The Victorian Government has introduced laws forcing owners and operators of critical infrastructure to have risk management plans covering a wide range of threats.

The Emergency Management Amendment (Critical Infrastructure Resilience) Bill 2014 requires groups delivering essential services such as water, electricity, power and fuel to have comprehensive plans that cover more than just terrorism.

Police and Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells says the changes are a “significant step forward. We want to make sure that if any critical services are disrupted because of fire, flood, storm or any other emergency, there are appropriate risk management strategies in place.”

Emergency Management Victoria will establish a critical infrastructure register and the Inspector-General for Emergency Management will ensure compliance.