2018-04-10 S&O Agenda - Attachment 1 to Item 4 - Local Disaster Recovery Subplan

6.9      Other assistance
6.9.1    Donations and spontaneous volunteers

Following disasters, it is often the case that offers of assistance such as financial, goods and
services or volunteers to assist start to overwhelm the affected area. A large influx of donations
or volunteers often results in problems such as:
 Stewardship
 Proper disbursement
 Disposal of goods that did not fit the needs of the affected community
 Storage issues
 Health issues relating to donated food
 Difficulty arranging effective means of donation transportation or delivery
 Inability to match offers of services with current needs.

Goods - In order to assist with the management of donations to affected communities following
a disaster event, the LRG will work with GIVIT, a not-for-profit organisation, to manage all
donations of material items for the disaster. GIVIT will accept pledges of donations from
individuals and businesses via its website at www.givit.org.au and then work with charity and
front line services to access donated goods and services.

Cash - Ultimately the best and most versatile way of helping disaster affected communities is
through a cash donation to a reputable disaster relief agency. Previous experience has shown
that it is best for a local government to avoid establishing an ‘in house’ collection of donated
funds, such as a Mayor’s appeal fund. The effort required to effectively collect, manage,
distribute and account for funds is onerous, especially when Council’s resources are already
being fully utilised in other recovery activities.

Volunteers – spontaneous volunteerism can be a valuable resource in recovery if properly
managed. During the initial / short-term recovery phase, the LRG will appoint a Volunteer
Coordinator to plan for, coordinate, monitor and report on volunteer efforts.

All efforts will be made to show appreciation in the spirit in which offers of assistance are made,
the LRG should work with the LDMG and disaster relief agencies in providing media releases on
what is and what is not needed at a very early stage of response and/or recovery.

All offers of assistance, donated goods and the management of volunteers shall be in accordance
with the Queensland Policy for Offers of Assistance and the Queensland Offers of Assistance
Guidelines.

6.9.2    Recovery centres and outreach services

The Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors is responsible for the
coordination of setting up recovery centres known as Recovery Hub and Outreach Coordination
Centres (Recovery Hub). Recovery Hubs provide community members with access to a range
of support services offered by government and non-government organisations. These outlets
engage the maximum number of the affected population by providing a unified point of contact
and support to people requiring assistance.

Recovery Hubs are a useful two-way conduit of practical recovery, information and advice. They
can also be a good means of assessing ‘health checks’ on the affected population.

The Department of Communities may also provide outreach services to address the needs of
those unable to attend Recovery Hubs. Outreach programs are usually based on teams of
recovery workers provided by the Department of Communities who visit people in their homes
and businesses to render assistance and determine needs.


Noosa Local Disaster Recovery Subplan 2018                                                 Page 35