Our current concepts of emergency management are still based on understandings reached and models developed in the last quarter of the 20th century. These concepts are primarily focused on the management of events and on the event management functionsthat need to be performed by emergency managers. To meet our understandings of the community’s needs in the 21st century, we need to be challenging those concepts.

This paper traces the later 20th century development of ‘civil protection’ concepts and policies in the light of new understandings of potential threats to civil life, property and necessary infrastructure, with the consequent transfer of such ‘protection’ responsibilities from defence to civil authorities. Studies in fields such as the earth sciences and sociology have promoted better understanding of hazards and impact consequences, and encourage the development of event management functions; prevention, preparedness, response and recovery (PPRR), the ‘five Rs’ and their ilk, each in turn coming to shelter under broad umbrellas such as ‘the prepared community’ and ‘resilience’.

Not all such functions are the sole responsibility of emergency managers, for example, prevention/risk reduction and recovery/reconstruction. In many instances, given the complexities of modern government structures, responsibilities can be owned by or shared between a number of agencies and ‘portfolios’. Major emergencies and disasters clearly call for a whole-of-government response. But as disaster impacts become more frequent and costly, governments themselves turn increasingly to post-event ‘royal commissions’ and their equivalents that allow them to set agendas (terms of reference) and ‘buy time’. Then, in a federation such as ours, issues of governmental level of responsibility and governance arise.

The paper concludes with a consideration of possible directions in the development of emergency management concepts and policies appropriate to Australia’s 21st century needs.