Minister for Emergency Services (New South Wales) explained

Post:Minister for Emergency Services
Incumbent:Jihad Dib
Insignia:Coat of Arms of New South Wales.svg
Department:Department of Communities and Justice
Style:The Honourable
Appointer:Governor of New South Wales
Incumbentsince:5 April 2023
Formation:1 February 1939

The New South Wales Minister for Emergency Services is a minister within the Government of New South Wales who has the oversight of the emergency service agencies.

The portfolio is administered through the Communities and Justice cluster. In March 2022 the New South Wales Premier appointed Steph Cooke MP as the Minister for Flood Recovery.[1]

Agencies

The following agencies are responsible to the Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience:

History

The National Emergency Services Agency commenced operation on 1 February 1939. The agency was formed in response to a request from the Prime Minister that the Australian states devise a scheme for the protection of the civilian population against possible attacks from the air in the event of a national attack.[2] The first minister Michael Bruxner stated that the objective of the organisation was not just air raids, but to deal with any major catastrophe, such as fires or floods, including the co-ordination of existing organisations such as the Ambulance, the Fire Brigades, the Red Cross, and the Police Department.[3] The portfolio was abolished after the war.

Minister for National Emergency Services

Post:Minister for National Emergency Services
Body:New South Wales
Insignia:Coat of Arms of New South Wales.svg
Insigniasize:120px
Appointer:Governor of New South Wales
Formation:1 February 1939
First:Michael Bruxner
Last:Jim McGirr
Abolished:21 September 1949

The Minister for National Emergency Services had two principal activities: a) the provision of measures for the protection of the life and property of the people, such as provision of air raid warnings, lighting control, air raid shelters, protection of vital plant and numerous other schemes to meet emergency conditions; and b) operational activities, including the organisation of personnel trained in specialist duties to cope with the immediate effects of enemy attack. While the agency was created in 1939 and Michael Bruxner, the Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport, was the first responsible minister, it was not created as a formal portfolio until the first McKell ministry in 1941. Bruxner had been a member of the Australian Imperial Force in World War I and had finished that war promoted to lieutenant colonel.[4]

The first task of the department was to prepare a scheme of organisation for the State. The scheme provided for the formation of a Civil Defence Organisation upon a municipal or shire basis. Each municipality or shire became an "Area". A Chief Warden was appointed, to take charge of each Area. The Chief Warden and all of the area staff served in a voluntary capacity.

The headquarters’ staff, under a director, who was responsible to the minister, were public sector employees. In addition to a secretary and clerical staff, officers included a controller of training, a supervisor of first aid training, liaison officers and an executive officer of the technical committee, who was an officer of the professional staff of the Department of Public Works. Arrangements were made for the establishment of a special control staff at headquarters to assist in the event of an attack. In order that the best technical advice should be available, committees directly responsible to the Director were appointed. The personnel of these committees were also volunteers.

The National Emergency Act 1941 received assent on 20 March 1941,[5] and remained in force for the duration of hostilities with Germany and for a period of six months thereafter. The Act provided for preparing and implementing Raid Precautions Schemes and Regulations. The first Raid Precautions Scheme was gazetted on 6 June 1941, and the first Regulations on 13 June 1941. The legislation was amended in October 1941,[6] to bring navigable waters under the scope of the Act.

Emergency Services

It was recreated in 1982 in the fourth Wran ministry, combined with the portfolio of Police. The emergency services included New South Wales Fire Brigades, Department of Bush Fire Services and the State Emergency Service.[7] While the Ambulance Service is an emergency service, it has not been part of the responsibilities of this portfolio, instead being the responsibility of the Minister for Health. The portfolio has frequently been held in conjunction with the portfolios of either Police or Corrective Services.

Between 1 May 2020 and 16 December 2022, the minister had the oversight of Resilience NSW, with a focus on disaster management.[8] [9] [10]

List of ministers

Emergency Services

The following individuals have served as Minister for Emergency Services, or any precedent titles:

Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes
Minister in Charge of National Emergency Services Mairalign=center 1 February 1939align=center 11 February 1941align=right [11]
 align=center 11 February 1941align=center 16 May 1941align=right [12] [13]
Minister for National Emergency Services McKell (1)align=center 16 May 1941align=center 8 June 1944align=right
McKell (2)
McGirr (1) (2)		align=center 8 June 1944align=center 8 September 1949align=right
McGirr (2)align=center 8 September 1949align=center 21 September 1949align=right
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Wran (4) (5) (6) (7)align=center 26 May 1982align=center 6 February 1986align=right
Wran (8)
Unsworth		align=center 6 February 1986align=center 21 March 1988align=right
 Greiner (1) (2)
Fahey (1) (2)		align=center 25 March 1988align=center 23 September 1992
Minister for Emergency ServicesFahey (2)align=center 23 September 1992align=center 22 October 1992
align=center 22 October 1992align=center 26 May 1993align=right
Fahey (3)align=center 26 May 1993align=center 27 June 1994align=right
 align=center 27 June 1994align=center 4 April 1995align=right
 Carr (1)align=center 4 April 1995align=center 1 December 1997align=right
Carr (2)align=center 1 December 1997align=center 30 April 1998align=right
Carr (2) (3)align=center 30 April 1998align=center 2 April 2003align=right
Carr (4)
Iemma (1)		align=center 2 April 2003align=center 2 April 2007align=right
Iemma (2)align=center 2 April 2007align=center 5 September 2008align=right
Reesalign=center 8 September 2008align=center 30 January 2009align=right
Rees
Keneally		align=center 30 January 2009align=center 4 April 2011align=right
Minister for Police and Emergency Services O'Farrellalign=center 4 April 2011align=center 2 May 2014align=right
Baird (1)align=center 6 May 2014align=center 1 April 2015align=right
Minister for Emergency ServicesBaird (2)align=center 2 April 2015align=center 30 January 2017align=right
 Berejiklian (1)align=center 30 January 2017align=center 23 March 2019align=right [14]
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Berejiklian (2)
Perrottet (1)		align=center 2 April 2019align=center 21 December 2021align=right [15]
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Perrottet (2)align=center 21 December 2021align=center 5 April 2023align=right
Minister for Emergency ServicesJihad Dib Minnsalign=center 5 April 2023align=center Incumbentalign=right [16]

Flood Recovery

The following individuals have served as Minister for Flood Recovery, or any precedent titles:

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: 10 March 2022 . Steph Cooke appointed Minister for Flood Recovery . 24 April 2022 . Clarence Valley Independent.
  2. Web site: AGY-640 National Emergency Services, New South Wales . 2022-04-26 . NSW State Records & Archives.
  3. News: Anti-air raid measures . . 19 January 1939 . 26 April 2022 . 12 . Trove.
  4. News: 2 February 1939. Emergency service. 13. The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 November 2021. Trove.
  5. Web site: National Emergency Act 1941 No 1. 28 November 2021. NSW legislation. PDF.
  6. Web site: National Emergency (Amendment) Act 1941 No 41. 28 November 2021. NSW legislation. PDF.
  7. Web site: PFO-22 Police and Emergency Services [I] ]. 2022-04-26 . NSW State Records & Archives.
  8. Web site: 6 April 2020 . Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Resilience NSW) Order 2020 . 13 July 2020 . NSW Legislation.
  9. Web site: 17 November 2022 . NSW Reconstruction Authority bill passed . NSW Government.
  10. Web site: 18 November 2022 . NSW government creates Reconstruction Authority for natural disaster management . ABC News.
  11. News: Protection of civilians . . 1 February 1939 . 26 April 2022 . 16 . Trove.
  12. News: 12 February 1941 . N.E. Service on statutory basis . 4 . . New South Wales, Australia . Trove . 7 January 2021.
  13. News: 12 February 1941 . New N.E.S. Chief welcomed . 13 . . New South Wales, Australia . Trove . 7 January 2021.
  14. News: Robertson, James . 28 January 2017 . Anthony Roberts, Brad Hazzard take key roles in Gladys Berejiklian reshuffle . . 29 January 2017.
  15. News: Sas, Nick . 31 March 2019 . Gladys Berejiklian says Liberal Party has no women problem as re-elected NSW Premier shuffles Cabinet . . Australia . 3 April 2019.
  16. Web site: Heves . Bryant . 2023-04-04 . Chris Minns makes historic announcement about NSW cabinet . 2023-04-17 . skynews . en.

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