Australia’s emergency management chief resigns Attorney-General Philip Ruddock paid tribute to Mr Templeman’s contribution, saying that Mr Templeman had overseen Australia ’s emergency management and coordination arrangements at a pivotal time in both natural disaster management and in counter-terrorism planning, preparation and response. “David has advised me that he will be stepping down to concentrate his attention on his health and his family,” he said. “I would like to acknowledge David’s leadership role in developing Australia ’s emergency management and setting a benchmark for whole-of-government response and recovery measures,” Mr Ruddock said. “His drive to establish and maintain international best practice has been a significant achievement and reflects extremely well on both David and his organisation.” Mr Ruddock noted the extraordinary emergencies in recent years over which Mr Templeman had presided in his role at EMA: “He competently coordinated elements of Australia 's response to the Bali bombings, the Indian Ocean tsunami, and support for our neighbours in both the Pacific Ocean and beyond in times of need,” he said. “A range of emergencies and potential incidents on-shore have also seen his active involvement, from bushfires and floods to coordination of disaster conferences and emergency management volunteer summits.” Mr Templeman was appointed to head the EMA in June 2000. His resignation comes after 38 years in the Australian Public Service. The role of Acting Director General of EMA will be filled by Trevor Clement, whose previous roles at EMA include head of the Community Development Branch and Assistant Secretary, Critical Infrastructure Protection.
•Date: 14th March 2006• Region: Australia • Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning |
