A thorough understanding of risks facing communities forms the fundamental underpinning of emergency management planning. Risk based emergency management planning and community engagement are key elements of the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (2011), which specifically states:

“To increase disaster resilience, emergency management planning should be based on risk and be integrated with strategic planning of government and communities. It should consider risks and risk treatments across the social, built, economic and natural environments.”

To assist communities and Municipalities to gain a greater understanding of the risks they face and opportunities to treat risks, Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) has worked to develop the Community Emergency Risk Assessment (CERA) process and an associated risk assessment tool. The process, which aligns with the ISO: 31000 and relevant national guidelines, is unique in that it takes an ‘all hazards, all agencies’ approach to risk assessment at the local level.

By design key elements of the CERA include:
• A scenario based approach capable of assessing risks across various magnitudes;
• A focus on qualitative analysis which utilises linkages to existing quantitative risk assessment approaches;
• An ability to assess the confidence level of a risk assessment, which may act as a decision point to undertake a more robust risk assessment, with improved risk data;
• A standardised set of consequence and likelihood criteria;
• An assessment of control effectiveness, an ability to assess where controls may require improvement;
• Identification of improvement opportunities for collaboration between agencies; and
• Identification of facilities and locations for consideration and responsive action including addressing specific risk groups, including vulnerable persons.

The process is now being implemented within Municipalities in Victoria and many other States within Australia have adopted the CERA to meet their needs. This paper provides an overview of the process, feedback and challenges from its initial implementation and its future direction.