Understand local emergency planning and response structures

Some PHNs have an abundance of helpful local emergency planning and response resources and information, while others are currently less equipped to assist.

If your local PHN does not have the information you seek, you can access guidance from other PHNs, such as the following, to better understand how other areas manage emergencies and seek inspiration where applicable and helpful:

• Nepean Blue Mountains PHN:
• Hunter New England and Central Coast PHN (NSW):
• South Eastern NSW PHN:
• Northern Queensland PHN:
• Brisbane South PHN:
• Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast PHN:

A full list of PHNs can be found on the .

PHNs are becoming increasingly involved in disaster preparedness, planning, response and recovery. Most will now have a designated disaster and emergency operations manager or ‘lead’ who is responsible for leading their disaster planning and response work.

Your PHN is a key contact that you should be maintaining communication with, regardless of whether there is a disaster imminent.

To develop and maintain healthy communication with your PHN, contact them to find out:

• how they plan to communicate with you during an emergency,
• if they offer any useful emergency communication services (i.e., alert text messages, newsletters) for general practices and other healthcare services,
• in what ways they can be of assistance to your practice before, during and after an emergency or disaster,
• how they can help you to localise your emergency planning with local information, experience and if they can facilitate connections with local emergency and community services, and
• if they can offer information, connections and resources to assist you to support your most ‘at risk’ communities to plan for and recover from disaster events.