For the purpose of an Australian Government response, Tier 4 coordination may be triggered by any type of hazard(s) where the complexity and severity of impacts and consequences requires the highest level of coordination across the full span of Australian Government interests.
A crisis requiring Tier 4 coordination may:
- be caused by any hazard(s)
- be highly complex, including concurrent, compounding and/or consecutive crisis events, resulting in interlinked and cascading consequences requiring coordination across the full range of Australian Government and national equities and interests
- have wide-ranging harmful impacts and consequences across multiple jurisdictions and sectors of society, and extreme to catastrophic impacts on Australians
- have overwhelmed Australia’s technical, non-technical and social systems and resources, and degraded or disabled governance structures and strategic and operational decision-making functions.
Tier 4 coordination is expected to involve most or all portfolios. It supports whole of nation responses spanning domestic and international jurisdictions. It could be supported by a number of national plans, including the Australian Government Catastrophic Crisis Plan (AUSCATPLAN) maintained by NEMA.
During Tier 4 coordination, ministers, senior officials and their agencies have clear responsibilities to ensure Australian Government coordination and response activities are well aligned and responsive as the impacts and consequences of the crisis evolve. The Handbook provides additional principles-based guidance on roles and responsibilities to initiate and undertake Tier 4 coordination.
The establishment of the roles of Lead Minister, Australian Government Coordinating Agency and Lead Coordinating Senior Official (p. 24) under the Framework does not displace the existing executive responsibilities of ministers and senior officials. During a crisis requiring Tier 4 coordination, ministers and senior officials retain their statutory powers, with agencies and officials continuing to report to their respective ministers.
Coordination arrangements
The Prime Minister is the Lead Minister for Tier 4 coordination. The Prime Minister may delegate the Lead Minister role to another minister.
NEMA is the Australian Government Coordinating Agency for Tier 4 coordination. NEMA will brief the Prime Minister through PM&C.
DCG EMR NEMA is the Lead Coordinating Senior Official for Tier 4 coordination.
During Tier 4 coordination, the NCM is the peak crisis coordination mechanism.
- The relevant DCG NEMA (or delegate) is a co-chair of the NCM, including NCM-AUSGOV.
- NEMA provides secretariat services to the NCM.
- The relevant Deputy Secretary PM&C or delegate is a co-chair of the NCM.
- Where deemed appropriate by the Prime Minister, DCG NEMA and the relevant Deputy Secretary PM&C, as co-chairs of the NCM, may be co-opted to the NSC to inform ministerial decision making.
The NCM may be informed by subsidiary sector-specific coordination forums, including inter-departmental committees, or sector-specific NCMs.
The IDETF is the peak senior officials’ crisis coordination mechanism for international crises during Tiers 1–3 coordination, and reports to the NCM during Tier 4 coordination.
Where another agency was responsible for Australian Government coordination prior to transitioning to NEMA at Tier 4, that agency may consider co-locating operational officers to the NSR to support whole of Australian Government coordination.
Other Australian Government agencies and ministers retain responsibility for leading consequence management activities within their own sectors, including existing legislative power and responsibilities.
