On March 14-16, delegates from the International Affairs Office of the Local Administration Bureau (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications {MIC}) visited Sydney. CLAIR Sydney supported their visits to government agencies and local governments in NSW to learn more about their emergency services.
The International Affairs Office is considering a new policy where a key person, tentatively called an ‘Information Coordinator’, helps manage the support of foreigners at evacuation centres during disasters. As Australia is a diverse and multicultural society, the delegates visited some Australian organizations to get information and advice about possible direction and implementation strategies. They went to NSW State Emergency Service, NSW Fire and Rescue, NSW Rural Fire Service and NSW Police Force in addition to Multicultural NSW and Cumberland Council, which is home to many residents born outside of Australia.
Each institution once had very clear and separate roles, but recently it is more important for these institutions to cooperate with each other. NSW Police Force’s Emergency Management Officers play an important and central role in connecting these institutions. The delegates appreciated our support and considered this trip to be a success as they were able to speak with a lot of experts in this field.