1Purposes

The main purposes of this Act are—

(a)

to establish Triple Zero Victoria; and

(b)

to repeal the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority Act 2004; and

(c)

to consequentially amend other Acts.

2Commencement

(1)

Subject to subsection (2), this Act, other than Part 11, comes into operation on a day or days to be proclaimed.

(2)

If a provision of this Act, other than Part 11, does not come into operation before 28 August 2024, it comes into operation on that day.

(3)

Part 11 comes into operation on 28 August 2026.

3Definitions

In this Act—

agreed performance standards means the standards referred to in Division 2 of Part 8;

Ambulance Service—Victoria has the same meaning as in section 3(1) of the Ambulance Services Act 1986;

Ambulance Services Minister means the Minister administering the Ambulance Services Act 1986;

Board means the Triple Zero Victoria Board established by section 18;

call taking and dispatch services has the meaning given by section 4;

Chair, in relation to the Operational Committee, means the Chair appointed under section 52(1)(k);

Chairperson, in relation to the Board, means the Chairperson appointed under section 19(2)(a);

Chief Executive Officer means the Chief Executive Officer of Triple Zero Victoria appointed under section 37;

corporate plan means a corporate plan prepared under section 66;

Country Fire Authority has the same meaning as Authority has in section 3(1) of the Country Fire Authority Act 1958;

delegate means a delegate appointed to the Board under section 32;

Department has the same meaning as in section 4(1) of the Public Administration Act 2004;

Deputy Chairperson, in relation to the Board, means the Deputy Chairperson appointed under section 19(2)(b);

Emergency Management Commissioner has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Emergency Management Act 2013;

Emergency Management Victoria has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Emergency Management Act 2013;

emergency services organisation means—

(a)

Ambulance Service—Victoria; or

(b)

the Country Fire Authority; or

(c)

Fire Rescue Victoria; or

(d)

Victoria Police; or

(e)

the Victoria State Emergency Service; or

(f)

a government agency; or

(g)

a prescribed body;

Fire Rescue Victoria has the same meaning as in section 3(1) of the Fire Rescue Victoria Act 1958;

government agency means any body corporate or unincorporate constituted by or under an Act for a public purpose;

Health Department means the Department of Health;

health information has the same meaning as in section 3(1) of the Health Records Act 2001;

Inspector-General for Emergency Management has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Emergency Management Act 2013;

inter-agency strategic priorities means the inter‑agency strategic priorities prepared by the Operational Committee under section 47;

S. 3 def. of Interim Board repealed by No. 32/2023 s. 102.

* * * * *

Justice Department means the Department of Justice and Community Safety;

Justice Secretary means the Secretary to the Justice Department;

Operational Committee means the Operational Committee established by the Board under section 42;

personal information has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014;

Police Minister means the Minister administering the Victoria Police Act 2013;

related services organisation means—

(a)

a prescribed body that uses services provided by Triple Zero Victoria; or

(b)

an organisation that provides services to or for Triple Zero Victoria that are related to services provided by or for emergency services organisations;

S. 3 def. of relevant day repealed by No. 32/2023 s. 102.

* * * * *

relevant person or organisation means any of the following—

(a)

an emergency services organisation;

(b)

a related services organisation;

(c)

the Inspector-General for Emergency Management;

(d)

Safer Care Victoria;

(e)

Life Saving Victoria;

specified emergency services organisation means—

(a)

Ambulance Service—Victoria; or

(b)

the Country Fire Authority; or

(c)

Fire Rescue Victoria; or

(d)

Victoria Police; or

(e)

the Victoria State Emergency Service; or

(f)

a prescribed body;

State Crisis and Resilience Council has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Emergency Management Act 2013;

Strategic Action Plan has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Emergency Management Act 2013;

strategic plan means a strategic plan prepared and approved under section 65;

Triple Zero Victoria means Triple Zero Victoria established by section 6;

unique identifier has the same meaning as in section 3(1) of the Victorian Data Sharing Act 2017;

Victoria Police has the same meaning as in section 3(1) of the Victoria Police Act 2013;

Victoria State Emergency Service has the same meaning as Service has in section 3 of the Victoria State Emergency Service Act 2005;

work program has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Emergency Management Act 2013.

S. 3A repealed by No. 32/2023 s. 103.

* * * * *

4Meaning of call taking and dispatch services

In this Act, call taking and dispatch services means—

(a)

taking, listening to and recording calls in which assistance is sought from an emergency services organisation or a related services organisation by—

(i)

a member of the public; or

(ii)

a member of an emergency services organisation; or

(iii)

a member of a related services organisation; and

(b)

communicating the information received in calls referred to in paragraph (a) to the relevant emergency services organisation or the relevant related services organisation designated to respond to the call and recording any such communication of information.

5Act binds the Crown

This Act binds the Crown in right of Victoria and, to the extent that the legislative power of the Parliament permits, the Crown in all its other capacities.

Part 2—Triple Zero Victoria

6Establishment

(1)

Triple Zero Victoria is established.

(2)

Triple Zero Victoria—

(a)

is a body corporate with perpetual succession; and

(b)

has an official seal; and

(c)

may sue and be sued; and

(d)

may acquire, hold and dispose of real and personal property; and

(e)

may do and suffer all acts and things that a body corporate may by law do and suffer.

7Official seal

(1)

The official seal of Triple Zero Victoria—

(a)

must be kept in custody as directed by Triple Zero Victoria; and

(b)

must not be used except as authorised by Triple Zero Victoria.

(2)

All courts must take judicial notice of the official seal of Triple Zero Victoria affixed to a document and, until the contrary is proved, must presume that it was duly affixed.

8Triple Zero Victoria represents the Crown

In performing its functions and exercising its powers, Triple Zero Victoria represents the Crown.

9Objective of Triple Zero Victoria

The objective of Triple Zero Victoria is to perform its functions and exercise its powers to provide high quality and timely services that—

(a)

support emergency services organisations to respond to community needs; and

(b)

meet agreed performance standards.

10Functions of Triple Zero Victoria

(1)

Triple Zero Victoria has the following functions—

(a)

to provide timely and effective call taking and dispatch services, including managing times of peak demand;

(b)

to provide timely and effective operational communications services to emergency services organisations and related services organisations when the operational communications services are not provided within or by the organisation itself;

(c)

to recognise the right of emergency services organisations and related services organisations to—

(i)

assess and vary their own operational standards; and

(ii)

manage their own resources; and

(iii)

assume direct control of communications in the event of incidents and emergencies;

(d)

to perform any other function that is conferred on Triple Zero Victoria by or under this Act or any other Act.

(2)

For the purposes of subsection (1)(b), operational communications services includes facilitating communication between emergency services organisations and related services organisations about the following matters—

(a)

any incident detected by an emergency services organisation or related services organisation that requires a response;

(b)

any event, activity or other matter that requires the attendance of an emergency services organisation or related services organisation;

(c)

any data or information that is related to an incident, event, activity or other matter referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b);

(d)

any other operational matters.

11Minister may confer additional functions on Triple Zero Victoria

(1)

By Order published in the Government Gazette, the Minister may confer any additional function on Triple Zero Victoria that the Minister considers is necessary.

(2)

The Minister may confer a function on Triple Zero Victoria for the period of time specified in the Order.

12Powers of Triple Zero Victoria

Triple Zero Victoria has the power to do all things that are necessary or convenient to be done for, or in connection with, or incidental to, the performance of its functions.

Triple Zero Victoria Act 2023

About this Act

Bill & explanatory material

This Act’s bill