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

The Community Welfare Sub Committee should be aware of the different cultural groups in their
communities and should ensure that appropriate recovery services are made available to meet
their needs. However, it is also important to be cognisant that many of these communities
demonstrate great resilience because they often possess a range of experiences and skills in
dealing with emergencies.

Support for the bereaved
People who are bereaved are an example of a vulnerable group that needs specialised support
and attention. The bereaved group will include surviving family members who directly
experienced the emergency event and family members who did not, so plans need to be made
to identify extended family members who may not be local to the community of impact.

Counselling services should be identified to assist with grief and bereaved communities. The
Community Welfare Sub Committee should maintain close liaison with the police and the
Coroner’s Office to ensure clear communication about support services is available to bereaved
groups.

Bereavement services are led by the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability
Services. Services may include:
 One-on-one and family counselling
 Bereavement support groups
 Delivery of an annual commemorative event, including consultation and input from the
   bereaved community

People temporarily separated from or have lost, their companion animals
Companion animals can help people to maintain their social, emotional and physical wellbeing.
Companion animals are significant partners in many people’s lives. Increasingly, research shows
that companion animals can also contribute to the recovery and maintenance of both physical
and mental health. The Community Welfare Sub Committee should:
 Recognise that restoring animal – owner links in the aftermath of evacuation is an important
    aspect of social recovery and return to normalcy
 Recognise that the grief from loss of companion animals can be as equally powerful for some
    people as other losses, and this should be recognised in access to services and
    remembrance activities
 Work with animal welfare agencies, e.g. the RSPCA, and take the opportunity to use
    volunteer support to provide services related to animal welfare

In addition, the loss of stock and native animals can cause distress in both children and adults.
Arrangements for the care of stock and native animals should be provided for an information on
them given to the community.

Cultural and spiritual factors
The Community Welfare Sub Committee should be aware of and respect the cultural and spiritual
world views that shape many communities’ views of the disaster.

Cultural and spiritual symbols and rituals can provide an essential dimension to the community
recovery process. Rituals and symbols provide something that is familiar and comforting in times
of uncertainty and change. Commemorative events and memorials can assist the community to
interpret and share their emotions and collectively make sense of the disaster, e.g. spontaneous
floral tributes at or close to the sites of a disaster and probably beginning in the immediate
aftermath.

The Community Welfare Sub Committee should note that these symbols may be identified pre
or post-disaster. If these are recognised, supported and coordinated as part of the recovery
process, which is owned by the community, they will provide the focus for cultural and spiritual
activities.


Noosa Local Disaster Recovery Subplan 2018                                               Page 45