Local governments are closely involved in emergency management and have specialised knowledge about their communities. In an emergency, they use this knowledge to respond to the situation and to provide support and resources.
Under the Emergency Management Act 2005 (EM Act), local governments are required to have local emergency management arrangements (LEMA) in place.
LEMA is the collection of all emergency management strategies, plans, agreements and other documents that apply to the local government district. In an emergency, any of this information can be used, depending on the circumstances.
Local governments are responsible for developing, maintaining, and testing their LEMA.
Effective LEMA enhances the community's resilience and readiness for emergencies through plans that cover the phases of emergency management:
- prevention/mitigation
- preparedness
- response
- recovery.
Find out more about LEMA and other local government responsibilities at the Local Government Emergency Management Knowledge Hub.
LEMA Improvement Program
Supported by the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC), the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) and the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) are working with Local Governments and other stakeholders to improve local emergency management and support the sector to adapt to an evolving emergency management landscape.
Find out more about the LEMA Improvement Program.
Updates
August 2026
New LEMA templates and guidance developed through the LEMA Improvement Program are now available for local governments to use. Feedback can be provided through EngageWAEM and will be used to refine and improve the templates.
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