AGY-817 | State Emergency Services and Civil Defence Organisation of New South Wales

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On 2 August 1972 the State Emergency Services and Civil Defence Act (No.11, 1972) was proclaimed(1), establishing The State Emergency Services and Civil Defence Organisation of New South Wales. The short title adopted for administrative purposes was to be the State Emergency Services of New South Wales. (2) The new organisation replaced the Civil Defence and State Emergency Services which had been set up after major floods in 1955 and had been extended to co-ordinate operations to combat natural disasters such as floods and bushfires as well as civil defence.(3) The change of emphasis from civil defence to state emergency resulted from the realisation that the possibility of nuclear holocaust was diminishing. (4) In March 1974 a permanent staff of 25 made up the Bush Fires Branch of the Chief Secretary's Department which provided a secretariat for the Bush Fire Council of New South Wales which was established by the Bush Fires Act (No. 25, 1970).(5) From 3 January 1975, the Bush Fires Branch was integrated with the State Emergency Services and renamed the Bush Fire Service. (6) and the organisation was placed under the Minister for Youth, Ethnic and Community Affairs. (7) The Director of State Emergency Services also held the position of Chairman of the Bush Fire Council as well as being Permanent Head of the integrated department. (8) The State Emergency Services and Civil Defence (Amendment) Act [No. 22, 1980], assented to on 15 April, 1980 and proclaimed on 25 April 1980 (9) made provision for the person holding office as Commissioner of Police to be Director of State Emergency Services and Civil Defence. (10) The Director was empowered to nominate members of the Police Force to be members of the State Emergency Services. (11) Finances to maintain this organisation of predominantly volunteer workers came from both state and local governments. (12) The state was divided geographically into divisions each headed by a voluntary Division Controller who was given administrative assistance by a permanent officer and a clerical assistant. The Agency liaised with other organisations including fire fighting authorities, the Police Force and the Bureau of Meteorology (for weather reports and flood readings) to cope with disasters, and was involved in training volunteers as fire wardens, fire-fighters and first aid attendants .(13) Following a major review of the highly centralised organisation by the Office of Public Management in 1989 there was a major restructure.(14) The State Headquarters were moved from Sydney to Wollongong in March 1990 and the administration decentralised.(15) New legislation, the State Emergency Service Act (No. 164, 1989) assented to on 4 December 1989 and proclaimed on 3 August 1990 (16) repealed the State Emergency Services and Civil Defence Act (No. 11, 1972) and established a State Emergency Service of New South Wales. Footnotes: (1) NSWGG 1972vol. 3 p. 3099 (2) Concise Guide to the State Archives of NSW 2nd Edition 1992, Q-Sup, "State Emergency Services" p. 16 (3) Ibid (4) p. 3 .State Emergency Services and Civil Defence Organisation of New South Wales Report ending 30 June 1973 in NSWPP 1973-74 vol 1 pp. 365-390 (5) Chief Secretary's Department Annual Report for the year ended 30 June, 1974 p. 7 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1974-75, Volume 3, pages 273 - 299 (6) Bush Fire Council of NSW Annual report for the year ended 31 March, 1975 p.7 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1976-77-78, Volume 1, p. 953-,987 (7) NSW Government Gazette, 1975, Volume 1, p. 147- 148 (8) State Emergency Services. Annual report for the hear ended 30 June, 1979 p. 7 (9) NSWG 1980 vol. 2 p. 2037s (10) State Emergency Services and Civil Defence (Amendment) Act (No. 22, 1980) s. 5A (1) (11) Ibid, s. 5B (12) p. 6 SES and Civil Defence Organisation of NSW Report for y/e 30 June 1973 op. cit. (13) p.11 SES and Civil Defence Organisation of NSW Report for y/e 30 June 1986 (14) Concise Guide op. cit., p. 17 (15) p.16 SES Annual Report for y/e 30 June 1990 (16) NSWGG 1990 vol. 3 part 1 p. 7102 References: Concise Guide to the State Archives of NSW 2nd Edition 1992