Australia could experience severe weather at any time. But bushfires, heatwaves, flooding and tropical cyclones are more likely between October and April. We call this period the higher risk weather season (HRWS). Before each HRWS, we work with Australians, so they understand their risk.

National Preparedness Summit

Each year we run a National Preparedness Summit. The Summit brings together response and recovery leaders, and crisis management experts. Participants explore national preparedness and take part in the National Preparedness Exercise. This year’s Summit ended with an exercise where attendees ‘war-gamed’ a credible but catastrophic scenario. The exercise stress-tested plans and arrangements. 

Key Leadership Engagement

We meet with response and recovery leaders around Australia. This helps us understand how we can help when Australians experience severe weather. 

National Preparedness Briefing Program

We work with the Bureau of Meteorology to tell people about the risks each year. We brief decision makers like Members of Parliament and government departments. We also brief the media who can share our message. We work with industry and organisations to help them prepare. 

This year we briefed the following sectors:

• Australian Parliament
• National Emergency Management Ministers’ Meeting
• Media
• Aged Care
• Disability
• Telecommunications
• Federal Cabinet
• Australian Government Agencies
• Local Governments
• Food and Grocery, Transport and Supply Chain
• Water
• Not-for-Profit
• Health 
• Energy 
• Education
• Tourism

See Also

Higher Risk Weather Season