Central Region Earthquake Response Plan PDF

Earthquake Emergency Response
Plan
Central Region
Prepared by the Victoria State Emergency Service
Version 2016C – June 2016

DOCUMENT HISTORY
Version Date of Description of Document / Changes

Release
Draft 1.1 01/11/2007 Draft Document
Draft 1.2 27/12/2007 Interim Response Plan
Draft 1.3 22/10/09 Draft Document V 1.3
Draft 1.4 20/05/2010 Final document 1.0
Draft 1.5 15/02/2012 Draft Document 2.0
Draft 1.6 9/4/2013 Document Updated 2013
Draft 1.1 20/5/2013 Final Document with Amendments from State HQ
2014F 13/8/2014 Final Document
2015G 16/09/2015 Annual review and update
2016C 08/06/2016 Review and update
Central Region Earthquake Response Plan Version - 2016C June 2016 8 June 2016 2
CENTRAL REGION EARTHQUAKE EMERGENCY RESPONSE
PLAN CERTIFICATION
The Earthquake Emergency Response Plan deals with the response to incidents within VICSES, Central
Region area of responsibility.
The following plan is intended to provide the framework that Central Region will adopt for the future
management of earthquake events and will remain as the Regional plan until rescinded by authority of the
Chief Officer Operations.
……………………………………………………. Date:………………………
Trevor White
Chief Officer Operations
This plan is produced by the Victoria State Emergency Service. Ensuring the information it contains is
accurate and current would not be possible without the contributions and assistance of many people from the
various organisations identified within its pages. Plan is adapted from the State Earthquake Emergency Plan
for Victoria, Version 2.0, 2015
For matters regarding this plan:
Regional Manager – Central Region

Victoria State Emergency Service
Unit 6, 3 – 5 Gilda Court
Mulgrave, Victoria, 3170
Ph: (03) 9256 7000
Fax: (03) 9256 9705
Email: central@ses.vic.gov.au
Website: http://www.ses.vic.gov.au
Table of Contents
DOCUMENT HISTORY ...................................................................................................................................... 2
1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 5
1.1 Purpose................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Context.................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Planning .................................................................................................................................................. 6
1.4 Legislation ............................................................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Overview of Central Region .................................................................................................................... 6
Map of Central Region ........................................................................................................................................ 7
2 Mitigation .................................................................................................................................................. 8
3 Victorian Earthquake Management Framework.................................................................................... 9
4 Planning Arrangements ........................................................................................................................ 10
4.1 State, Regional and Municipal Earthquake Response Planning Structure .......................................... 10
5 Incident Management ............................................................................................................................ 11
5.1 Strategic Control Priorities .................................................................................................................... 11
5.2 Operations ............................................................................................................................................ 11
6 Impact Assessment ............................................................................................................................... 12
6.1 Initial impact assessment (IIA) .............................................................................................................. 13
6.2 Secondary impact Assessment (SIA) ................................................................................................... 14
6.3 Post Emergency Needs Assessment (PENA) ...................................................................................... 15
6.4 After Shocks ......................................................................................................................................... 15
7 Evacuation .............................................................................................................................................. 16
7.1 Emergency Relief Centres ( ERC’s) ..................................................................................................... 16
8 Traffic Management Plans .................................................................................................................... 16
9 Public information ................................................................................................................................. 17
9.1 Key Public Messaging .......................................................................................................................... 18
10 Co-ordination of VICSES Resources ................................................................................................... 18
10.1 Incident Control Centre Activation ........................................................................................................ 18
10.2 Earthquake Response Management – RCC & ICC Locations ............................................................. 20
10.3 Unit Support Arrangements .................................................................................................................. 21
10.4 Staging Areas ....................................................................................................................................... 21
11 Debrief Requirements ............................................................................................................................ 21
Appendix 1 - List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... 22
Appendix 2 – Agencies Involved in Earthquake Planning, Response & Recovery ................................. 23
Appendix 3 - AIIMS Structures ...................................................................................................................... 28
AIIMS Level 2 – Possible Incident Structure for Earthquake of minimal or moderate scale ............................ 28
AIIMS Level 3 – Possible Incident Structure for Earthquake of moderate scale .............................................. 29
AIIMS Level 3 – Possible Incident Structure for Earthquake of major scale .................................................... 30
Appendix 4 – What is an Earthquake? ......................................................................................................... 31
11.1 The Richter Scale ................................................................................................................................. 31
11.2 The Mercalli Scale ................................................................................................................................ 32
Appendix 5 – South East Australia - Faults and Fault Lines ..................................................................... 34
Appendix 6 – South East Australia Historical Earthquakes ....................................................................... 35
Appendix 7 – Main Faults Melbourne ........................................................................................................... 36
1 Introduction
In order to ensure the State of Victoria is appropriately prepared for emergency response to an earthquake
event, the Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) as the control agency for earthquake response in
partnership with support agencies and organisations, shall work to ensure all elements of preparedness,
including prevention from, response to and recovery from an earthquake emergency is managed in a
professional manner. The collective knowledge, capacity and resources of VICSES and support agencies and
organisations shall integrate to ensure an effective and professional emergency management response for
the community.
In order to protect life, property and the environment it is necessary to have:
 an understanding of hazards that the community faces
 a program for prevention and mitigation of emergency events and their effects
 an informed, alert and prepared community
 timely, tailored and relevant / accurate community alerts/information
 identification of agencies responsible for controlling and coordinating the use of emergency
management resources
 acceptance of support roles and responsibilities
 co-operation between emergency services and others, and acceptance of their roles in emergency
management
 a coordinated approach to the use of all resources
 arrangements for support to enable communities to recover from earthquake emergencies
 well trained and equipped volunteers
 a management system (AIIMS) that ensures consistency and capacity to fulfil the lead response role
 competent and experienced staff to Command, Control and Co-ordinate the incident.
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this plan is to provide strategic guidance for effective emergency management of earthquake
events in VICSES Central Region. The plan describes the roles and responsibilities of agencies and
organisations that have a role in dissemination of timely information to the community and a role to minimise
the threat and impact to people, property and the environment from the result of an earthquake event.
The plan outlines the earthquake response framework in Victoria including a planning hierarchy describing the
elements that should be considered for response planning at Regional and Municipal levels. The plan also
describes the strategic control priorities, the response management and co-ordination arrangements, and the
management of earthquake response within Central Region.
1.2 Context
The development of this plan is based on a whole of government and community approach that recognises
the interdependencies of prevention, response and recovery activities and that none of these activities are
mutually exclusive. These elements are linked to the all hazards all agencies approach to emergency
management in Victoria. Integral to effective management of earthquakes in Melbourne and surrounds is
community awareness and education programs, as response activities will be far more effective if the
community have taken measures to minimise property damage and is aware of the inherent dangers
associated with earthquake events.
Given the unpredictable nature of earthquakes there will be no opportunity to warn the community of an
impending earthquake. However, aftershocks which occur at varying intervals and intensities after the initial
event will certainly occur and community warnings and information will be issued to inform the community of
what is expected to occur.
1.3 Planning
VICSES Regions will develop an Earthquake Emergency Plan that will include the identification of suitable
Incident Control and Regional Control locations in consultation with other key emergency management
agencies. The selection and placement of these sites must take into account possible access and damage
limitations that could occur during major earthquakes.
Regional earthquake emergency plans will cover:
 Regional risk assessment
 Sources of incident intelligence
 Public information
 Location of Incident Control Centres
 Incident management and regional control arrangements
 Rescue arrangements
 Engineering advice and services arrangements
 Resource arrangements for within the region
 Traffic management plans
 Planned staging areas
 Relief Centres
 Cross boundary arrangements (intra and inter state).
1.4 Legislation
The following legislation and strategies provide the basis for planning for response and recovery for
earthquake events in Victoria:
 Emergency Management Act Victoria 1986
 Emergency Management Act Victoria 2013
 Emergency Management Manual Victoria (EMMV) identifies VICSES as the Control Agency for
earthquake and Emergency Management Victoria(EMV) as the State Recovery Coordinator
 Victoria State Emergency Service Act 2005
1.5 Overview of Central Region
The Central Region of the Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) covers 13,000 Square kilometres.
Geographically this area is diverse and includes
 The Melbourne Central Business District (CBD),

 Covered by 31 municipalities
 Encompasses 4.14 million people from over 151 nationalities
 Approximately 1,600,000 private dwellings and over 2,000,000 habitable dwellings
 Numerous multinational corporate headquarters
 The Greater Melbourne Metropolitan area and surrounds
 Four of the fastest growing population pockets in Australia including the City of Casey, City of Melton,
Shire of Cardinia, City of Hume and the City of Wyndham.
 The majority of the state’s road, rail, air and sea transport hubs, including both domestic and
international departures and destinations
 Most of the State’s major events including the Australian F1 Grand Prix, Melbourne Cup and the AFL
final series.
 An earthquake within Central Region may impact the State of Victoria’s economic, business continuity
and possible future development opportunities.
 Includes three government regions, North West Metro, Eastern Metro and Southern Metro.
Source: http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au
Map of Central Region
2 Mitigation
It is generally acknowledged that earthquakes cannot be prevented, however to ensure preparedness
VICSES actively encourages partnerships with key stakeholders in the delivery of education programs such
as Quakesafe (available on the VICSES website) to reduce the impact of earthquake events on the
community. Key stakeholders include, Victoria Police, MFB, CFA, Geoscience Australia and DHHS.
Preparedness activities will focus on the development of sound planning at the strategic and operational
levels. Activities include the development of multi-agency integrated plans at Regional and Municipal level.
These plans recognise the responsibilities that emergency service organisations, local governments, power
and utility companies, other government agencies have to their customers and the broader community.
Preparedness activities should include the conduct of exercises to test preparedness and response plans.
Earthquake response management will be carried out under the principles of AIIMS (Australasian Inter-
Service Incident Management System).
Appropriately trained, skilled and endorsed VICSES personnel, or personnel from other agencies as approved
by the State Response Controller, shall be Incident Controllers for Level 3 earthquake events in Victoria. For
all level 3 events ICC’s within and around the metropolitan area will operate and an Area of Operations
Control Centre (AOCC) will open for large scale events utilising a 24/7 roster. The Incident Controller will
ensure the incident is managed in accordance with the six strategic control priorities and the State Response
Controller’s intent as issued, and that the knowledge and expertise of all agencies and relevant stakeholders
is considered and integrated.
All roles within the AIIMS ICS structure will be considered and filled as the event dictates. These positions will
be based on competence and skill sets.
Community engagement through the accurate, timely and relevant dissemination of information to affected
and potentially affected communities is a critical element of effective incident management.
3 Victorian Earthquake Management Framework
The successful response to earthquake in Victoria is dependent on the strong relationships with key partners,
each having responsibility for elements of overall earthquake management activities. Successful earthquake
management depends on effective integration of planning, prevention, response and recovery at state,
regional and local levels.
Plans Stakeholders Activity
State Earthquake Emergency Plans State Emergency Capability VICSES – Response Control
(VICSES) and Response Committee Agency
State Emergency Response Plans State Emergency Recovery EMV – Coordination of

(VICPOL) Planning Committee resources
State Emergency Recovery EMV State Recovery DHHS – Public Information

Arrangements (Pt 4, EMMV) Coordinator
EMJPIC
State
EMV
Regional Earthquake Emergency VICPOL / DELWP / CFA / VICSES – Response Control

Plans (VICSES) MFB / AV / DHHS Agency
Regional Emergency Response Power Companies EMV – Coordination of

Plans (VICPOL) resources
VicRoads
Regional Recovery Plans (DHHS) DHHS – Public Information
Regional Emergency
Response Committee
(VICPOL)
Regional Emergency
Regional
Recovery Committee
(DHHS)
Municipal Emergency Management Municipal Emergency VICSES – Response Control

Plan (MEMP) Management Planning Agency
Committee (MEMPC)
EMV – Coordination of
Communities resources
Agency Recovery Planning Local Govt – Response

Committee support and recovery
management
Public Information
USAR
Municipal
Impact Assessment
Victorian Emergency Management Framework
4 Planning Arrangements
This plan outlines six strategic control priorities that Incident Controllers will use as the basis for incident
action planning to manage an earthquake emergency.
Earthquake events by their nature will require a multi-agency response with VICSES as the Control Agency.
Appendix 1 of this plan identifies support agencies and organisations that may be required to assist VICSES
as part of an integrated response to earthquake events.
Section 7 of the EMMV identifies VICSES as the control agency for Earthquake Response with EMV
responsible for coordinating recovery planning and management at State and DHHS regional levels. The
EMMV identifies ALL AGENCIES as having a support role in the event of an earthquake
4.1 State, Regional and Municipal Earthquake Response Planning Structure
Response planning occurs at State, Region and Municipal level under the auspices of key forums and
committees, formed under the State Emergency Management Arrangements.
5 Incident Management
VICSES shall conduct earthquake emergency operations in accordance with the Australasian Inter-Service
Incident Management System (AIIMS) framework. The use of the AIIMS incident control system ensures that
VICSES and support agencies operate in an integrated structure that encourages and facilitates the flow of
information.
5.1 Strategic Control Priorities
To provide guidance to the Incident Management Team (IMT), the following strategic control priorities shall
form the basis of incident action planning processes:
 Protection and preservation of life is paramount – this includes:
o Safety of emergency services personnel; and
o Safety of community members including vulnerable community members and visitors/tourists
located within the incident area.
 Issuing of community information and community warnings detailing incident information that is timely,
relevant and tailored to assist community members make informed decisions about their safety.
 Protection of critical and community assets that support community resilience.
 Protection of residential property as a place of primary residence.
 Protection of assets supporting individual livelihoods and economic production that supports individual
and community financial sustainability.
 Protection of environmental and conservation assets that considers the cultural, biodiversity, and
social values of the environment.
Circumstances may arise where the Incident Controller is required to vary these priorities. This shall be done
in consultation with the Area of Operations Controller and State Response Controller and relevant
stakeholders based on incident predictions / probabilities and risk assessments. The Controller’s Intent will
also be issued by the State Controller which will be incorporated into the Planning and IAP instructions.
5.2 Operations
The Incident Controller is responsible for establishing and maintaining a management structure as determined
by the scope and potential of the incident within the allocated footprint. The Incident Controller must ensure all
key agencies, organisations and stakeholders have the opportunity for appropriate representation and input to
the incident management decision making process.
Earthquake emergency operations will be managed as outlined in the Emergency Management Manual of
Victoria including the formation of an Area-of-Operations Emergency Control Team that must consist of
representatives from Emergency Service Organisations and relevant stakeholders who need to be informed of
the current situation and who are able to provide strategic and policy guidance as well as being authorised to
make commitments for their organisation which will assist in developing Incident Action Plans for these
events.
It should be noted that a major earthquake affecting the Melbourne CBD and suburbs will challenge the
existing Emergency Management Arrangements and Incident Management principles.
The State Controller, Area of Operations Controller and Incident Controllers will need to adapt the existing
arrangements and principles or develop alternatives to best fit the situation given the following situation and
assumptions:
Post Impact
 A detailed common operating picture may not be achievable for 24 – 48 hours, or longer.
Response will have to begin without detailed knowledge of the situation.
 Availability of EM personnel, including non-ESO agencies will depend on the time and day the
event occurs.
 Damage to water infrastructure may impair firefighting
 Critical incident management personnel at State, Regional and local levels, including responders
may be unavailable due to injury or death of family or themselves, or significant damage to
personal assets.
 Critical incident management personnel may be unable to attend Control Centres for hours or
days due to gridlock and/or damage to transport infrastructure.
 Emergency Management Teams (EMT’s) at State, Area of Operations and Incident levels may
require members from agencies not traditionally involved in emergency management e.g. peak
bodies from public health, trade organisations or unions, civil / structural / earthquake engineers,
earthmoving contactors etc.
 Agencies and agency personnel may be required to carry out roles in areas / functions in which
they have not been previously involved.
 Fires will probably be the main hazard immediately following an event and resources may be
limited due to damage caused by the earthquake and aftershocks.
 The number of fatalities may exceed to capacity of the Coroner’s Office if it is operable.
 Triple Zero, if operating, will be overloaded.
 Traffic congestion will be significant due to road damage.
 Helicopters may be needed to support operational and logistical needs.
Community
 The level of community preparedness is insufficient to significantly reduce the reliance for
government and agency assistance.
 Hospitals may not have the capacity to meet the surge in patient demand.
 Due to ‘just-in-time’ ordering and associated logistic methodology shortage of critical items such
as medical supplies are likely.
 People working in the CBD and surrounding areas will experience significant delays getting
to/from work.
 Weather conditions may increase the number of people in need of immediate shelter.
 Spontaneous shelters will likely be established by private entities or citizens that will not be
coordinated by government or other agencies.
 The number of people seeking shelter may exceed the capacity of Relief Centres (see CBD
Safety Plan)
 The CBD has many buildings which, due to age and construction methods, are at risk of
significant damage or collapse. NB: This includes the Victorian Parliament, Treasury and other
key government buildings.
 The Legal Precinct and Stock Exchange may have limited or no serviceability
 Social Media will be extremely active.
 Missing Persons reports could number hundreds or thousands.
Recovery
 Private sector resources and spontaneous volunteers will require coordination to effectively and
efficiently assist response and recovery.
 Donated goods will require coordination and suitable storage.
 Critical Incident Management resources e.g. Incident Control Centres, State Control Centre,
Victoria Police Centre, Australian Federal Police Centre and the Coroner’s Office may have
limited or no serviceability.
6 Impact Assessment
It will be essential to coordinate the reconnaissance of affected areas to ensure that the extent of damage is
determined and to establish casualty numbers. The Area of Operations Controller will ensure Initial Impact
data is collected and communicated to appropriate agencies. It is vital that incoming impact information is
managed and communicated effectively to the relevant agencies and governments at all levels.
VICSES as the control agency for an earthquake event will ensure that Impact Assessment, is incorporated
into the operational management structure of the emergency event. Information collected may be derived from
several sources for instance the Incident Management Systems (IMS) may be used for smaller type events
whilst large events will require the use of dedicated IA teams assigned within ICCs coordinating the collected
data and dedicated IIA teams in the field collecting and verifying information.
Impact assessment must be community focused to ensure the data/information will assist decision making on
how to best support impacted communities.
Immediately after an emergency incident has affected an area or community there is a need to ascertain what
the impact has been particularly in relation to people (casualties, injuries, displacement), property (residences,
businesses) and essential community infrastructure (roads, bridges, water, sewage, telecommunications).
This assessment leads to a better understanding of what needs to occur to ensure the safety of life and
property and return the community to normality as soon as possible. (Refer to ‘Possible Hazards Following an
Earthquake’)
Victoria uses a three stage process to gather and analyse information following an emergency event. The
term impact assessment encompasses all three stages.
 Initial impact assessment (IIA)

 Secondary impact assessment (SIA)
 Post emergency needs assessment (PENA)
The stages described must be an evolving continuum or a single process made up of stages which transition
as seamlessly as possible.
The initial stages focus more on response and immediate relief needs, but this transitions to recovery and
mitigation as the time continuum progresses. The early stages of impact assessment should provide the
foundation for more in depth assessment by identifying impacted areas, assessment may become more
focussed as time progresses in the process.
As the stages progress, information gathered should flow through to the subsequent stage and supplement or
build on data collected for that next stage, and not be collected again.
Information gathered early in the cycle is more prone to inaccuracy and has less detail. Whereas information
gathered in later stages is more accurate and detailed, but also more time consuming to collect and analyse.
Description of the impact assessment process
6.1 Initial impact assessment (IIA)

Preliminary assessments conducted by emergency response agencies often comprise visual inspections,
and/or the compilation of early available data (e.g. the number of injuries or dwellings destroyed) Such
assessments provide very early information, usually in respect to the ‘response’ environment. They provide
information regarding the extent of damage and should (preferably) provide an indication regarding numbers
of people/households affected.
This phase of assessment is generally provided by responders and as such is opinionative, observational and
indicative, rather than definitive and completely accurate. There is no cost evaluation or recovery projection.
It is important to note that there will often be a merging of phase one and phase two dependant on the nature
of the threat. Whilst phase one collection will generally be first responders, as agencies begin to conduct their
relief and recovery mechanisms, there is potential and opportunity for the use of experts assessors, structural
engineers etc.) within the concluding parts of this phase and the beginning of the second phase.
Timeframe
This will be dependant wholly on the safety of the area affected but will usually be as immediate as
safety permits.
Expected Outcome
Inform both response and recovery agencies of the scale and scope of an event. The information
cannot be considered to be definitive and is therefore provided as a first source of information to
inform agencies of the scale of response needed in terms of relief and recovery.
This phase should be able to inform agencies of visually obvious impact, such as damage to
structures and infrastructure, liquefaction, water over roads, burned out locations, and homes
isolated.
This data can assist to inform agencies regarding potential relief/response needs by identifying the
following impacts (not an exhaustive list)
 Community/township built environment check (sewage, water, electricity access)
 Potential isolation of community, homes, businesses
 Damage to local business,
 Damage to government facilities (schools, hospitals etc…),
 Residential damage,
 Transport damage (road, rail etc..),
 Primary industry impacts (stock isolation etc…)
In addition, the data will assist in beginning to inform local, regional and state budget holders
regarding potential financial assistance requirements.
6.2 Secondary impact Assessment (SIA)
SIA is a subsequent progressive and more holistic assessment of the impact of the event on the community;
and takes into account built and natural environments, social and economic impacts, and resulting community
needs. Impact assessment for relief and recovery requires an additional layer of analysis beyond the IIA,
which includes a comparison with baseline information.
An adaptive and evidence-based relief and recovery program requires timely, accurate and progressively
more comprehensive information about the impact of an emergency on communities.
Coordination of SIA is the responsibility of the nominated recovery manager. All departments and agencies
involved in the collection of SIA should liaise with the nominated recovery manager/coordinator to ensure
information is coordinated and shared.
Timeframe
Finalisation within four weeks of disaster onset - ideally deploy teams to replace responders as soon
as is safe after the disaster onset. (Note: progressive reports will be provided as data is collected)
Expected outcome
 Inform regional and state recovery plans (for each of the five environments)
 Inform budget estimates for Central Government Response Committee (CGRC)
 Inform agencies regarding the extent of psycho-social impact on communities and the
extent of case management that may be required
Identifies any underlying issues within affected communities that are likely to be exacerbated by the
disaster (e.g. economic instability, poor tourism etc).
6.3 Post Emergency Needs Assessment (PENA)
PENA estimates the longer term psychosocial impacts of a community, displacement of people, cost of
destroyed assets, the changes in the ‘flows’ of an affected economy caused by the destruction of assets and
interruption of business. Such assessments inform the medium to longer-term recovery process, and build the
knowledge base of the total cost of emergencies that informs risk assessment and management.
These assessments provide the state government with a foundation for determining whether Federal
government assistance may be required.
Timeframe
This will be dependent on the nature and scale of the event and may result in a number of update
reports until final loss and damage assessments can be accomplished.
Outcome
This phase puts the impact of the event in perspective through a qualitative view of the overall cost of
the impact and provides a view of how long it would take the economy to recover.
This data assists in informing state government considerations with regard to impact mitigation,
economic considerations, recovery support and community planning.
Diagram of the impact assessment process
6.4 After Shocks
Aftershocks may continue to affect the community in the hours, days and weeks after the initial event. They
should be taken into consideration when planning a response. Further earthquake related hazards which can
be caused by the initial earthquake and/or subsequent aftershocks may include:
 Landslides and rock falls
 Fault ruptures
 Coastal inundation
 Hazardous material releases
 Dam failure
 Building and structure collapse
 Fire
 Liquefaction
Aircraft, both fixed wing and rotary wing will be utilised extensively in the initial phase to collect information
about the worst impacted areas. Ground observation teams will be used to undertake intelligence gathering
within areas once they have been deemed safe by the relevant technical experts.
7 Evacuation
Evacuation of the community or parts thereof is recommended by the Incident Controller in consultation with
the appropriate VICPOL Evacuation Manager at incident level.
It expected that in a large event self-evacuation will occur on a very wide scale, with many people and families
moving to areas or locations they consider safer. Initially, self-evacuation will be ad hoc and uncontrolled.
Information to the community regarding appropriate locations, routes and methods for evacuation will be
disseminated through the Public Information Unit. There will be significant impact on destination communities
if there are large numbers of people evacuating.
Should the event impact on the Melbourne CBD, activation of the CBD Safety Plan and the Melbourne
Underground Rail Loop (MURL) Evacuation plan will be required as per the usual procedures.
Should a large scale evacuation of many hundreds or thousands of people be considered or required, similar
to Cyclone Tracy (Darwin, 1974), the recommendation would arise from discussions between the Incident
Controller, Regional Controller and the State Response Controller.
7.1 Emergency Relief Centres ( ERC’s)

Through the Initial Impact Assessment process, DHHS and Local Council MERO’s / MRM’s will be notified by
the Area of Operations Controller as soon as information identifying significant damage is available. This will
ensure processes are implemented which will provide initial relief for affected persons, whether it is in the form
of grants, food, shelter etc. Providing this information will assist in the smooth transition to recovery activities
within affected communities. Municipal Councils will activate ERC’s as required as listed in the relevant
Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP). It should be noted that some Relief Centres may not be
available due to earthquake damage and ad hoc arrangements may have to be made. All Relief Centres must
be checked by qualified structural engineer before being opened.
The Area of Operations Controller shall ensure the recovery component of emergency management is
considered in all aspects of incident management and outlined in the Incident Action Plan (IAP).
DHHS will lead recovery co-ordination in consultation with other stakeholders at the municipal and regional
level including the provision of advice, information and assistance to affected individuals / communities and
detailed loss and damage assessments. Recovery activities will commence as soon as the response phase
begins to ensure high levels of understanding and cooperation between response and recovery coordinators
at each of the levels of operation. The Incident Management Team (IMT) will ensure that there is a seamless
transition from response to relief and recovery operations and ensure the relevant documents are completed
to assist in achieving the transition.
8 Traffic Management Plans

Identified roadways which may pose a risk to communities within the earthquake affected area will be
managed by the relevant council and VicRoads. However during events ICC’s will be expected as part of their
intelligence gathering, to contact VicRoads, Local Governments and VicPOL, on a regular basis to gather
information regarding road closures / conditions.
The management of road closures will occur via the Incident Controller (who may delegate this function) in
consultation with the VicRoads and Victoria Police EMLO’s who will facilitate these arrangements.
9 Public information
VICSES must ensure that current and up to date information is disseminated to the community. This is the
responsibility of the Incident Controller, who may delegate this role to the Public Information Unit and is
prepared in conjunction with other key stakeholders.
The provision of this public information will be disseminated through a range of media. This should be a key
focus for the ICC to ensure the public is aware of the present situation and any perceived threats.
The ICC shall establish the Public Information Unit including information and warnings officer, as soon as
possible in order to ensure that proactive community engagement will occur in a timely manner, providing
relevant information and advice for community members to make active decisions about their personal
situations. Information provided by the Public Information cell can also then be disseminated via media
outlets to ensure that all relevant safety and health messages are conveyed as widely as possible.
Once established, ongoing timely advice and updated information should continue to be provided by the
Public Information cell, ensuring that the community can be prepared and assist in their own preparation.
The VICSES Flood and Earthquake Information Line (1300 VICSES / 1300 842 737), hosted by the DELWP
Customer Service Centre will be available to assist with public information for significant earthquake events.
Emergency Alert (EA) has been developed to enhance Australia’s emergency management arrangements
through the development of a telephone-based emergency warning system that will enable the States and
Territories to deliver warnings to landline and mobile telephones based on the location of the customer. In the
event of a major earthquake Emergency Alert (if available) could be used as a means to inform the community
of what actions to take or dangers of which to be aware in significantly impacted areas.
The One Source One Message (OSOM) tool (if available) is a system with a single, multi-agency web-based
portal to publish real time messages using standard incident management templates. OSOM automatically
publishes all released messages simultaneously to CFA, Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning
(DELWP) and the SES websites and to other selected outlets such as the ABC and the Victorian Bushfire
Information Line.
Public Messaging should commence as soon as is practicable after the earthquake. The initial warnings /
information may include the following messages:
During an Earthquake/Aftershock
 DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON - If indoors, stay there (keep clear of falling debris outside).
Shelter under (and hold onto) a sturdy table, bench or interior doorframe.
 Keep clear of windows, chimneys and overhead fittings. In high-rise buildings, stay clear of
windows and outer walls. Get under a desk.
 Don not use lifts because you may become trapped.
 In crowded areas or buildings, don't rush for the doors. Move clear of overhead fittings and
shelves.
 If outside, keep well clear of buildings, overhead structures, walls, bridges, power lines and trees.
 In a city street, shelter from falling debris under strong archways or doorways of buildings. Don't
stand under awnings or parapets because they may collapse.
 In a vehicle, stop in an open area until the shaking stops. Beware of fallen power lines, damaged
roads including overpasses, bridges; and landslides.
After an Earthquake/Aftershock
 Watch for hazards and tend to injuries.
 Turn off electricity, gas and water. Don't light matches. Check for fuel leaks and damaged wiring
and pipes.
 Listen to your car radio before moving
 Check on your neighbours
 Check for injuries. Apply first-aid. Don't move the seriously injured unless in immediate danger.
 Check for broken water, sewerage, gas or electrical mains or lines.
 Don't use the phone immediately (to avoid congestion) unless there is a serious injury or fire.
 Check for cracks and damage in the roof, walls and chimneys.
 Expect aftershocks, so evacuate if the building is damaged.
 Listen to the local radio and heed warnings or advice on damage, service disruptions and
evacuation.
 Don't waste food or water because the supply may be interrupted.
 Avoid driving unless for an emergency (keep the streets clear for emergency services).
 Don't go sightseeing or enter damaged buildings.
 Stay calm and help others if possible.
 Refer to your Home or Business Emergency or Earthquake Plan
9.1 Key Public Messaging
Detailed Messages:
Frequently updated (if cannot be updated, then frequently repeated) advice to people in the affected areas
about what they can (or should not) do.
 Frequently updated or repeated advice to people outside the affected areas about what they
should (or should not) do.
 Frequently updated information about the response.
 Frequently updated information about the situation.
Detailed messages may need to provide information regarding and not restricted to:
 Emergency household sanitation and hygiene
 Emergency use of mobile communications (if available) ie SMS rather than voice, internet, social
media etc
 Relief Centres
 Emergency First Aid
 Evacuation of the community or parts thereof, to safer areas or locations
 Other information relevant to the evolving situation and / or hazards
Public Information and messaging will need to be constantly reviewed as the situation becomes clearer.
10 Co-ordination of VICSES Resources

VICSES will coordinate its own agency resources at the Regional level from Incident Control Centres and
work directly with key support agencies such as the CFA, MFB, DELWP, VicRoads, VICPOL, Utility
Companies and LGA’s for resource requirements and deployments.
The coordination of VICSES Central Region resources will be managed by the Central Region Duty Officer.
The Area of Operations Controller will be responsible for:

 Information collection, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence to emergency service
organisations;
 Co-ordination of the provision of resources required by Units and Central Region via the Region
Duty Officer;
 Allocation of resources;
 Requesting of additional resources;
 Maintain briefings to the State Control Centre on current and predicted operations;
 Incident Action Plan and Situation Report development;
 Safety of Incident Personnel.
During earthquake response Local Governments have responsibility for management of municipal resources
and the co-ordination of community support to counter the effects of the emergency during the response to
and recovery from earthquakes which may affect their LGA. Refer Appendix for role of Municipal Councils.
10.1 Incident Control Centre Activation

A mild or moderate earthquake, up to 5.5 on the Richter Scale, may cause damage such as cracked masonry
and broken windows which will be dealt with under usual VICSES operational arrangements with support
agencies assisting as required, similar to the context of moderate storm damage or flood events and be
managed accordingly.
Incident Control Centres will be activated based upon Unit activity and complexity of response and recovery
activities. The Central Region Duty Officer will notify staff as required. A media release will be generated
dealing with the factual details of the event and any actions that need to be taken by the community.
The VICSES Central Region Duty Officer and the Information Officer (if appointed) should issue media
releases as a priority to inform agencies and the community of factual information as it becomes known for
these mild to moderate events below 5.5 on the Richter Scale. Decisions regarding the establishment of an
appropriate incident structure, including activation of Regional Control Centre(s) will be made by the VICSES
Regional Commander in consultation with the VICSES Chief Officer.
A major earthquake, over 5.5 on the Richter Scale, will likely result in widespread damage across Melbourne
and environs.
10.2 Earthquake Response Management – RCC & ICC Locations
Suitable locations for Regional Control Centres:
RCC Name Responsible Agency Address Contact
Melton RCC CFA District 14 251 High Street, Melton CFA District 14 Duty
Officer
Mel Ref 337 C9
Lilydale RCC CFA District 13 16-18 Lakeview Drive, CFA District 13 Duty
Lilydale Officer
Mel Ref 38 G10
Southern Metro CFA District 8 45 Assembly Drive, CFA District 8 Duty

Emergency Dandenong South Officer
Management Complex
Mel Ref 90 B12
RCC
Suitable locations for Incident Control Centres:
ICC Name Responsible Agency Address Contact
Gisborne ICC CFA District 14 Nexus Way, Gisborne CFA District 14 Duty
Officer
Mel Ref 678 B3
Kangaroo Ground CFA District 14 Ness Lane, Kangaroo CFA District 14 Duty
ICC Ground Officer
Mel Ref 271 F9
Woorri Yallock ICC CFA District 13 7-9 Simons Road, CFA District 13 Duty
Woori Yallock Officer
Mel Ref 286 F10
Ferntree Gully ICC CFA District 13 Acacia Road, Ferntree CFA District 13 Duty
Gully Officer
Mel Ref 74 D6
Southern Metro CFA District 8 45 Assembly Drive, CFA District 8 Duty

Emergency Dandenong South Officer
Management
Mel Ref 90 B12
Complex ICC
Mulgrave ICC VICSES Central Unit 6 3-5 Gilda Court, VICSES Central
Region Mulgrave Region Duty Officer
Mel Ref 71 A2
Sunshine ICC VICSES Central Proximity Drive, VICSES Central

Region Sunshine West Region Duty Officer
Mel Ref 40 F9
Burnley ICC MFB 450 Burnley St, MFB Duty Officer

Richmond
10.3 Unit Support Arrangements
Initially VICSES units will respond and provide assistance to their local community however as the event
escalates VICSES staff resources will be committed and facilities will be activated to support and assist units,
and in some cases pre-empting events so that volunteers are given the assistance and guidance they require.
The Region will activate an ICC(s) for the purpose of supporting units. Areas which units may require
assistance include:
 IT Support
 OIMS
 Administration
 Logistics, Equipment requirements
 Initial Impact Assessments
 Situation Reports
 Resource needs
10.4 Staging Areas
Depending on the location of the event a suitable Staging area will be established based upon,
 Type and number of resources to be staged
 Number of personnel required to be staged
 Travel time from the incident ground
 Catering requirements including personnel hygiene requirements
 Accommodation requirements
 Areas identified in MEMP’s
 Equipment Requirements
 Briefing / Debriefing requirements
 Vehicle / Equipment repair facilities
Staging areas must be secure sites that provide restricted access to authorised personnel and emergency
services only. Strong consideration should be given to accessing, if available, DELWP staging area
resources located around Victoria as these can accommodate large numbers of personnel and can be erected
in areas of low impact if aftershocks occur. The Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning
(DELWP) State Duty Officer can be contacted for provision of these resources.
11 Debrief Requirements
The Municipal or Regional Emergency Response Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the control agency
for the emergency organises an operational debrief with participating agencies as soon as practicable after
cessation of response activities.
All agencies, including recovery agencies, who participated in those activities, should be represented with a
view to assessing the adequacy of the response and to recommend any changes to the relevant agencies
plan(s) and future operational response activities.
The purpose of a debriefing is to:
 ensure participating agencies understand what happened during an operation or emergency, and
 identify problems and highlight areas that were handled well, in order to improve the efficiency,
effectiveness and safety of future operations or emergencies.
The Emergency Management Commissioner (EMC) is responsible for ensuring a state level debrief is
conducted after a major emergency.
Appendix 1 - List of Abbreviations
AIIMS Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System
AV Ambulance Victoria
BoM Bureau of Meteorology
CEO Chief Executive Officer
CERA Community Emergency Risk Assessment
CFA Country Fire Authority
DHHS Department of Health and Human Services
DET Department of Education and Training
DEDJTR Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources
DELWP Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning
EMC Emergency Management Commissioner
EMMV Emergency Management Manual Victoria
EMT Emergency Management Team
EMLO Emergency Management Liaison Officer
EO Executive Officer
IC Incident Controller
ICC Incident Control Centre
IA Impact Assessment
IMT Incident Management Team
IMS Incident Management System
LGA Local Government Authority
MECC Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre
MEMP Municipal Emergency Management Plan
MEMPC Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee
MERC Municipal Emergency Response Coordinator
MERO Municipal Emergency Resource Officer
MFB Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board
MRM Municipal Recovery Manager
RERC Regional Emergency Response Coordinator
RCC Regional Control Centre
RDO Regional Duty Officer
SCC State Control Centre
SEWS Standard Emergency Warning System
SHERP State Health Emergency Response Plan
SOP Standard Operating Procedure
VicPol Victoria Police
VICSES Victoria State Emergency Service
Appendix 2 – Agencies Involved in Earthquake Planning, Response &
Recovery
Agency Responsibilities
Victoria State Emergency Service
(VICSES) Preparedness
 Provision of community education activities to raise community
preparedness for earthquakes
 Develop and maintain a State Earthquake Emergency Plan
 Develop and maintain Regional Earthquake Emergency Plans as
appropriate
 Provide advice regarding input into Municipal Emergency
Management Plans for earthquake
 Contribute to forums and research regarding earthquakes
including reviews of building codes and earthquake risk
assessments.
Response
 Control Agency for earthquake
 Undertake strategic planning for response
 Initiate Impact Assessment
 Provision of damage control operations to limit danger to the
public following an earthquake
 Provide skilled and equipped personnel to conduct the rescue of
persons
 Protection of critical infrastructure
 Provision of public information and warnings including the
provision of public safety advice to the community
 Supporting VicPol with evacuations.
Ambulance Victoria
 Assist VicPol with evacuations
 Provide Ambulance services to treat injured persons
 Support the Impact Assessment process.
Australian Red Cross
 Support VicPol with the registration of evacuees.
Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)
 Provide weather forecasts for earthquake affected areas.
Country Fire Authority (CFA)
 Support incident management. Provide access to ICC facilities
 Support the Impact Assessment process
 Support VicPol with evacuation
 Provide skilled and equipped personnel to assist with damage
control operations to limit danger to the public following an
earthquake
 Undertake response to hazmat incidents
 Assist with mapping
 Support the deployment of the State USAR response team.
Department of Education and
Training (DET)  Provision of on-site assistance and support for management of
local issues involving students
 Management of closure and evacuation of schools
 Support the Initial Impact Assessment process.
Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS) Response Activities
 Through the State Health Emergency Response Plan coordinate
on-site health and medical services and deployment of medical
teams
 Access additional health personnel for casualty care at incident
site through the deployment of medical assistance teams from
hospitals
 Provide advice on public health consequences to VICSES
 Coordinate emergency relief at the Regional level.
Recovery
 Provide advice, information and assistance to affected individuals,
communities, funded agencies and municipal councils.
 Coordinate recovery planning and management at State and
Regional levels
 Coordinate all aspects of recovery, including
State/Commonwealth departments, local government, non-
government organisations and agencies
 Coordinate provision of personal support (psychological first aid)
at incident sites and across the community
 Provide community information and facilitate community
redevelopment programs
 Support councils and community recovery committees in recovery
planning and managing recovery activities
 Provide advice, information and assistance to affected individuals,
communities, funded agencies and municipal councils
 Assist with provision of temporary accommodation.
Department of Environment, Land,
Water & Planning (DELWP)  Access to ICCs and State Control Centre facilities
 Support the Initial Impact Assessment process
 Provide skilled personnel to provide engineering advice regarding
damaged structures
earthquake
 Provision of human and physical resources
 DELWP has a regulatory role in ensuring that water authorities,
who manage water storages, address safety issues (including
dam breach events) and that owners of private dams are licensed,
with safety provisions included in their licences.
Response Activities
 Provide advice about the disposal and rehabilitation of livestock
Recovery
(Coordinated by the State Emergency Recovery Unit)
 Assess losses of agricultural assets and livestock, and needs of
affected persons and communities
 Advise individuals, communities and government agencies on re-
establishment of rural enterprises or alternative strategies for
economic relief
 Administer specific relief subsidies
 Advise councils on the disposal of dead or maimed stock. (Animal
welfare operations, including disposal of dead stock, begins as
part of emergency response.)
 Advise distribution bodies (e.g. VFF) on needs for donated
fodder.
Department of Economic
Development, Jobs, Transport and  Provide skilled personal to provide engineering advice regarding
Resources (DEDJTR) damaged structures
 Provide information regarding the status of energy utilities to
VICSES and supporting agencies
 Coordinate the restoration of critical energy utilities
 Facilitate the provision of skilled personnel to provide engineering
advice regarding damaged transport infrastructure
 Provide information regarding the status of the transport network
and associated infrastructure to VICSES and supporting agencies
 Facilitate the provision of transport capabilities when requested to
support evacuation, passenger transport and logistics purposes
 Support the Initial Impact Assessment process through the
provision of transport portfolio impact and damage assessments
Environment Protection
Authority  Assesses the environmental impact of the emergency
 Determines practical measures to protect the environment
 Advises the emergency services on the properties and
environmental impacts of hazardous materials
 Ensures that appropriate disposal methods are adopted for
detritus and waste
 Implements the Community Environmental Trauma Protocol when
required
ESTA 000
 Provide facilities for EMLO.
Geoscience Australia
 Provide information where available to VICSES regarding
earthquake risk
 Earthquake notifications will be provided directly to the VICSES
State Duty Officer (SDO)
 Monitor and report earthquakes of magnitude 3.5 or greater.
Melbourne Water
damaged structures
 Implement crisis and incident management plans when assets fail
to perform their function (water supply and sewerage)
 Provide information on impact to water assets or services
 Provision of emergency works to alleviate flooding and clearance
of waterways and drainage as required.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB)
 Support incident management
 Provide access to ICC facilities
 Support VicPol with evacuation.
earthquake
 Undertake response to hazmat incidents
 Undertake urban fire suppression
 Support the deployment of the State USAR response team.
Municipal Councils Preparedness
 Ensure Municipal Emergency Management Plans are appropriate
to response to an earthquake event
 Assist with and contribute to earthquake education programs
where resources allow.
Response
 Provision of resources as available and needed by the community
and response agencies
 Establishment of MECC – facilities and staffing
 Provision of engineering advice
 Provision of council facilities for emergency services staging areas
 Assist VICSES with the delivery of public information
 Coordination of the provision and operation of emergency relief
 Assist with debris removal
 Assist with the provision of plant and skilled operators
 Support to VicRoads for partial/full road closures and
determination of alternative routes.
Recovery
 Provision and staffing of Recovery/Information Centre(s)
 Formation and leadership of Municipal/Community Recovery
Committees
 Survey and determination regarding occupancy of damaged
buildings
 Environmental health management — including food and
sanitation safety, vector control, such as removing dead animals
(domestic, native or feral) from waterways
 Oversight and inspection of rebuilding/redevelopment
 Provision and management of community development services
 Provision and/or coordination of volunteer helpers
 Provision of personal support services, e.g. counselling, advocacy
 Coordination of clean-up activities, including disposal of dead
animals (domestic, native and feral)
 Repair/restoration of council infrastructure
 Organisation, management or assistance with public appeals.
Parks Victoria
damaged structures
 Clear and restore roads, bridges and other assets within its parks
and reserves
 Close and evacuate at-risk camping grounds in national parks.
VICROADS
 Assist management of road closures and diversions
 Provide information regarding status of roads to VICSES and
supporting agencies
damaged structures
 Assist with debris removal
 Provide plant and skilled operators
 Assist with the dissemination of warnings through warning signs.
Victoria Police (VicPol)

 Ensure the effective coordination of resources or services in
response to the emergency
 Ensure there is an effective control structure in place
 Coordinate evacuation in consultation with Incident Controller
 Coordinate USAR resources in consultation with Incident
Controller
 Coordinate the registration of evacuees – with support from the
Australian Red Cross
 Coordinate public enquiry system for disaster victims
 Coordinate disaster victim identification
 Assist with media management
 Traffic Management planning
 Assist with conducting Initial Impact Assessment
 Coordinate requests for Commonwealth resources.
Victorian Water Corporations
(other than Melbourne Water)  Provide skilled personnel to provide engineering advice regarding
damaged structures
 Implementing crisis and incident management plans when assets
fail to perform their function (water supply and sewerage)
 Provide information on impact to water assets or services.
Appendix 3 - AIIMS Structures

AIIMS Level 2 – Possible Incident Structure for Earthquake of minimal or moderate scale
Less than 4.5 on Richter Scale

For public information flow and assessment teams
AIIMS Level 3 – Possible Incident Structure for Earthquake of moderate scale
4.5 – 6.0 on Richter Scale
AIIMS Level 3 – Possible Incident Structure for Earthquake of major scale
Above 6.0 on Richter Scale
Appendix 4 – What is an Earthquake?
An earthquake is the shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth caused by underground movement
along a fault plane or by volcanic activity.
The size of earthquakes is commonly measured using the Richter scale which compares the maximum
heights of the seismic waves at a distance of 100 kilometres from the point on the earth's surface directly
above where the earthquake originated within the earth, the epicentre.
The scale divides the size of earthquakes into categories called magnitudes which are an estimate of the
energy released by an earthquake. For every unit increase in magnitude on the Richter Scale, there is
roughly a thirty-fold increase in the energy released by an earthquake. For instance, a magnitude 2.0
earthquake releases 30 times more energy than a magnitude 1.0 earthquake, while a magnitude 3.0
earthquake releases 900 times (30x30) more energy than a magnitude 1.0.
A magnitude (M) 8.6 earthquake releases energy equivalent to about 10,000 atomic bombs of the type used
to destroy Hiroshima in World War II.
11.1 The Richter Scale
The effects of an earthquake depend on many factors, such as the distance from the epicentre and the local
ground conditions. Generally, for locations near the epicentre, the following effects may be observed:
Magnitude Description of Effect
Less than 3.4M Usually felt by only a few people near the epicentre
Felt by people who are indoors and some outdoors; vibrations similar to a passing
3.5 - 4.2M
truck
4.3 - 4.8M Felt by many people; windows rattle, dishes disturbed, standing cars rock
4.9 - 5.4M Felt by everyone; dishes break and doors swing, unstable objects overturn
5.5 - 6.1M Some damage to buildings; plaster cracks, bricks fall, chimneys damaged
Much building damage; houses move on their foundations, chimneys fall, furniture
6.2 - 6.9M
moves
Serious damage to buildings; bridges twist, walls fracture, many masonry

7.0 - 7.3M
buildings collapse
7.4 - 7.9M Causes great damage; most buildings collapse
Greater than 8.0 Causes extensive damage; waves seen on the ground surface
11.2 The Mercalli Scale
The Mercalli Scale measures the intensity of an earthquake event in terms of what may be felt and the
damage that may occur especially in built-up areas. The Mercalli Scale (abbreviated descriptors) is as follows:
I. Instrumental Generally not felt by people unless in favourable conditions.
Felt only by a couple people that are sensitive, especially on the upper floors
II. Weak of buildings. Delicately suspended objects (including chandeliers) may swing
slightly.
Felt quite noticeably by people indoors, especially on the upper floors of

buildings. Many do not recognize it as an earthquake. Standing automobiles
III. Slight
may rock slightly. Vibration similar to the passing of a truck. Duration can be
estimated. Indoor objects (including chandeliers) may shake.
Felt indoors by many to all people, and outdoors by few people. Some
awakened. Dishes, windows, and doors disturbed, and walls make cracking
IV. Moderate sounds. Chandeliers and indoor objects shake noticeably. The sensation is
more like a heavy truck striking building. Standing automobiles rock
noticeably. Dishes and windows rattle alarmingly. Damage none.
Felt inside by most or all, and outside. Dishes and windows may break and
bells will ring. Vibrations are more like a large train passing close to a house.
V. Rather Strong
Possible slight damage to buildings. Liquids may spill out of glasses or open
containers. None to a few people are frightened and run outdoors.
Felt by everyone, outside or inside; many frightened and run outdoors, walk
unsteadily. Windows, dishes, glassware broken; books fall off shelves; some
VI. Strong heavy furniture moved or overturned; a few instances of fallen plaster.
Damage slight to moderate to poorly designed buildings, all others receive
none to slight damage.
Difficult to stand. Furniture broken. Damage light in building of good design

and construction; slight to moderate in ordinarily built structures;
VII. Very Strong considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures; some
chimneys broken or heavily damaged. Noticed by people driving
automobiles.
Damage slight in structures of good design, considerable in normal buildings

with a possible partial collapse. Damage great in poorly built structures. Brick
VIII. Destructive buildings easily receive moderate to extremely heavy damage. Possible fall
of chimneys, factory stacks, columns, monuments, walls, etc. Heavy furniture
moved.
General panic. Damage slight to moderate (possibly heavy) in well-designed

structures. Well-designed structures thrown out of plumb. Damage moderate
IX. Violent
to great in substantial buildings, with a possible partial collapse. Some
buildings may be shifted off foundations. Walls can fall down or collapse.
Many well-built structures destroyed, collapsed, or moderately to severely

X. Intense damaged. Most other structures destroyed, possibly shifted off foundation.
Large landslides.
Few, if any structures remain standing. Numerous landslides, cracks and

XI. Extreme
deformation of the ground.
Total destruction – everything is destroyed. Lines of sight and level distorted.

Objects thrown into the air. The ground moves in waves or ripples. Large
XII. Catastrophic
amounts of rock move position. Landscape altered, or levelled by several
meters. Even the routes of rivers can be changed.
Please note: The Mercalli scale is for Incident / Emergency management information purposes only and
should NOT be used in public messaging or information.
Appendix 5 – South East Australia - Faults and Fault Lines
Appendix 6 – South East Australia Historical Earthquakes
Appendix 7 – Main Faults Melbourne

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Earthquake Emergency Response

Version 2016C – June 2016

Version Date of Description of Document / Changes

Draft 1.1 01/11/2007 Draft Document

Draft 1.2 27/12/2007 Interim Response Plan

Draft 1.3 22/10/09 Draft Document V 1.3

Draft 1.4 20/05/2010 Final document 1.0

Draft 1.5 15/02/2012 Draft Document 2.0

Draft 1.6 9/4/2013 Document Updated 2013

Draft 1.1 20/5/2013 Final Document with Amendments from State HQ

2014F 13/8/2014 Final Document

2015G 16/09/2015 Annual review and update

2016C 08/06/2016 Review and update

Chief Officer Operations

For matters regarding this plan:

Regional Manager – Central Region

 The Melbourne Central Business District (CBD),

Plans Stakeholders Activity

State Emergency Response Plans State Emergency Recovery EMV – Coordination of

State Emergency Recovery EMV State Recovery DHHS – Public Information

Regional Earthquake Emergency VICPOL / DELWP / CFA / VICSES – Response Control

Regional Emergency Response Power Companies EMV – Coordination of

Municipal Emergency Management Municipal Emergency VICSES – Response Control

Agency Recovery Planning Local Govt – Response

Victorian Emergency Management Framework

4.1 State, Regional and Municipal Earthquake Response Planning Structure

5.1 Strategic Control Priorities

 Initial impact assessment (IIA)

Description of the impact assessment process

6.1 Initial impact assessment (IIA)

6.2 Secondary impact Assessment (SIA)

Diagram of the impact assessment process

6.4 After Shocks

7.1 Emergency Relief Centres ( ERC’s)

8 Traffic Management Plans

9.1 Key Public Messaging

10 Co-ordination of VICSES Resources

The Area of Operations Controller will be responsible for:

10.1 Incident Control Centre Activation

Suitable locations for Regional Control Centres:

RCC Name Responsible Agency Address Contact

Southern Metro CFA District 8 45 Assembly Drive, CFA District 8 Duty

Suitable locations for Incident Control Centres:

ICC Name Responsible Agency Address Contact

Southern Metro CFA District 8 45 Assembly Drive, CFA District 8 Duty

Sunshine ICC VICSES Central Proximity Drive, VICSES Central

Burnley ICC MFB 450 Burnley St, MFB Duty Officer

10.4 Staging Areas

The purpose of a debriefing is to:

Victoria Police (VicPol)

Appendix 3 - AIIMS Structures

Less than 4.5 on Richter Scale

4.5 – 6.0 on Richter Scale

Above 6.0 on Richter Scale

Magnitude Description of Effect

Serious damage to buildings; bridges twist, walls fracture, many masonry

7.4 - 7.9M Causes great damage; most buildings collapse