Future emergency management plans

I AM writing to thank all the emergency responders and the many volunteers who jumped in straight away to help Mirboo North and district recover from the extreme weather event that impacted us all so heavily on Tuesday, February 13. It was very well done to organise on Thursday 15th a public meeting in the Mirboo North Hall to inform residents about the range of government agencies and emergency, community support and utility service responses to this natural disaster.

Without being critical, unfortunately, the organisers struggled with the great number of people attending. Almost the same size crowd as managed to fit into the Hall, was standing around outside it.

Many, like my husband who were disabled, or late comers, were left unattended for over an hour, and were unable to hear or see what was being said inside. Consequently, to inform the outside community, a second event was hastily convened outside the hall, immediately after the main meeting concluded. But there were many including small business operators and their staff in the wider district, who did not hear what was said at the disaster response meeting. Many were unable to attend in any case as their businesses were providing essential services. Consequently, I have requested that Council clarify if the proceedings were recorded in any way and can be provided to the wider Shire community.

Everyone should look closely at the shire’s municipal emergency management plan documents [southgippsland.vic.gov.au/downloads/download/435/emergency_management] which focus mainly on bushfires and other fire events, consider animal welfare, and include how communications should take place. 

We have a wonderfully supportive community that pulls together in emergencies. Our resilience is strong but it needs to be sustained and supported over time. We can only cope with so much at any one time. Consequently, I have asked Council to take several steps to enable wide-spread learning from Mirboo North and district’s natural disaster. Yesterday, I suggested several steps for South Gippsland councillors to help sustain our community resilience. I asked that Council, at an appropriate time:

1. Establish a community-based panel to hear ideas about and guide community recovery. Such a panel should include Gunnai-Kurnai elders and have capacity to invite various experts and individuals to input in the formulation of a practical community recovery plan; 

2. Ask members of the Mirboo North and wider district community impacted to address a special meeting of Council on their experiences as part of a process of learning from our latest natural disaster. This would enable Council to update and improve community preparedness, response and recovery initiatives within the framework of the Shire’s emergency management plans; 

3. Closely review the experiences of: 
i) schools, kindergarten/childcare and the swimming pool; 
ii) the bank, and petrol station, Foodworks, and food outlets; 
iii) age and disability care providers; and 
iv) hardware store and electrical equipment, small tools sales and repairs; and

4. Explore the potential to have a portable stage and livestream events such as the Mirboo North’s community briefing and improve capability to do so in future at various venues across the Shire.
Many more ideas will be needed as we recover from this natural disaster; and, given that the frequency and intensity of natural disasters is increasing all our communities need to factor in preparedness and modify our natural disaster emergency response and recovery plans accordingly.

Rosemary Cousin, Allambee South