2014-12-09 Infrastructure & Services Committee Agenda

INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                             9 DECEMBER 2014


2.    Local Disaster Management Group

The Local Disaster Management Group held its first meeting on the 4 February 2014. Since
then it has met on the 7 May, 25 June, 17 September and 26 November.

The LDMG was activated twice during the year on 27 and 28 March 2014 in response to a
tropical low and on 15 April 2014 in response to Cyclone Ita. In both instances there was
some flash flooding and road closures but no significant damage to the region.

There have been a number of resignations from the original membership of the LDMG and
after 12 months of operations it is now appropriate for Council to determine the LDMG’s
2015 membership.

The Chair of the LDMG and the Local Disaster Coordinator have discussed the proposed
membership with the LDMG on 26 November 2014 and are now putting forward the
proposed membership for 2015, as per Attachment 1, for Council consideration.

3.    Local Disaster Coordinator

Alan (Fox) Rogers has been the Local Disaster Coordinator for the Sunshine Coast and
Noosa Council’s since July 2008. It is proposed that from 1 July 2015 following the 2014/15
storm season, Martin Drydale who is currently the Deputy LDC, takes over the role of LDC
and Alan (Fox) Rogers become the Deputy LDC and also the Local Recovery Coordinator.

This proposal allows for an orderly transfer of responsibility and better reflects the portfolio
responsibilities of these two Directors.

4.    Disaster Management Training

In line with recommendations of the Queensland Floods Commission and in order to ensure
that staff have the competencies to coordinate Disaster Management operations the LDMG
has conducted two major disaster management exercises since January 2014 as well as
training sessions for Council staff.

The first exercise was held on 21 March 2014 and was designed to test Council’s capacity to
establish and operate a Local Disaster Coordination Centre LDCC). The second exercise
was held on October 29 and 30 and was held over two days. The first day once again tested
the establishment and operations of the LDCC in response to a simulated major flooding
event and the second day involved a table top exercise to establish a Recovery Committee.

Training in the Guardian system which is used in the LDCC to manage and record the flow
of information and tasking during an event has occurred on three different occasions during
the year with up to 20 staff each time benefiting from hands on training.

In addition to the exercises and Guardian training, 19 council staff have undertaken
Recovery training, 17 Disaster Co-ordination Centre training and 15 Qld Disaster
Management Arrangements training provided by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.

Councillors Abbot, Playford, Wellington and Jurisevic have also undertaken QFES training
courses.




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