What happens if there's a terrorist attack?

Victoria has procedures for managing a terrorist attack. These are similar to how we respond to natural disasters.

Initial response

Victoria Police leads the initial response, helped by other services such as:

emergency services
health services
local governments
local businesses and communities

Sometimes we may ask for support from other states or the Commonwealth Government.

In case of an incident, we focus on:

preventing injuries and reducing loss of life
preventing property damage and disruption to infrastructure (such as power and water)
investigating the threat or act
identifying and detaining offenders
providing immediate support to affected people

Find out more about how we respond to emergencies in Victoria on the Emergency Management Victoria website.

Recovery

After an incident, we begin planning for recovery immediately. It's important to help people resume their normal day-to-day activities.

Any terrorist attack in Victoria will cause strong reactions. These will be physical, mental, emotional or behavioural. Psychological impacts and recovery may continue for months, if not years.

Children and young people often react to trauma in ways that surprise their parents and teachers.

For more information about recovering from traumatic events on the Better Health website.