Queensland disaster recovery arrangements
The Queensland disaster recovery arrangements demonstrate a collaborative approach bringing together agencies, stakeholders and resources for planning, coordinating and delivering recovery functions.
Queensland's disaster recovery arrangements align with those articulated in the Disaster Management Act 2003.
These arrangements reflect the priority given to the impacted community and the lead role of Local Disaster Management Groups (LDMGs) and Local Recovery Groups (LRGs).
When appointed the State Recovery Coordinator (SRC) will facilitate the sharing of information between impacted councils/LDMGs, District Disaster Management Groups (DDMGs), the State Recovery Policy and Planning Coordinator (SRPPC) and the Queensland Government, including the state level Functional Recovery and Resilience Groups (FRRGs).
Revised governance arrangements
Following the disaster and emergency management reforms, revised governance arrangements for state-level disaster management groups were approved by the Queensland Disaster Management Committee (QDMC) on Monday 8 July 2024.
| Group | Role |
|---|---|
| Queensland Disaster Management Committee (QDMC) | The Queensland Disaster Management Committee (QDMC) provides strategic leadership and decision-making for disaster management and resilience across the State. The QDMC is chaired by the Premier of Queensland, and membership includes relevant Ministers, supported by assisting officials including Chief Executives, the State Disaster Coordinator (SDC) and SRC (when appointed). |
| State Disaster Management Group (SDMG) | The newly established State Disaster Management Group (SDMG) provides support for response to developing disaster management issues or operations in Queensland, when the QDMC is not convened. The SDMG’s function is to advise the QDMC (when not convened) on strategies and policies for managing a disaster. In circumstances where a significant disaster event is likely to occur, or has occurred, the Premier (as Chairperson of the QDMC and SDMG) may decide to convene QDMC rather than the SDMG, if deemed necessary. The Premier is the Chairperson of the SDMG, and membership includes a small cohort of Ministers, supported by their respective Chief Executives and the State Disaster Coordinator. |
| State Disaster Coordination Group (SDCG) | The State Disaster Coordination Group (SDCG) supports the QDMC and SDMG by assisting with the business-as-usual, administrative and policy functions, addressing disaster prevention, preparedness and response. The membership of SDCG includes senior representatives from state agencies and authorities, empowered to make decisions including the committing of resources, on behalf of their agencies, if required. |
| State Recovery and Resilience Group (SRRG) | The State Recovery and Resilience Group (SRRG) supports the QDMC in its recovery efforts and resilience building of Queensland communities. The SRRG is chaired by the Chief Executive of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. Membership includes Directors-General of the five Functional Recovery and Resilience Groups, the Queensland Police Service Commissioner, the State Disaster Coordinator and State Recovery Coordinator (if appointed). Senior representatives from other state agencies and authorities can be invited on an as needs basis, depending on the type of disaster experienced and the recovery requirements of the impacted communities. An interim SRRG has been operating in the 2023-24 disaster season. |
| Emergency Relief Working Group (ERWG) | The Emergency Relief Working Group (ERWG) is a working group that supports both the SDCG and the SRRG to manage complex, diverse and or challenging relief needs to preserve life requiring immediate multi-agency coordination and collaboration during disaster events. The ERWG can be stood up by either the SDCG or the SRRG, dependent on the relevant phase of disaster operations and the needs requiring resolution. The ERWG will stand down once the identified relief need or challenge has been resolved to the satisfaction of the SDCG Chair (if during disaster response operations) or the SRRG Chair (if during disaster recovery operations). The ERWG operates under a co-chair arrangement, with Queensland Police Service (QPS) to chair meetings during disaster response operations and QRA to chair meetings during disaster recovery operations. |