The Council develops and actions management plans so that the community is prepared for emergencies.  Council has plans in place for dealing with emergencies and rural fires.  It is Council's role to coordinate responses to civil defence and rural fire emergencies.

Council has statutory responsibility to plan and provide for local Civil Defence Emergency Management and to undertake rural fire prevention and control in the area.

Council is aware of an ever increasing public demand for "preparedness" and growing media attention to disaster management. This has led Council to follow a strategy of providing information to enable people to be prepared to help themselves and others in times of pending disaster.

In general terms, there is globally an increased awareness of coastal hazard risks - for example, as a result of volcanic eruption, earthquake causing tsunamis, inundation from storm event, or longer term issues from climate change. These issues will be monitored on an ongoing basis and national guidelines will be assessed for local adoption.