Click 'play' below to listen to the in depth discussion.
Summary of key points discussed:
- The report found Somerset did not have sufficient resources to deal with the size of the event and isolation of towns including Kilcoy. Parts of the Somerset Region were supported by the Woodford evacuation centre, of which we’ll talk about further a little later.
- The report finds that disaster responses should continue to be conducted at a local level by Councils mainly because of local knowledge.
- The report found that Somerset, Lockyer and Moreton Bay councils ``did not provide well’’ for isolated communities while others had ``the foresight to establish sub-groups of local disaster management groups before the 2010/11 floods, giving them a means of managing multiple or distant events.
- Woodford stood out and was one of the communities to co-ordinate its own ``highly organised and successful’’ flood response but ran into trouble when requests to authorities for supplies were not met.
- The reason for such a success among other things lies with a number of community leaders who rolled up their sleeves and took a hands on local approach. These leaders include Sgt Jason Wrendwick, Community Hall committee person, Michael Wallace, and the Councillor for the area, Adrian Raedel.
- Mr Raedel was on leave at the time of the disaster hitting, however, during this time communicated extremely effectively with authorities and constituents using methods including Facebook around the clock. You can see this for yourself by going through his Facebook profile for that time period.
- Once Mr Raedel made it physically back into the community, still during the disaster, he took up hands on co-ordination of the local evacuation centre around the clock with both Sgt Wrendwick and Mr Wallace.
- Other key groups were also heavily responsible for such success in the Woodford area including the Queensland Woodford Fire Service, Woodford Community Hall Committee and members of the general public.
- MBRC has told the Flood Commission the it will replicate the successes of Woodford across the rest of the region.
- MBRC are to use the makeshift arrangements based on community partnerships in Woodford during the severe flooding as a model for other isolated areas.
- Woodford was left without help because it was cut-off and did not have its own SES unit. The report states that ``an SES presence there, with a flood boat, would have been of great benefit to the community.’’
- The report recommends more SES flood boats, training and for the State Government and councils to undertake an SES recruitment drive in flood-prone areas. They are currently down on SES numbers with another flood season on the way.
- If you would like to get involved, call 1300 369 003.
- An SMS emergency warning was sent to residents of Moreton Bay region at the state group’s direction without the local disaster management groups knowledge.
- The report found the SMS sent in the MBRC area created ``confusion and panic’’ because it had no details about where people could go for further info on evacuation centres etc.
- It recommends councils have SMS warning templates and provide contact numbers/websites in the text message.
- The report finds MBRC had not finalised evacuation plans or incorporated informal plans into their disaster management plans before the plans struck, but have since published a list of evacuation centres on its website.
- It recommends a long-term review of North Pine Dam operation due to the high risk to nearby urban population and the fact that the flood storage compartment was actually just 5cm between the dam’s full supply level and the level at which the gate openings are triggered.
Click 'play' below to listen to the in depth discussion.
