NDIS Emergency and Disaster Management Plan: What It Must Cover

An emergency and disaster management plan shows how you will keep people safe and keep critical supports running when something goes badly wrong. Here is what the Core Module asks for, how auditors test it, and how to make one that fits your supports.

Last updated: 8 October 2026

What it is and who needs it

The plan is a document, owned by your governing body, that explains how you would prepare for and respond to an emergency or disaster, such as a fire, flood, outbreak or major power failure. Every registered provider needs one, in proportion to its size and the supports it delivers. It is one part of the risk system described in our risk management guide.

What it provides evidence for

The Core Module has a standalone outcome for emergency and disaster management. It is about planning that considers and reduces the risks to participants' health, safety and wellbeing, and that keeps going the supports they depend on. The risk management outcome lists emergency and disaster management as part of the risk system, the human resource outcome asks for plans to replace a workforce disrupted in an emergency, and the Commission's provider alert on emergency management gives further guidance.

What auditors check

Auditors read the plan, then ask whether it was made with people who use your services. They check whether it has been tested and reviewed, whether workers have been trained in it, and whether it reaches the participant level. They may ask a worker what they would do in the first hour of an evacuation, or ask a participant whether they know what happens if their worker cannot get to them.

Must-include checklist

The emergencies and disasters you could realistically face, based on where you work and who you support.
Measures to keep supports that are critical to safety, health and wellbeing going before, during and after an event.
How you will prepare for and respond to an event.
How you will change participant supports, then adapt and respond quickly to further changes or interruptions.
How changes will be communicated to workers, participants and their support networks.
Which participants depend most on your supports, and what each would need.
How you will find and induct extra workers if your workforce is disrupted.
Who leads the response, who stands in for them, and how they can be reached.
When and how the plan is tested, reviewed and communicated.
Training for each worker in carrying out the plan.

Common mistakes

A generic plan for a different kind of business. A flood plan means little to a provider that works only in apartments.
No consultation. The Core Module expects participants and their support networks to be consulted about the plans.
Never tested. A plan nobody has rehearsed is a theory.
No link to individuals. Support plans and service agreements say nothing about emergencies.
Stale contact details. The plan names people who left the business.

How to adapt it to your organisation

Begin with a list of your participants who rely on you most, because their needs set your priorities. Match the scenarios to your locations and your workforce, such as remote travel or a single staffed site. Name the real decision maker and a deputy, and put current contact details in an appendix you can update without reissuing the whole plan. Decide how you will consult participants, for example at the next review of each support plan, and record that you did. Plan a simple test, such as a talk-through with your team, and keep a note of what changed afterwards. Set review points in your governance calendar, so the plan is reviewed regularly and after any activation. Make sure your service agreements carry the individual arrangements.

How the package covers it

The package includes an emergency and disaster management plan within its risk documents, with the Core Module registers and forms around it. See what is included and pricing. The plan only works once it describes your own premises, people and risks.

This page is general information based on NDIS Commission and government sources at the date shown. It is not legal or professional advice, and the rules can change. Check the NDIS Commission's current requirements and read our disclaimer. The checklists on this page describe good practice, not an official list of requirements, and our documents do not guarantee registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is responsible for the emergency and disaster management plan?

The Core Module puts it with the governing body: it develops the plans, consults participants and their support networks, puts them in place, tests and adjusts them, reviews them regularly and communicates them to workers, participants and support networks. In a small business, that is the owner or the board.

Is one plan enough, or does each participant need one?

You need both layers. The organisational plan covers how you keep critical supports running. The Core Module also expects each participant's support plan to anticipate emergencies and disasters, and each service agreement to set out arrangements for an emergency or disaster.

Does a plan need to be tested?

Yes. The Core Module says the governing body has mechanisms to actively test the plans and adjust them for a particular kind of emergency or disaster. Record the test, what you found and what you changed.

Where can I find the Commission's guidance?

The Commission has published a provider alert on emergency management, linked from this page, and the Core Module sets out the outcome and its indicators. Check both for the current wording when you review your plan.