Remote Indigenous Communities Advisory Committee
The Australian Emergency Management Committee (AEMC) formed the Remote Indigenous Communities Advisory Committee (RICAC) as a standing committee in 2004. RICAC was formed to specifically address emergency management issues in remote indigenous communities and to report through AEMC to the Augmented Australasian Police Ministers Council, now the Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management.
RICAC is currently chaired by the Commissioner, South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission. Membership includes both emergency management and Indigenous representation from:
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia, and
- Western Australia.
The Australian Government is represented on RICAC by the Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs through the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination. The Department provides secretariat support to the Committee.
The primary achievement to date has been the development of the National Emergency Management Strategy for Remote Indigenous Communities; Keeping Our Mob Safe. The aim of the Strategy is to improve community safety in remote Indigenous communities through a more coordinated approach to emergency management at local, state/territory and national levels.