Evacuation planning handbook

The Evacuation Planning handbook provides a nationally consistent approach to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of a five-stage evacuation process. It presents authoritative, principles-based guidance on how to manage evacuations before, during, and after an emergency or disaster. The handbook is intended to support government, non-government organisations and communities in inclusive evacuation planning. Central to the handbook’s intent is the safety of community members and emergency personnel during the evacuation process, and the timely return of evacuees to minimise negative health, social and economic impacts for affected individuals and communities.

The Evacuation Planning handbook aims to enable communities and the emergency management sector to work together to be better prepared to manage these events. The handbook provides the opportunity to plan for locally led response and recovery activities which occur when all groups from individuals to households, businesses, non-government organisations and local governments take collective action so that communities become safer, stronger and more connected.