2017-10-10 S&O Agenda - Attachment 1 to Item 7 - Noosa Local Disaster Management Plan 2018

Disaster resilient communities are also aware that it may take considerable time before life returns
to any degree of normality should an event impact their area, and that resilience is not simply
about a community going back to what it was like before but rather learning from a disaster and
adjusting to be more resilient should a similar event occur again.

Building an understanding of risk and enhancing community capacity through community education
and participation in initiatives such as the Queensland Government’s Get Ready campaign will
continue to be a priority for the Local Group.


9.5    Community awareness
S30 of the Act requires that the Local Group ensures the community is aware of ways of mitigating
the adverse effects of an event, and preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a disaster.

The members and organisations that make up the Local Group currently provide public information
and education programs to improve community awareness. These include:

   •   Noosa Council website and Facebook pages
   •   Disaster and emergency community awareness brochures displayed and available in
       Council offices and libraries
   •   Preparedness articles in local papers and Council newsletters
   •   Queensland State Government advertising, presentations and website material
   •   QFES advertising, presentations and website material
   •   Awareness programs to various organisations e.g. by the LDC, SES Group leaders
   •   QFES fire and bushfire awareness program
   •   BOM weather warnings and website material

The Local Group recognises that providing information on how to look after yourself, your family,
home business and community in the event of a natural or a man-made disaster is an effective way
to build community resilience and help communities recover in the aftermath of an event. One of
the key long-term objectives of the Local Group is to provide this information in a timely,
coordinated and accessible fashion.

Through the life of this Plan the Local Group’s association with QFES and its media, business and
community partners will undertake to develop and promote the following key education and
awareness tools for distribution across the Shire as part of the State Government’s Get Ready
campaign:

   •   Household emergency plans and checklists
   •   Business emergency plans and checklists

The aim of these plans will be to:

   a) Encourage people and businesses to prepare themselves, their properties and their clients
      for disasters such as flooding, severe storm and high wind events
   b) Improve target audiences’ safety awareness levels and safety behaviours during a disaster
      or emergency
   c) Encourage people to be aware of and care for their neighbours in the immediate aftermath
      of a disaster.


9.6    Education and training
Education and training for those involved in disaster and emergency management work is a key
preparedness and capability building activity.


Noosa Local Disaster Management Plan 2018                                                    Page 51