Environment and Sustainability Committee — 2020-09-17

1. State Emergency Service Support Policy

Doc ID No: A6399610

ITEM: 1

SUBJECT: State Emergency Service Support Policy

AUTHOR: Emergency Management and Sustainability Manager

DATE: 3 August 2020

Executive Summary

This is a report concerning the adoption of a new State Emergency Service Support Policy which seeks to confirm Council’s existing support commitments.

Recommendations

A. That the policy titled ‘State Emergency Service Support Policy’ as detailed in Attachment 1, be adopted.

B. That Council continue to advocate for legislative review and clarity as to the State Emergency Service.

RELATED PARTIES

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

Ipswich City State Emergency Service Unit Members

Advance Ipswich Theme

Listening, leading and financial management

Purpose of Report/Background

The State Emergency Service (SES) is established under the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 , as a ‘not for profit’, community, volunteer, emergency service organisation that is enabled by both state and local governments.

Historically (1997), the Queensland Government issued a ‘Protocol with Local Government to establish their respective roles and responsibilities with regard to the Queensland Disaster

Management System and the State Emergency Service.’ Amongst other responsibilities the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) acknowledged its commitment to developing a local emergency service which included maintaining Local Government Volunteer SES units and its shared role with State Government in the provision of training, equipment, administration, funding and management of Local Government Volunteer SES units.

In 2005, the State Government’s Department of Emergency Services and the LGAQ entered into a Memorandum of Agreement to mark the formation of a Disaster Management Alliance (the Alliance). The aim of the Alliance was to ensure that changes to disaster management were effected in an effective and efficient way that would result in improved community safety and increased community resilience in the event of a disaster or emergency situation, it also replaced the 1997 Protocol related to SES.

In August 2009, a report was published titled ‘Review of Disaster Management Legislation and Policy in Queensland’. In its conclusion the report identified that the effectiveness of the SES depended on a strong partnership between State and Local Government. This included shared funding responsibility and that because of some confusion and differing expectations about the State’s role with the SES and the Local Government role with the SES, further consultation would be prudent before finalising any legislative change.

The report suggested that a Memoranda of Understanding between State and Local Government would be the preferred approach to ensure that Local Government retained its strong commitment to the SES and its significant funding contribution to the Service. One of the 22 recommendations suggested that the Department of Community Safety [sic] and Councils develop Memorandums of Understandings to reflect the genuine partnership that exists in present arrangements including an emphasis on the use of the agreed State disaster arrangements to task and deploy SES units following State/Local consultation .

In 2010-2011, Queensland suffered severe weather events which led to widespread flooding. In March 2012, the Queensland Flood Commission of Inquiry released its final report to the State Government. Chapter 15 of the report dealt with the emergency response to the flooding. The report highlighted the evident confusion among those with an interest in the activities of the SES relating to the authority and responsibility of the SES command and control. This report identified that some councils believed to have a claim over SES volunteers by virtue of the funding and resources that the councils provided.

The report went further to conclude that only nine (9) out of 73 councils had executed the Memorandum of Agreement arising from the 2009 review. The report also commented that the funding of the SES was not the subject of legislation but broadly accepted mechanisms for financing the service had developed over time between the State Government and local councils who shared the responsibility.

Councils, whilst not obliged to support their SES units provided funding as an obvious way of meeting their requirement under Section 80 of the Disaster Management Act 2003 . The level of support provided by councils to their respective SES units varied greatly throughout Queensland.

In August 2013, a review of The Police and Community Safety Portfolio entitled ‘Sustaining the unsustainable’ report was received by the State Government. The report when referring to the frontline capability of the SES commented that ‘the overall issue of funding the service (particularly cost sharing arrangements between State Government and Local Governments) is one, which will require considerable work into the future to ensure a sustainable capability. Currently there are significant differences across the state in terms of the ability of local government to support their local SES units, either financially or in kind.

The issue of ‘ownership’ of the SES is one that will require ongoing work between State and Local Government. Paradoxically the entity is called the ‘State’ Emergency Service but it is largely seen by local governments to be a ‘local’ emergency service.

Following this review, Emergency Management Queensland, the SES and other entities transitioned into the newly formed department of Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES).

In December 2018, Council resolved to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State of Queensland (Attachment 2) through execution of a Memorandum of Understanding: a partnership for the management and support to the State Emergency Service (Attachment 3).

PROPOSED POLICY

It is proposed the Council adopt a policy that confirms Council’s current commitment to the State Emergency Service and to provide a platform for review of existing MoU or creation of a new MoU. The following table provides a summary of this policy.

Document

Decision sought

Rationale

State Emergency Service Support Policy

Adopt

The adoption of this policy will confirm Council’s existing support arrangements to the SES and promote good governance.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Act 2009

Disaster Management Act 2003

Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

A Memorandum of Understanding is not a legally binding agreement and poses limited risk to Council. Delegation to the Chief Executive Officer to enter MoU’s is now standard practice.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

There are no new financial implications for Council, these costs are included in the operational budget for the Infrastructure and Environment Department.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

Local Controller, Ipswich City SES Unit

Conclusion

The adoption of the recommendations of this report allows Council to balance strong and open governance with practicalities of operational matters. It will facilitate the timely review arrangements that promote good governance.

Attachments and Confidential Background Papers

1.

Proposed State Emergency Service Support Policy ⇩

2.

Committee Report to the Environment Committee - October 2018 ⇩

CONFIDENTIAL

3.

Memorandum of Understanding - October 2018

Matthew Pinder

Emergency Management and Sustainability Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Kaye Cavanagh

Manager, Environment and Sustainability

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Charlie Dill

General Manager - Infrastructure and Environment

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Environment and Sustainability Committee

Meeting Agenda

17 September

2020

Item 1 / Attachment 1.

Environment and Sustainability Committee

Meeting Agenda

17 September

2020

Item 1 /

Mentions: Ipswich

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2. Franklin Vale Creek Catchment Initiative - Partnering Agreement with Griffith University/Australian River Institute

Doc ID No: A6450304

ITEM: 2

SUBJECT: Franklin Vale Creek Catchment Initiative - Partnering Agreement with Griffith University/Australian River Institute

AUTHOR: Waterway Improvement Officer

DATE: 27 August 2020

Executive Summary

This is a report concerning a proposed partnership arrangement between Ipswich City Council and Griffith University/Australian Rivers Institute for the Franklin Vale Creek Catchment Initiative as part of the Stormwater Quality Offsets Program. This partnership will be used to develop the Franklin Vale Creek Catchment Restoration Plan including catchment condition assessment, a strategic plan for prioritising on-ground actions and; a monitoring and evaluation plan to assess effectiveness of interventions.

The Franklin Vale Creek Initiative commenced in 2019 (Attachment 1) with Council partnering with landholders to restore and improve the catchment condition through actions such as revegetation, offline watering points and stock exclusion fencing. Council is making a substantial investment in the Initiative, funded through the stormwater quality offsets scheme which is a developer-funded program to improve water quality and waterway health.

RecommendationS

A. That pursuant to s235(b) of the Local Government Regulation 2012 ( Regulation ) Council resolve it is satisfied under s235(b) of the Regulation that the exception referred to in s235(b) of the Regulation applies and due to the specialised nature of the services that are sought that it would be impractical for Council to invite tenders or quotations.

B. That Council enter into a contract with the Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University for the provision of a Franklin Vale Catchment Restoration Plan for the duration of the contract to April 2021 .

C. That under s257 (1) (b) of the Local Government Act 2009 the power is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer to be authorised to negotiate and finalise the terms of the contract with Griffith University to the value of $102,700 (excl. GST) to be executed by Council and to do any other acts necessary to implement Council's decision.

RELATED PARTIES

The related parties are:

- Griffith University

- Australian Rivers Institute

- Landholders within the Franklin Vale Creek Catchment

Advance Ipswich Theme

Caring for the environment

Purpose of Report/Background

The proposed partnership between Griffith University and Ipswich City Council will provide added value to the program and investment of restoration in the Franklin Vale Creek Catchment though the use of existing and future academic studies to inform recommendations and strategies based on best available knowledge and practise and make it a national focus of highly renowned waterway and riparian management practitioners.

The Franklin Vale Creek Catchment has high wildlife and biodiversity values that supports surrounding agricultural and pastoral land. Parts of Franklin Vale Creek and the waterways that feed into it have instability and bank erosion that impact on water quality and the values of the creek itself. This negatively impacts both the native wildlife and the productivity of graziers who depend on the creek for watering livestock. The development of a Franklin Vale Creek Catchment Restoration Plan will help guide waterway health restoration and catchment productivity in a more efficient and effective way. Further the Catchment has been identified as a contributor of sediment to the lower tributaries namely the Bremer influencing the ongoing poor health end lower report card grades.

This partnership promotes the following mutual benefits:

· the development of the restoration plan which will guide an effective targeted rehabilitation strategy for the catchment

· this is a significant rural site already selected for the delivery of Council’s Stormwater Offsets Program rural component

· Griffith University, through the Australian Rivers Institute, is a world leader in the study of catchment, river and sustainable water management with experience in research collaboration, which is the core basis of our work at Franklin Vale Creek catchment. The advantage of this approach from any other university is the collaboration that Griffith University can provide through the Australian Rivers Institute and perhaps even in the future with the International Water Centre (This Centre is also based at Griffith University).

· the collaboration may also include in kind support through the development and coordination of student internships and research programmes in association with the Franklin Vale Creek Initiative. This includes the opportunity of potentially utilising Franklin Vale creek as a case study in broader research projects in the future.

· continual communication and networking with Griffith University and the Australian Rivers Institute after the development of the restoration plan to share updated best practice principles and contribute to long term benefits.

This partnership provides an opportunity for both parties to contribute to a nationally significant community project which will impact on all residents of Ipswich, enable students to work on a local environmental project in the future and encourage further interest in environmental works within the region and add value to the city’s environmental outcomes through a collaborative process.

As per the Local Government Regulation 2012 quotes are required for works at this level, however, as Griffith University is proposing to supply a specialised service for the Restoration Plan of the Franklin Vale Creek Initiative, therefore, a valid exemption under 253(b) is proposed which doesn’t require obtaining other quotes. The benefits of Griffith University’s proposal will add mutual value (community, social and environmental) to the catchment area and Council.

A proposal has been received from Griffith University outlining full details to deliver the restoration plan (Attachment 2) with a value of $102,700 to cover work and operating costs, this is currently within the existing allocated budget for the project. The project was proposed to commence in June 2020, however, has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances and now planned to commence in October 2020 with an expected finish date of April 2021.

Council is currently developing the terms of an agreement to formalise the partnership agreement or contract for the engagement of the provider in consultation with Legal Services and Procurement.

Legal/Policy Basis

Advice has previously been sought through Council’s procurement and legal teams, confirming the proposed approach to engage in this partnership is consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Section 253(b) of the Local Government Regulation 2012

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

Should council choose to peruse standard procurement processes and hire commercial services for the multiple facets of this program we would be unlikely to achieve the outcomes proposed. There would likely be an increased cost, a lack of holistic understanding and shared information as there is no guarantee a single organisation would or could provide all the required elements. There would not be the opportunity to develop ongoing relationships and understanding plus there is the risk of encountering time delays associated with procurement and variations for each separable potion. Further other universities or consultancies do not have the advantages of affiliations with water management specialised organisations such as that offered by the Australian Rivers Institute.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

A proposal received from Griffith University (Attachment 1) for $102,700 to cover work and operating costs is within the existing allocated budget.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

Conversations have taken place with relevant internal stakeholders.

Landholder engagement is part of the proposal to develop a restoration plan.

Advice and direction in terms of the process of pursuing engagement and formalisation of the partnership wa

Mentions: Ipswich

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