The LEMA Improvement Program
The State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) initiated a sector-led review of LEMA in 2019, with WALGA leading Local Government Consultation.
The LEMA review identified key challenges for Local Governments, including:
- unclear roles and responsibilities
- limited resources
- poor alignment between emergency management and core business functions.
Outcomes from the LEMA Review led to the SEMC initiated LEMA Improvement Program. This Program implements key activities outlined in the WALGA LEMA Review Project Summary based on extensive consultations with Local Governments.
The LEMA Improvement Program represents a collaborative partnership between WALGA and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), acting on behalf of the SEMC.
What are LEMA?
Under the Emergency Management Act 2005, Local Governments must have Local Emergency Management Arrangements (LEMA) in place. These include all emergency management plans, agreements, and documents, supporting coordinated emergency management at the Local level.
Local Governments develop, maintain, and test these arrangements to enhance community resilience across all phases of emergency management:
- Prevention/Mitigation
- Preparedness
- Response
- Recovery
LEMA Improvement Program Highlights
LEMA Working Group
In mid-2024 WALGA established a Local Government LEMA Working Group with representatives from 10 diverse Local Governments. This group collaborates monthly to develop and inform new local emergency management resources, tools, and guidance material, including:
- Local Government Incident Support Handbook
- Local Government Emergency Management Plan Template
- Local Government Emergency Management Work Plan
Recommendations Report
In February 2025, WALGA published the LEMA Improvement Recommendations Report (February 2025), co-designed with the WALGA’s LEMA Working Group and incorporating feedback from WA Local Governments.
The LEMA Pilot Program
In early 2025, WALGA launched the LEMA Pilot Program to test and refine proposed new templates and resources. The pilot is a key part of the sector-led reform, aiming to ensure a proposed new LEMA model is practical, scalable, and fit for purpose.
An expression of interest was open to Western Australian Local Governments with:
- LEMA due or overdue for renewal
- No current AWARE funding for LEMA development
- Willingness to collaborate with WALGA and DFES over several months to achieve LEMA endorsement
- Commitment to provide a nominated officer to lead the pilot locally
The Five Pilot Local Governments are:
- City of Kwinana, Shire of Manjimup, Shire of Gingin, Shire of Chittering, and Shire of Shark Bay.
Pilot activities include:
- Testing revised LEMA templates and resources,
- Hosting Community Emergency Risk Assessment (CERA) workshops, delivered by DFES with WALGA support
- Providing feedback to inform sector-wide guidance and future resources
The pilot involves active engagement from Local Emergency Management Committees, executive teams, and elected members. The process is designed to identify challenges, gather practical insights, to support the proposed roll-out of the new LEMA model across Western Australia.
Pilot Reporting and Next Steps:
- Outcomes, lessons, and recommendations from the pilot will be consolidated and reported to the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC), guiding the next phase of LEMA reforms.
Local Government EM Knowledge Hub
In October 2025, DFES launched the Local Government Emergency Management Knowledge Hub as part of the LEMA Improvement Project. Hosted on the DFES website, the EM Hub is a digital resource designed to support Local Governments in developing and maintaining their Local Emergency Management Arrangements (LEMA).
The EM Hub is currently in its engagement phase and welcomes feedback until 27 March 2026. If you have any feedback or identify any corrections, please submit these through Engage WA EM.
Important Notice
Until LEMA reforms are fully implemented, continue with your scheduled LEMA reviews to comply with the Emergency Management Act 2005. If your LEMA is due or overdue for review, proceed to fulfil your obligations under the Act. For assistance, consult your local District Emergency Management Advisor.
