2015-06-23 I&S Agenda - Item 5 - Local Disaster Recovery Plan - Attachment 2

                           Noosa Local Disaster Recovery Plan 2015/2016

    may place a significant burden on building owners and the Recovery Sub-group may
    engage with insurers and building owners to assist in negotiations. Betterment
    programs and initiatives should also be explored to “build back better” damaged
    infrastructure to a higher standard than the pre-disaster design standard.

24.13 Approvals and planning
Appropriate standards for reconstruction may not always be clear. Buildings must conform to
the current building regulations at the time of their construction, however over time, these
regulations may change. This can cause difficulties for owners, insurers and financiers. In
addition, supervising the reconstruction may bring other problems.

Many people may not be aware of the need to apply for building approval for major repairs
and may try to start major repairs without approval and in the confusion of clean up and
general construction activity, their work may go unnoticed.

Although temporary repairs to give some amenity are accepted in the early stages of
recovery, some temporary repairs may become incorporated into the final structure without
approval.

Additional staff to approve and inspect building and construction will likely be required to
augment existing staff overloaded with planning and approvals.

Planning processes may need to be streamlined to ensure quicker turnaround to those
affected by disaster.

Volunteers may be required to show that they are appropriately qualified, particularly
interstate trades people who may not be familiar with Queensland requirements for building
and construction.

24.14 Implementing reconstruction
Wherever possible, the Infrastructure Sub-group should encourage the use of local
contractors for reconstruction and building tasks. This enables local work opportunities and
supports the local economy. Local contractors also have local knowledge.

Delays in reconstruction are inevitable either because of continuing hazards, the scale of the
event and / or the availability of resources. Lack of funding can also cause delays. The sub-
group should seek to minimise delays wherever possible to alleviate stress in the
community. Where delay is unavoidable, the sub-group should engage with the community
to provide public information and to confirm temporary arrangements.

Many organisations involved in recovery may be contracting work or issuing tenders.
Normal tendering, awarding work and contracting processes should be followed. The sub-
group should encourage all organisations to ensure they adopt sensible and accountable
procedures for the contracting of services.

The changing nature of recovery means that:
   staged reinstatement may be needed to deliver some quick but temporary outcomes
    that address the immediate needs (with later work required to address longer-term
    needs)
   plans may need to change to meet the changing needs
   at all stages, time should be set aside to reflect on the decisions that have been made
    and to make sure that they provide the best solutions—in some cases, rushed decisions
    are not necessarily the best ones
   communication (both by listening and talking) is important with all stakeholders—this
    includes the Sub-group and Local Advisory Groups.

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