Nsw Dpi Workshops On Animals In Disasters

[Aphra]

The NSW DPI are holding half day workshops on enhancing community resilience by improving the way animals are cared for during a natural disaster. They need you to be involved and the workshops are being held in Goulburn, Wagga Wagga, Central Coast, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth and Dubbo in November. You can find out more by contacting Susan Rowe at NSW DPI at [email protected]

[mita]

A fantastic initiative. Good to see other States do similar (if they're not already).

[efowler]

I'll be going for work, looking forward to it :)

[Aphra]

If people are interested, there is a major cross-jurisdicational and national project on managing animals (companion, livestock and other) in disasters. It has been underway for three years now and last month held the third workshop on progress. It is co-ordinated by the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy, which is a national body. Work is going on at a number of levels - but because emergency management is constitutionally the responsibility of states and territories, the project is proceeding differently depending on the context.

You can read the 2012 workshop report here: http://www.australiananimalwelfare.com.au/content/pets-and-companion-animals/animals-in-emergenciesCA

The 2013 workshop report hasn't been released yet.

There are draft national planning principles for animals in disasters which are in the process of being sent up for endorsement to the Australia New Zealand Emergency Management Committee which is the senior advisory body to the ministerial Standing Council on Police and Emergency Management.

If the principles are endorsed they will provide a framework for emergency planning and animals nationally.

These are the draft principles.

http://www.australiananimalwelfare.com.au/content/pets-and-companion-animals/national-planning-principles-for-animals-in-disastersPCA

The recently created Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC has funded a major research project on managing animals in disasters (which has two PhD scholarships attached if anyone is interested) and there is an associated research project which has substantial funding on the issue of human and animal evacuation run out of the University of Central Queensland.

The Victorian Government has already gone some way down the track, with about 80% of local government areas already including animals in their emergency planning. You can read the Victorian state plan "Emergency Animal Welfare Plan" here: http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/fire-and-emergencies/animals-in-emergencies/about-the-victorian-emergency-animal-welfare-plan/victorian-emergency-animal-welfare-plan

If anyone wants more information about any of this stuff, please let me know and I'm happy to share resources and as much information as I have.

[Aphra]

While I'm on the topic, there are two pieces which might be useful. I'm a big dismayed with at least one "national" group who seem to be organising donations, but also proposing their own version of disaster animal planning without reference to any of the existing agencies, arrangements of principles.

I am a huge fan of emergent volunteering and people self-organising to assist each other, but it helps if the help integrates usefully with current arrangement and doesn't cause more trouble than help.

I wrote this piece recently because of the huge issues that the donation of goods causes agencies trying to manage response and recovery. Sometimes there is a need for donated goods, but making contact with the recovery agencies (such as the Red Cross) and asking them if they need goods will help everyone. My comments are derived directly from the Community Recovery Handbooks which is national "doctrine" on best practice.

Send money, not stuff.

http://blackhobyah.net/send-money-not-stuff/

And also, its important that the rest of us start thinking about our own disaster plans.

http://blackhobyah.net/animals-and-disaster/

[mita]

If people are interested, there is a major cross-jurisdicational and national project on managing animals (companion, livestock and other) in disasters. It has been underway for three years now and last month held the third workshop on progress. It is co-ordinated by the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy, which is a national body. Work is going on at a number of levels - but because emergency management is constitutionally the responsibility of states and territories, the project is proceeding differently depending on the context.

You can read the 2012 workshop report here: http://www.australiananimalwelfare.com.au/content/pets-and-companion-animals/animals-in-emergenciesCA

The 2013 workshop report hasn't been released yet.

Thank you, again. I didn't know about this. Shall spread word.

[Little Gifts]

It was a small, local disaster group who organised rescue, temp care and then food drops to abandoned animals when the Bundy floods happened. I want to smack council and the RSPCA when that occurs because it is those organisations that have the infrastructure and physical resources but only the smaller, local groups that seem to bust their balls and spring into action when it is needed. We need to turn that around as the issue of pets and livestock is a major reason why some people don't leave their properties during and post a disaster.