Appointment Of Local Disaster Management Group Chairperson And Deputy Chairperson

Frank Wilkie25:34

Thank you Mr. Mayor. Congratulations Councillor Stockwell. Thank you. And commiserations to Councillor Finzel and Lawrence. I now move to resume Standing Orders. Can I have a seconder please to resume Standing Orders? Councillor Stockwell? All in favour? That's carried. So I move the recommendation that the Council note the report by the Chief Executive Officer. The Post Election Meeting dated 8th of April 2024 and appoint Councillor Stockwell as Deputy Mayor in accordance with section 175 of the Local Government Act. Can I have a seconder for that please? Councillor Wilson? I move that? All in favour? Sorry, I should speak to the motion before we put that to the vote. Councillors, we have just been put to our first test, which is a divisive vote. There is always going to be a Councillor elected as Deputy Mayor and a Councillor who is going to experience disappointment. I'm heartened by what I heard around this table about commitment to unity and also during our training on the SPARC values, the cultural values, which talks about respect and professionalism at every opportunity. That's very easy when things are going well, but those values are always tested in adversity and today is our first test. So I'm encouraging you and support you in adversity and I'm hoping that we can hold true to professional and respectful relationships despite adversity and we're going to face a lot this term and this is the first. For a bit of context, I had faced four elections before I became Deputy Mayor and I have every confidence that there is a bright future ahead for Councillor Lorentson and Councillor Finzel and all new Councillors because you have the qualities speak to longevity and resilience and professionalism so please let's get behind Councillor Stockwell as Deputy Mayor and I know he will serve well because his experience has been recognised here today. Councillors, you for your vote today. It was a difficult one. Anybody else wish to speak to the motion? Put it to the vote. Those in favour? That's carried unanimously thank you Councillors. The next item on the agenda is the appointment of a Local Disaster Management Group Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson. Mr CEO can you give us the summary of this report and the vote that may follow on this one please.

Frank Wilkie33:21

Councillor Jess Phillips there any other for Deputy Chair like there's only one nomination yes okay so in that case if I can move to moving the motion I appoint Councillor Wilkie to the role Chairperson of a Local Disaster Management Group and appoint Councillor Phillips to the role of Deputy Chairperson of a Local Disaster Management Group and Chair for the local Disaster Recovery Group it's a dual rowland. Role seconder for that please seconded Councillor Finzel okay thank you Councillors that's very straightforward I think it is important that the Mayor is front and centre of any disaster as the CEO said the community expects that and I could certainly do my best to play my role in that regard it's expected and I'm fully cognisant of the responsibilities of that I welcome Councillor Jess Phillips in the role of Deputy Chairperson of the local disaster group and Chair for the local Disaster Recovery Group she does have the experience as a policewoman and you've worked and has worked in that space and been present during these activity these events before and I feel very confident we have the right person in that role experience has this is a big factor there so fully endorse you as the Deputy Chair thank you any councils wish to speak to the motion you would like to Jess would you like to speak to the motion no thank you I'll put it to the vote those in favour that's carried unanimously now move to the third item on the agenda which is the committee structure and proposed meeting timetable until June 2024 Larry can you give us an update on this three-month meeting schedule please.

The Local Disaster Management Group is a really important group that is part of our disaster management across the Shire. It involves not only people from Council but all of our servicing agencies as if there is a disaster, we are fully planned and able to stand up and act in the appropriate way should a disaster occur. What we meet on a quarterly basis formally in this chambers to discuss. Anything and make sure our plans and everything are on track. And if there are any imminent dangers that we see coming forward, whether it be flood, fire or the likes. Weather events, other weather events. Um we as Council we appoint a Chair of that group as well as a Deputy Chair. The is the Chair of the overall LDMG as we call it. Runs the meetings but also should there be a disaster for example flood where Council is responsible to take the leading role in a flood in a fire it's other agencies but in a flood but also just in any disaster that person then takes the responsibility of Council's efforts during a disaster and is also the spokesperson during that because it's the formal spokesperson and that's really a very very important role going into any disaster as we've seen over that the number of years recently where you need a single spokesperson be the holder of the truth and to be the relayer of the truth as it stands with the data as it stands so what we are looking to do today is to elect that first of all as the Chair of the LDMG then we also have the Deputy Chair of the LDMG which is the assistant and assist the Mayor or citizen assist the Chair in the LDMG but also takes the responsibility of the recovery so they Chair a separate group which is the Disaster Recovery Group and that's a very important role too because after the disaster there's a whole lot of cleaning a whole lot of work to do during the disaster but then there's a cleaning up and as well as the psychological and the social impact that these disasters have on many people so that person then takes to Chair that group and that again is an extremely important role and even with the disasters that we've had in 2022 with the flood that we had here that role is still continuing so is continuing even to over two years later we're still in recovery mode so it's very very important that we have both of those roles filled and they're very very important to us as a community but during disasters and post and pre in fact with the planning. So what we're doing today is we need to call for nominations firstly for the Chair of the LDMG and then we need to call for nominations for the Deputy Chair of the LDMG. If there are more than one nominee then we'll go to a vote. Same process we've just gone through with the Deputy Mayor. Question: who normally performs the role of the Chair and why? In my experience the Chair has been the Mayor because again I think the community tends to look up to when during a disaster they want the you know the head of the State or the head of the community or the head of the Shire to take that role that's been the in the case it's not necessarily compulsory that the position but that's you know that's been the position I think if you look across all levels of government and local governments and that's a position but again it's not compulsory so it can be if somebody else wants to put their hand up then they're quite entitled to do.