Disasters and emergencies

bushfire

We cannot prevent events such as floods, storms and earthquakes but we can all take action to minimise the risks they pose to our community.

In South Australia, there are dedicated lead agencies for each type of hazard or emergency.

The list below shows which agency is in charge.

Types of emergency 

For more information on other hazards and for general information on emergencies refer to sa.gov.au/emergencies and the ABC Emergency website

For disaster and emergency information relating to City of Tea Tree Gully please refer below.

Be prepared in case of an emergency or disaster

Bushfires, severe storms, extreme heat, floods, hazardous material leaks and earthquakes are all types of emergencies that can affect our City.

The Northern Adelaide Zone Emergency Management Plan(PDF, 4MB) provides information on natural disasters and hazards identified for this area.

It is important to plan and prepare for emergencies to help reduce the impact and recover more quickly. A number of organisations work together to help the northern Adelaide region in such events but everyone has an important role to play in preparing for emergencies.

Sandbag collection points

Sandbag pods are large yellow steel boxes. They are located near minor flood risk areas in our City:

  • Waterworld Aquatic Centre, Ridgehaven
  • City of Tea Tree Gully Service Centre, Golden Grove
  • Turramurra Recreation Centre, Highbury

Each pod holds up to 80 sandbag packs. The packs contain 10 empty sandbags, plastic sheeting 3 x 2 metres and an instruction card.

If sandbags are unavailable at any of the listed sites, call the State Emergency Service on 132 500 to request more sandbags.  

During an emergency

Emergency contacts 

If you have a life-threatening or urgent situation dial triple zero (000) and ask for ambulance, fire or police depending on the type of emergency. 

For a list of emergency numbers go to how to report an emergency and crisis helplines 

Emergency management 

The City of Tea Tree Gully has an Emergency Management Plan(PDF, 1MB)  which outlines how emergency events will be managed. 

Emergency warnings and current alerts 

Your local ABC radio station is the official emergency broadcaster delivering warnings and alerts. 

Find information about current alerts and emergency warnings on the SA.GOV.AU website. 

Emergency services and the state government issue advice and warning messages to the public through websites, smartphone apps, television and radio broadcasts, mobile phone SMS messages and posts on social media. 

Where to shelter in an emergency

Housing SA may establish relief centres to provide support in an emergency event.

Relief centres provide immediate and short-term shelter, food and drink, and emotional support during an emergency event.

The location of relief centres will be advertised through the media at the time of the incident.

In the event of a bushfire, if you have a bushfire survival plan and you plan to leave early, it is important that you know where to go. Use the CFS interactive maps to find the bushfire safer places and last resort refuges 

After an emergency

SA.GOV.AU recovery hub provides general information about disaster recovery including what services may be offered and how they are provided. 

Following a major emergency, the South Australian recovery hotline and SA.GOV.AU website provide information for those needing or offering help. 

Council may help with recovery operations including

  • damage assessments  
  • clearance of roads and bridges
  • removal of debris  
  • clean-up and disposal
  • environmental remediation and restoration. 

Recovery centres 

The state government may establish recovery centres as a one-stop-shop to provide access to all services available to affected communities. 

The location of recovery centres will be advertised at the time of the incident on SA.GOV.AU, Facebook (SARecoveryInfo) and other media. 

Mental health support

After a disaster, it is common to feel stress and grief. SA Health has developed an online page for a central location for information about disasters and mental health support. It provides information and resources with the aim of minimising the impact of trauma, grief and loss in the event that a disaster occurs in the local community.

Looking after your animals in an emergency

Just as we need to prepare our family and property for emergencies, we also need to prepare our animals. It is up to you to plan ahead and be prepared before an emergency happens to ensure the safety of yourself and your pets.

Make sure to

  • include your animals in your emergency plan
  • practice your plan - animals may act erratically during an actual emergency event
  • act early to move your animals to safer places if required
  • ensure animals have access to food and water
  • don't risk human life trying to find and protect animals.

For more information about how to plan for the safety of your pets in an emergency, visit Department of Primary Industries

Donating and volunteering

The best way to help after an emergency is by: