Disaster management. Emergency Management. Emergency Services. Business Continuity. Community Recovery.
These are phrases and terminology that are only too familiar. We hear it on the news and we read about it in our newspapers. What does it actually mean to you and me, living in an area that experienced both fire and flood disasters over time.
When we moved to Maryborough, we heard about the bush fire of 1985 and witnessed the trauma still suffered by people impacted. Then we had the unique experience of living through the significant flooding events our Shire experienced these past 15 years. There is nothing more disempowering than being impacted by a disaster.
October marks one year after the devastating floods suffered in the Central Goldfields Shire, evacuating homes and causing significant damage to properties and infrastructure.
At the MAV conference I attended recently, one of the presenters was Anne Leadbeater, OAM, from the Leadbeater Group. She received multiple awards and recognition for her work after the ‘Black Saturday’ fires and many other disasters. Her main message was, telling the stories of the communities. Anne also emphasised the importance of recognising interacting with the community during and after the disaster at a very local level. Anne identified three factors that lets us down at the critical moments:
- Communication on all levels
- Roles and responsibilities – need to know what you are supposed to be doing, and last but not least,
- Leadership and trust.
Saturday evening, we celebrated 45 years of our local SES in the Central Goldfields Shire. Many of our CFA captains were also there to celebrate. I was sitting there, looking at these amazing people and their families and thought, do we do enough to show our appreciation to these amazing volunteers? Did we say thank you for what they did to help after the floods? Sending them a letter of appreciation or a donation?
Both the CFA and the SES are struggling because of low membership.
I would like to use this opportunity to urge you to consider joining any one of these two services. What is a volunteer? We are all volunteers. Every single one of us has helped at times. That is what volunteering is. Helping. Supporting. Putting your hand up!
Carisbrook Community Conversations: 22nd November 2023, 7pm at the CFA in Green Street Carisbrook.
Majorca Annual Conversation: 23rd November 2023, 7pm at the Hall in Majorca.
All welcome!!
Cr Anna De Villiers
