Tuesday, 31 October 2023

Heat health plan

Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:14): (542) My adjournment is for the Minister for Emergency Services, and the action I seek is for the minister to outline the emergency management plans for heatwave preparedness in the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region. Will the minister also advise me of the actions being provided to councils in the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region to prepare for the dangerous conditions predicted?

The municipality of Greater Dandenong held its first heatwave preparedness event in September 2023, which I believe left residents with more questions than answers. The motion by Cr Rhonda Garad was for the council to undertake a detailed report on the emergency management necessary for events such as power blackouts during heatwaves. I commend the council on its early heatwave preparedness session, but the detailed action plan failed to be delivered at this session. In order to give the community the best advice possible on what is going to be an extremely difficult summer and to give residents confidence to act accordingly, concerns needed to be addressed. Questions such as ‘What happens if my power goes off in the next few days – where do I go?’ and ‘Which community centre or space will be open to me if I do not have power?’ were not answered, and this left residents more frustrated and confused.

Key representatives from emergency services, the Victorian Department of Health, United Energy, business and manufacturing groups, members of the public, schools, aged care facilities and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing were all in attendance according to reports by journalist Sahar Foladi of the Dandenong Star Journal of 26 September 2023. As reported, we are due to have a prolonged and dangerous summer, with our emergency services not given adequate resources to cope with the pressures. How can we be sure this is not just another token gesture by the government, which, although it provided a detailed heat health plan for Victoria, seems to not have met the mark with residents in Greater Dandenong recently. The Heat Health Plan for Victoria, according to the Department of Health:

… together with local government and the health sector, can work together to promote public health and wellbeing before and during periods of extreme heat.

That is their quote, not mine. According to this report:

In 2014, 167 excess deaths were recorded during a four-day heatwave across the state. This heatwave followed the 374 excess deaths recorded during the 2009 heatwave compared to the same period in the previous five years. ‘It is likely that the framework and collective efforts of all agencies have contributed to the reduced impact on public health in 2014’ according to the Victorian Auditor-General.

That was from the inspector-general for emergency management report on heatwave management. We need to actually know what this minister is doing, what actions are being provided for the heatwave and what plan is being given to the local councils.