A Government agency, including Commonwealth, State or local government authority.

Animal

Companion animals, livestock including horses and poultry, wildlife, birds, and fish [Protection of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1986].

Animal welfare

How an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives. An animal is in a good state of welfare if (as indicated by scientific evidence) it is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour, and if it is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress. Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and veterinary treatment, appropriate shelter, management, nutrition, humane handling and humane slaughter/killing. Animal welfare refers to the state of the animal; the treatment that an animal receives is covered by other terms such as animal care, animal husbandry, and humane treatment. [OIE May 2008 - International Office of Animal Health].

Biosecurity

The protection of the economy, the environment, social amenity or human health from negative impacts associated with the entry, establishment or spread of animal or plant pests and disease, or invasive plant and animal species.

Command

The direction of personnel and resources of an agency in the performance of that organisation’s role and tasks. Authority to command is established in legislation or by agreement within an agency (Emergency Management Manual of Victoria,{EMMV, 2010}).

Companion Animal

Any non-human vertebrate animal kept for the purpose of companionship, recreation, protection or work with the following exclusions:
a) animals kept exclusively for agricultural production on premises legally zoned or licensed for agricultural activities,
b) horses kept solely for racing purposes (under Racing Act provisions), or
c) any class, group, type or species declared by Governor in Council as being exempt.
(Victorian Parliament Social Development Committee May 1989 'Inquiry into the Role and Welfare of Companion Animals in Society').

Control

The overall direction of response activities in an emergency. Authority for control is established in legislation or in an emergency response plan, and carries with it the responsibility for tasking other agencies in accordance with the needs of the situation. Control relates to situations and operates horizontally across agencies.

Control agency

An agency nominated to control the response activities for a specified type of emergency (EMMV, 2010).

Coordination

Co-ordination involves the bringing together of agencies and resources to ensure effective response to and recovery from emergencies. The main functions of co-ordination are:

• In relation to response, ensuring that effective control has been established and maintained, and
• The systematic acquisition and allocation of resources in accordance with the requirements imposed by emergencies.

Co-ordination operates throughout the management of response and recovery activities. Victoria Police is the co-ordination agency for response and the Department of Human Services is the co-ordination agency for recovery (EMMV, 2010).

Emergency

An emergency due to the actual or imminent occurrence of an event which in any way endangers or threatens to endanger the safety or health of any person in Victoria or which destroys or damages, or threatens to destroy or damage, any property in Victoria, or endangers or threatens to endanger the environment or an element of the environment in Victoria (EMMV, 2010).

Emergency Animal Welfare Coordinator

Refer to State Emergency Animal Welfare Coordinator.

Emergency Relief

The provision of life support and essential needs to persons affected by an emergency (EMMV, 2010).

Emergency Relief Centre

A building or place established to provide life support and essential needs to persons affected by an emergency (including evacuees). Emergency relief centres are established on a temporary basis to cope with the immediate needs of those affected during the initial response to the emergency. They do not imply any longer-term use of facilities as a location for recovery services (EMMV, 2010).

Emergency Response Coordinator

A member of the Victoria Police appointed as state, regional, municipal or field emergency response co-ordinator, whose role is to co-ordinate the response to an emergency. Included in this role is arranging for the provision of resources requested by control and support agencies. A Municipal Emergency Response Coordinator (MERC) will advise the Regional Emergency Response Coordinator of the potential need for supplementary resources. The Regional Emergency Response Coordinator (RERC) will arrange to provide regional resources requested by a MERC, or if necessary, elevate the resource request to the State Emergency Response Coordinator (SERC) (EMMV, 2010).

Evacuation

The planned relocation of persons from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas to safer areas and eventual return’. ‘Evacuation may be undertaken…on their own volition and independent of any advice, or it may be after an assessment of information provided by a control agency’. (Extract from the EMMV, Part 3 - State Emergency Response Plan - Community Safety – Evacuation).

Fodder

Feed for livestock such as hay, or pre-prepared feedstuffs designed specifically for livestock.

Livestock

(a) Any animal kept for the purposes of primary production, including cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, ratites, buffalo, camels, alpacas, goats and deer; or (b) horses, including where used for recreation; or (c) any animals prescribed as livestock (Livestock Management Act, 2010).

Organisation

Any non-government or not for profit entity, company or authority.

Persons in Charge of animals

A person who is the owner or has the animal in their possession or custody, or under the person’s care, control or supervision and any employee or agent of the owner of the animal.

Recovery

The assisting of persons and communities affected by emergencies to achieve a proper and effective level of functioning (EMMV, 2010).

Salvage slaughter

The processing of animals through an abattoir. Livestock impacted by an emergency, suitable for salvage slaughter are those that do not show signs of distress and are fit enough to be transported.

State Emergency Animal Welfare Coordinator

A role established by DPI when an emergency requires statewide coordination of animal welfare service arrangements across multiple agencies and organisations. The SEAWC manages the State Emergency Animal Welfare Unit when activated.

State Emergency Animal Welfare Unit

A unit established by DPI to assist in the state-wide coordination of animal welfare services and resources. The unit will operate within a DPI state level incident management structure (when in place) or that of a control agency.

Support agency

An agency which provides services, personnel, or material to support or assist a control agency or affected persons.
DPI is the primary Agency for companion animal and livestock welfare support services.
DSE is the primary Agency for wildlife welfare support services (EMMV, 2010).

Triage

The process of determining the priority of veterinary treatment based on the severity of an animal’s condition. This rations veterinary treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately.

Victorian Emergency Animal Welfare Committee

A consultative forum that provides ongoing leadership and oversight in the development and review of plans and policies relating to emergency animal welfare management. Membership includes DPI (chair), DSE, RSPCA, MAV, local government and AVA

Wildlife

Any vertebrate animal indigenous to Australia, some non-indigenous vertebrates (deer and game birds declared to be wildlife under the Wildlife Act, 1975), any terrestrial invertebrates listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, 1988, and does not include fish within the meaning of the Fisheries Act, 1995.

AVA

Australian Veterinary Association (Victorian Division)

CFA

Country Fire Authority

DHS
DPI

Department of Human Services
Department of Primary Industries

DSE

Department of Sustainability and Environment

EMMV

Emergency Management Manual of Victoria

IC

Incident Controller

IMT

Incident Management Team

IMS

Incident Management System

LGO

Local Government Officer

MAV

Municipal Association of Victoria

MECC

Municipal Emergency Co-ordination Centre

MERC

Municipal Emergency Response Co-ordinator

MERO
MFB

Municipal Emergency Resource Officer
Metropolitan Fire Brigade

PAS

Pet Animal Shelter

POCTA

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1986

PV

Parks Victoria

RSPCA

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

SEAWC

State Emergency Animal Welfare Coordinator

SCC

State Control Centre

SERCC

State Emergency Response Co-ordination Centre

SERO

State Emergency Response Officer of Victoria Police

SES

State Emergency Service

SIGs

Special Interest Groups

VEAWC

Victorian Emergency Animal Welfare Committee

VicPol

Victoria Police

VFF

Victorian Farmers Federation