Keypoints

On 10 August 2010 Cabinet approved the revised NSW Human Influenza Pandemic Plan (HIPP), a sub plan of the NSW State Disaster Plan. The revised version of the HIPP ensures the plan:

• is a strategic plan of the New South Wales (NSW) whole of government response to an influenza pandemic;
• highlights command and control arrangements to clearly establish decision making responsibility and processes;
• provides broader milestones that signal changes in operational approach during the evolution of a pandemic and therefore allow for flexibility in the response;
• articulates agency capabilities specific to influenza pandemic; and
• includes NSW recovery arrangements.

The revised HIPP was developed following a review of lessons learnt from the response to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza and involved consultation with NSW Government agencies that have involvement in the response to and recovery from an influenza pandemic.

It is important that all levels of government, businesses and the community are prepared beyond the existing health and emergency planning to minimise the impact of a pandemic.

To assist this, the HIPP includes links to resources that will benefit businesses in developing their business continuity plans to prepare for, respond to and recover from a pandemic. There are also guidelines to assist households in preparing for the effects of a pandemic including guidance on how to protect households from illness, what to do if you get sick during a pandemic and how to manage the effects of social distancing measures such as school and child care centre restrictions.

As a sub plan of the State Disaster Plan the revised HIPP gives the NSW Government and community a clear and consistent set of guidelines to prepare for, respond to and recover from a pandemic.

Agencies should update their business continuity plans and arrangements to ensure pandemic planning is consistent with the revised state arrangements set out in the HIPP.

The NSW Human Influenza Pandemic Plan can be downloaded at the Emergency Management NSW website (www.emergency.nsw.gov.au).

Brendan O’Reilly
Director General