Lead Minister

• Provides advice to the Prime Minister and the National Security Committee of Cabinet (NSC) (or other Committees of Cabinet) on whole of Australian Government crisis priorities and consequence management objectives.
• Oversees a coordinated Australian Government response to crisis and coordinates ministerial activities by collaborating with other Australian, state and territory counterparts.
• Exercises executive responsibilities and decision-making in consultation with Australian Government ministers with relevant interests.
• Ensures there are systems and procedures available so that they are readily contactable.
• Ensures their office maintains business continuity plans in the event that the office is affected directly by a crisis.
• Acts as the key Australian Government spokesperson in alignment with a whole of Australian Government crisis communications strategy.
• Records ministerial decisions and actions relevant to the crisis.

Other ministers

• Ensure their portfolios are prepared to support crisis coordination.
• Provide advice to the Prime Minister and the NSC (or other Committees of Cabinet) on Australian Government crisis priorities and objectives relevant to their respective portfolio responsibilities.
• Oversee the consequence management activities of agencies within their portfolio.
• Retain and execute executive responsibilities and decision-making in consultation with Australian Government ministers with relevant interests.
• Record ministerial decisions and actions relevant to the crisis.

Lead Coordinating Senior Official

• Ensures that their agency (an Australian Government Coordinating Agency designated under the Framework) is prepared and positioned to coordinate Australian Government actions in response to crisis or crises caused by their designated identified hazard(s)
• Advises and supports the Lead Minister in executing the Lead Minister’s responsibilities.
• Where the Lead Minister is the Prime Minister, advises and supports the Prime Minister through PM&C.
• Assesses the level of crisis coordination required, and establishes, reviews and adapts the appropriate tier of coordination over the course of the crisis.
• Maintains near real time situational awareness and monitors impacts and consequences of the crisis across all sectors.
• Facilitates shared situational awareness across the Australian Government and nationally.
• Facilitates agreement to whole of Australian Government coordination priorities and objectives.
• Ensures coordination of cross-government advice to relevant ministers.
• Engages and collaborates with counterparts in Sector Lead Agencies and Enabling Agencies to ensure the requirements under this Framework are being met.
• Regularly convenes an overarching senior officials’ coordination forum during a crisis in collaboration with senior official responsible for the relevant forum.
• In line with chairing arrangements, co-chairs the peak senior official’s crisis coordination committee and briefs NSC (or other Committee of Cabinet), as required.
• Maintains clear lines of communication with the Lead Minister’s office.
• Coordinates development of a whole of Australian Government crisis communications strategy and ensures the dissemination of crisis communications products and public information (such as whole of government talking points and briefing materials).
• Coordinates strategic planning activities.
• Maintains oversight of any requests for or offers of assistance received by Australian Government agencies from state, territory or foreign governments, coordinating with responsible agencies, including DFAT and NEMA.
• Manages risks related to crisis coordination.
• Engages with counterparts in states, territories and/or international jurisdictions as required, coordinating with responsible agencies including DFAT and NEMA.
• As crisis coordination concludes, ensures transfer of any ongoing responsibilities and processes to relevant senior officials, agencies (including state and territory leads) and recovery coordination mechanisms.
• Conducts post-response evaluation and supports integration of relevant lessons identified into the continuous improvement of the Australian Government’s crisis management arrangements, including plans and capabilities.
• Maintains records of decisions and actions relevant to the crisis.

Australian Government Coordinating Agency

• Monitors crisis events that may impact the interests and responsibilities of agencies across the Australian Government.
• Supports the Lead Coordinating Senior Official in making decisions and recommendations on the level of coordination and response required.
• Harnesses capabilities and resources in line with coordination requirements from within the portfolio, and from other agencies when portfolio-managed options are insufficient.
• Provides secretariat and convening functions for sector-specific committees.
• Supports development and coordination of a whole of Australian Government crisis communications strategy and ensures the dissemination of crisis communications products and public information (such as whole of government talking points and briefing materials).
• As crisis coordination concludes, supports the transfer of any continuing functions and responsibilities to relevant officials and agencies (including state and territory leads) and recovery coordination mechanisms.
• Conducts post-response evaluation and supports integration of relevant lessons identified into the continuous improvement of the Australian Government’s crisis management arrangements, including plans and capabilities.
• When a crisis occurs in an Australian External Territory, works with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) to coordinate crisis management.
• Deploys liaison officers to the NSR, DFAT CC or other operations centres as required to support situational awareness.
• Engages with counterparts in states, territories and/or international jurisdictions, coordinating with responsible agencies including NEMA and DFAT as required.
• Maintains business continuity plans to ensure the agency can continue to perform its role if it is affected directly by a crisis.
• Maintains records of decisions and actions relevant to the crisis.

Sector Lead Agency

• Monitors crisis events that may impact the agency’s interests and responsibilities.
• Conducts sector-specific responses and consequence management activities within its own portfolio, including coordination across jurisdictional equities as required.
• Deploys liaison officers to the NSR, DFAT CC or other operations centres as required to support shared situational awareness.
• Proactively contributes to the whole of Australian Government crisis communications strategy, dissemination of crisis communications products and public information (such as whole of government talking points and briefing materials).
• Engages with counterparts in states, territories and/or international jurisdictions, coordinating with responsible agencies including DFAT and NEMA as required.
• Manages risks related to the consequence management activities within their own portfolios.
• Maintains business continuity plans to ensure the agency can continue to perform its role if it is affected directly by a crisis.
• Maintains records of decisions and actions relevant to the crisis.

Enabling Agency

• Administers relevant programs.
• Provides specialist technical, scientific, intelligence or information capabilities.
• Supports or conducts any other enabling activities to support consequence management activities.
• Deploys liaison officers to the NSR, DFAT CC or other operations centres as required to support shared situational awareness.
• Proactively contributes to the whole of Australian Government crisis communications strategy, dissemination of crisis communications products and public information (such as whole of government talking points and briefing materials).
• Engages with counterparts in states, territories and/or international jurisdictions as required, coordinating with responsible agencies including NEMA and DFAT.
• Maintains business continuity plans to ensure the agency can continue to perform its role if it is affected directly by a crisis.
• Maintains records of decisions and actions relevant to the crisis.