State Hazard Plan

To enable the Western Australian Government to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from different types of emergencies, State Hazard Plans (SHP) or ‘Westplans’ are in place, covering differing and specifically defined hazards.

The State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) has overall responsibility for emergency planning in Western Australia. The SEMC is responsible for the review and endorsement of the State Hazard Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies, which is developed and implemented by the Department of Transport as the designated Hazard Management Agency.

The State Hazard Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies provides an overview of arrangements for the management of marine oil pollution and marine transport emergencies in Western Australia, and contains information on prevention, preparedness, response and recover.

A marine transport emergency is:

“Actual or impending event involving a vessel (including collision, a stranding or an incident of navigation) if that event is capable of causing or resulting in – (i) material damage to the vessel or another vessel; (ii) loss of life, injury to a person or damage to the health of a person, property or the environment; or (iii) a hazard to the navigation of other vessels.”

Marine oil pollution is:

“Actual or impending spillage, release or escape of oil or an oily mixture that is capable of causing loss of life, injury to a person or damage to the health of a person, property or the environment.”

The Plan does not include:

• Spills of oil originating on land that enter State and port waters
• Spills of other hazardous materials in State waters and port waters
• Fires on-board ships adjacent to any fire district that are subject to the Fire Brigades Act 1942
• Terrorist acts
• Radiation escape from a nuclear power warship
• Marine search and rescue