State EM Controller and theState Recovery Committee, the State Recovery Advisoradvises the Government on recovery needs andarrangements, including recommendations for the mostappropriate approach to long-term recovery. Thesearrangements exist regardless of whether the SCC isactivated or not.Level 1Level 2Level ow impactlow complexitymedium impactmediumcomplexityhigh impacthigh complexity122There are three broad approaches for long-termrecovery coordination, depending on: the scale of impact; the expected duration and the complexity of the recovery process.While the approach used will be modified according toassessed ongoing needs, the following provides a generalguide to the type of governance arrangements that applyto each of the three levels. See the State Recovery Planfor more details.LOCALLY COORDINATEDLocally coordinated recovery is managed and coordinated by theMunicipal EM Coordinator (or Municipal Recovery Coordinator),with support from the MEMC.STATE SUPPORTEDState supported recovery is managed and coordinated throughan AARC, with assistance provided by the relevant TasmanianGovernment agencies. AARC may be supported at the statelevel by a small Recovery Unit.STATE COORDINATEDState coordinated recovery is led by a State RecoveryCoordinator who coordinates state-level recovery activitiesguided by AARC. A Recovery Taskforce may be established todevelop long term recovery plans, and coordinate assistance andcapability across Tasmanian Government agencies.These arrangements exist whether or not the SCC isactivated. Generally, the SCC will not be active duringlong term recovery.Tasmanian Emergency Management Arrangements: Issue 1