Disaster management and preparedness

Council’s disaster management and community resilience team, assisted by all council areas, has undertaken and finalised many prevention, preparedness, response and recovery operations throughout 2021-2022.

Prevention

„ The final design for an excavated channel solution downstream of the Capricorn Highway at Bluff was completed. „ Consultants were engaged to update the lower

Mackenzie River flood model with high resolution Surat

Basin terrain data, and to update the design flood event outputs. The updated model will investigate any impacts the proposed Rookwood Weir will have on flood extents. „ Another automated river gauge and infrared camera was installed at Graves Hill at the Gemfields, adding to our network of cameras located at Sapphire, Panorama Creek (Dawson Highway) and Comet River Overflow (Carnarvon

Highway). The cameras feed real-time visuals directly to our Emergency Management Dashboard and allow for more accurate advice and action during weather events. „ A number of improvements were made to our early warning network, which includes rain gauges, river gauges and cameras. „ Telstra/Simoco were engaged to design and construct a Digital Tier III Private Mobile Radio (PMR) solution for council, which will form an arm of our operational communication systems. It will ensure our mobile workforce is able to communicate efficiently during normal day-to-day operations and during times of disaster when cellular and other communication channels may be compromised. „ We supported an annual coordinated agency operation called Cool Burn, which sees a range of government and community organisations work together to protect the community from bushfire risks.

Preparedness

„ The Local Disaster Management Plan was reviewed to align with the Emergency Management Assurance

Framework, standards and revised guidelines. It was endorsed by the Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) on 8 June 2022.

„ After securing external funding from the state and federal government, an evacuation route planning project commenced in August 2021. It is due to be completed by

June 2023.

„ Council worked with external provider QIT Plus to upgrade our Emergency Management Dashboard to a new content management system. „ The Central Highlands SES Unit was awared Unit of the

Year for the Central Region at the SES Week Awards ceremony in Rockhampton, along with 3 volunteers who received SES Week certificates.

Response

„ Our disaster management team have continued to provide advice and support to state agencies and council’s internal crisis management and incident response teams regarding COVID-19. „ The LDMG and the Human and Social Recovery Group (HSRG) provided assistance to impacted residents following a flash flood event in the Gemfields on 25

November 2021.

„ The LDMG was stood up on 9 May 2022 in response to a predicted severe weather event in the Central Highlands.

As a precaution, SES floodboat crews were deployed from Rockhampton to the Gemfields and 2 Queensland

Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) swift water teams were positioned in Emerald. However the event did not result in any emergency response and the LDMG was stood down on 11 May 2022.

„ Our local disaster coordinator and 3 Central Highlands

SES volunteers were deployed to Gympie in March 2022 to assist with the response following severe weather and flooding. The coordinator was also deployed to

Newcastle to support disaster recovery operations.

Recovery

„ The LDMG and HSRG held a debrief with the Gemfields community in December 2021 following the November flash flooding event. „ Under the Queensland Government Mental Health and Wellbeing Initiative, the following activities were delivered.

– 2 Seniors Neighbourhood Connect activities with 115 partipants from 8 communities – 120 patient packs were delivered to 3 hopsital emergency departments

– 8 participants attended a Conversations for Life workshop – Have a Go – Community Connections event was held in Rubyvale in April 2022 (see more on page 70) – Mountain Magic Creative Muster delivered 24 artistic workshops over 2 days with 100 participants „ Council staff, HSRG members and community leaders completed Red Cross and QFES training. „ The Red Cross also held disaster recovery training in the

Gemfields in June 2022 to build local capacity.

Local Disaster Management Group members meet at the Local Disaster Coordination Centre in Emerald.

The mayor and councillors at the Emerald council office.