Victoria has appointed Tim Wiebusch the state’s new Emergency Management Commissioner.
As Emergency Management Commissioner, Wiebusch will lead Emergency Management Victoria – a government statutory authority which is responsible for leading emergency management across the state.
Wiebusch – who has served as Acting Emergency Management Commissioner since February – has more than 30 years’ experience working across emergency services and government agencies.
No stranger to dealing with multi-agency responses to major emergencies, Wiebusch played a critical role during the 2019-20 Eastern Victorian bushfires, the June 2021 and October 2022 Victorian floods, and various severe weather events in 2024.
Serving as Chief Operations Officer for Victoria’s State Emergency Services since 2017, Wiebusch has extensive experience supporting transition from response to recovery. As an accredited State Response Controller, Wiebusch performed many key emergency management roles – including during the Covid pandemic. Wiebusch also served as State Controller for cyber and energy emergencies.
“[Wiebusch] is a seasoned leader with extensive experience across some of the state’s biggest emergency responses,” Minister for Emergency Services Vicki Ward said. “He will do a fantastic job to ensure Victorians are prepared for, can respond to and recover from emergencies.”
Following the announcement, Wiebusch said that keeping the Victorian community safe is a responsibility he takes seriously.
He added: “As the Emergency Management Commissioner, I look forward to working closely with our many dedicated staff and volunteers within agencies and departments to build the community’s confidence in our sector’s preparedness, response, relief and recovery capabilities across all emergencies.”
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