Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience) Share this | Hansard source

This year the Australian government, through Emergency Management Australia, has worked with the states, territories and industry to agree the COVID-19 Interstate (Fire, Emergency and other Essential Services) Deployment Protocol. The protocol will facilitate cross-border movement for emergency support specialists and technicians not only for that immediate response in the middle of a crisis but for the all-important work associated with cleaning up and rebuilding after a disaster occurs.

The updated protocol came into effect on 8 November with endorsement from state and territory emergency chiefs as well as the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. It will mean we can ensure that essential workers required to repair critical infrastructure assets like telecommunications, power, energy and health, can go where they're needed to restore these essential services to Australians. It will also apply to tradespeople, where rebuilding is required, and insurers to make it easier for people to access the support they need to repair their homes and get their businesses back up and running after a disaster.