National Emergency Relief Summit

March 2014

Noel Clement Head of Australian Services

Overview

1. Context

• Red Cross in emergency management

2. Relief & Recovery

• Disaster impacts/human needs

• National Principles for Disaster Recovery

• Emergency Appeals

3. Lessons/challenges

• Overarching

• Appeals related

• Auxiliary to government

• Partnerships at all levels of government

• Responsibilities under State/ Territory

EM arrangements

• Other Partnerships • Australian Psychological Society

• Save the Children

• Corporate support

Red Cross response – the framework Red Cross role in Emergency Management

Emergency Services Strategy 2010-2015

The aim:

To mobilise the power of humanity to build resilience in communities before, during and after emergencies.

Red Cross Strategy - Outcomes Focus

1. Preparedness

2. Response

3. Recovery

4. Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities

Relief & Recovery

• Disaster impacts/human needs

• National Principles for Disaster Recovery

• Emergency Appeals

Where does Emergency Relief fit in?

• Disasters impacts upon, individuals, families, places, networks, businesses,

livelihoods

• People may lose a lifetime of memories, belongings, treasured pets,

irreplaceable possessions and years of hard work

• No two people experience

the same disaster

• The consequences are long,

complex and disruptive

Disaster impacts

Scenario

• What do I need?

• Who can provide it?

• Who’s in charge?

Counseling/rebuilding/’getting over it’ • Public interest and perception

• Time to rebuild

• Counseling v. practical assistance/effort

Practical matters • Decision making

• Housing/living arrangements

• Children’s schools

Sustaining the effort in a continually changing environment • Work

• Clearing/rebuilding

• Living arrangements (caravans/relocation?)

• Family stresses

Managing role tensions, stress & fatigue • Balancing the community role with family and personal recovery

• Cumulative Stress

• Fatigue

The challenges – individual and community

• Range of community recovery services

• Information

• Community and personal support

• Emergency Relief/ Financial assistance

• Mental health support

• Community development and resources

• Type, range and quantum of services dependent on impact of

disaster and needs of individuals and communities

Services – individual and community

Disaster recovery in Australia

• Supporting communities to work together during adversity

• Recognising and contributing to individual and community resilience

• Working with and empowering communities physical, environmental & economic elements, together with psychosocial wellbeing

• Enhancing social and natural environments, infrastructure and economies

National principles for disaster recovery

A joint approach to disaster recovery:

• whole of government

• whole of community

A national collaboration owned and shared by many:

• governments at all levels

• not for profit sector

• the many individuals working in emergency management and recovery

A strong focus on community led recovery:

• applicable to all aspects of recovery

• promote self-reliance, shared responsibility and mutual obligation

Developed and revised by the Disaster Recovery Sub Committee (DRSC) of the Community and

Disability Services Ministers’ Advisory Council (CDSMAC)

National principles for disaster recovery

Six key interrelated concepts:

1. Understanding the context

2. Recognising the complexity

3. Using community led approaches

4. Ensuring coordination of all activities

5. Employing effective communication

6. Acknowledging and building capacity

Potential Emergency Relief measures

State/Territory Governments • Emergency assistance

• Temporary living

• Household rebuild/repair

Australian Government grants • Centrelink Disaster Relief payment

Appeals • Not for profits

• Community groups – new and existing

Material aid/donated goods • Corporate

• Individual generosity

Emergency Relief - Observations

o Can be divisive if impact and community need are not well understood

o Majority of recipients are typically not used to accessing financial assistance

o Expectations of beneficiaries can be varied

o Expectations of donors need to be carefully managed

o Prescribed versus empowerment approaches

Financial assistance

• Often unnecessarily complex

• Coordination challenges – duplication and gaps

• Availability driven by intangibles such as media interest & public response

Donated goods

• Balancing people’s desire to give/help with need/dignity of those affected

• Potential impact on local economic recovery (e.g. local stores)

Appeals - Black Saturday 2009

Red Cross launched the Victorian Bushfire Appeal in partnership

with the Victorian and Australian governments on 8 February

• Close to 600,000 people donated to the Appeal

• 93% of the donations came from individuals

• 13 simultaneous call centres were in operation during collection process

• 350,000 calls received in one 3 hour period alone

Appeals - Black Saturday 2009

Background:

• 173 people deceased

• Hundreds of people injured

• Thousands of homes and properties damaged or destroyed

• Major impact on community infrastructure

• Major economic impacts

Exercise:

How would you allocate the funds?

• $401m (including interest)

Appeals - Black Saturday 2009

• Independent advisory panel made up of community leaders

established to oversee the Appeal Fund’s operation

• Administration undertaken through Victorian Government

Department of Human Services (no costs taken from the fund)

• $320m (80%) to individuals and families

• $81m to communities

• $225m on housing support

• More than $240m (60%) distributed in the first 12 months

• 46,000 payments made to date

Appeals - Black Saturday 2009

Initial emergency payments included:

• Compassion and Bereavement Payment

• Initial Home Dislocation Payment

• Severe Injury Payment

• Household Repairs Payment

• Tools of Trade Payment

• Exceptional Hardship Support Payment

• Rebuilding and recovery payments

Appeals - Black Saturday 2009

Subsequent Rebuilding and recovery payments

included:

• Destroyed Homes Payment

• Damaged Homes Payment

• Tenant Contents Payment

• Rural Properties Recovery Payment

• Severe Injury Transition to Home Payment

Appeals – Examples of Principles

• Ensure input from the affected community

• Distribution should be accessible, equitable and timely

• Guidelines should be well-publicised and accessible

• Individual and community recovery should be supported

• All money collected should be disbursed

• Separate appeals should be coordinated or, if possible,

combined

• Consideration should be given to other forms of financial

assistance available (capacity to recover)

• Appeal funds should be used for grants, not loans

• Assistance should not act as a disincentive to insurance

Lessons & Challenges

Overarching:

• Importance of a cohesive, integrated response -

coordinating diversity of effort to maximise outcomes

• Prompt Response/Proactivity versus sensitivity to

community and individual circumstances

• When is an appeal appropriate?

• Impact of an appeal on wider organisation’s work

• Diversity of impacts and impacted groups

Lessons & challenges

Appeals:

•The Appeal ‘wave’ – highs and lows

•Tension between immediacy & ensuring full probity - incremental release of funds

• Building and maintaining trust in the appeal – independence of decision making versus organisation control

•Critical importance of communication and transparency

•Legislation/ taxation implications – “relief of distress”

•Distribution costs and infrastructure

•Role of the Media and Public scrutiny

•Donor intent/ expectations of beneficiaries

•Empowerment/dependency

•Long term nature of recovery

Lessons & challenges