Circulars

18-29 – New structure for NSW State Emergency Service

Category: Circular to Councils Status: Active
Circular Details: 18-29 / 27September 2018 / A621142 Contact: Ms Clarinda Sheeley / SES / (02) 4251 6229
Previous Circular:  Nil Attachments: Nil
Who should read this: Councillors / General Managers / All council staff Action required: Information
PDF Version: Council Circular 18-29 – PDF

What’s new or changing

  • A new structure for the NSW SES will commence on 2 October 2018.
  • A key part of the new structure is the adoption of a new Incident Management Operating Model (IMOM). The IMOM is the structure supporting the operational command and control arrangements of the NSW SES.
  • Under the IMOM, service delivery will be restructured from 17 regions to 5 zones with a ‘zone headquarters’ in each zone as well as staff located at
    other facilities across the state.
  • The NSW SES will not be closing any of its facilities in regional areas and it will not be closing any Units.
  • The Emergency Services Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 is currently before Parliament. The Bill will amend the State Emergency Service Act 1989 (NSW) to reflect changes to position and region designations arising from changes to the structure.

What this will mean for your council

  • From 2 October 2018, the 5 zones will be Metro, Northern, South East, Southern and Western. A map with zone boundaries is attached.
  • Zone Commanders will be appointed to each zone. References to Region Controllers in the Act will be changed to Zone Commanders. Region Controllers do not exist in the new structure.
  • The terms Local Controller will be replaced with Local Commander and the term Unit Controller will be replaced with Unit Commander.
  • In the new structure, Local Commanders are determined by clusters and not by Local Government Areas (LGAs). The Local Commander’s role is to
    support the Units within their cluster and facilitate collaboration within the cluster with external stakeholders.
  • It is anticipated Local Commanders will be assigned progressively from October 2018.
  • Unit Commanders will continue to do what they did as Unit Controllers. Unit Commanders in each LGA will continue to work with local stakeholders and
    play an active role in delivering the best possible service to the community.

Key points

  • The changes to the NSW SES structure take effect from 2 October 2018.
  • The new structure will see service delivery transition from a Regional to Zone-based structures. No Units will be closed as a result of the changes to the structure.
  • Councils will be advised of Local Commander appointments that are relevant to their LGA.

Where to go for further information

Tim Hurst
Chief Executive