Information Session – Disaster Recovery for Communities

The local Red Cross Emergency Services Volunteers will hold a community information session next Monday 28 March from 5.30 PM in the SDA Hall on New Cascade Road. With recent and ongoing catastrophes affecting so many people nationally as well as overseas, Red Cross is keen to share the ways we work to help rebuild communities after tragic events such as the floods and warfare.

Disaster recovery is not something that only happens after a disruptive event, it is an integral part of the whole process of disaster preparation and all local government areas (including Norfolk Island) are expected to have in place disaster recovery plans as part of their overall emergency response management plans.

The Australian National Strategy for Disaster Resilience puts the emphasis on continuous review and improvement when it comes to the way communities respond to disasters, with the emphasis on strengthening community resilience. Every year, Australian communities are subjected to the damaging impacts of disasters caused by destructive bushfires, floods, and severe storms.

The impacts of these disasters on people, the economy, our infrastructure and the environment remind us of the need to develop and embed new ways of doing things that enhance existing arrangements across and within governments, as well as among businesses, the not-for-profit sector, and the community more broadly, to improve disaster resilience and prevent complacency setting in once the memory of a recent disaster has subsided.

A core element of planning for disaster recovery is to establish solid partnerships between all sectors of the community, not only so we are well prepared to respond to disasters when they happen, but also to ensure that recovery is well organised, comprehensive and inclusive, and most of all, effective.

Building a disaster resilient community means making sure all members of the community understand their role in minimising the impacts of those disasters that pose a risk in their community, and have the relevant knowledge, skills and abilities to take appropriate action. A resilient community makes sure community members can use local networks and resources to support them during an emergency and to help with recovery efforts. It involves giving access to transparent, accurate and trusted sources of information in various forms such as print materials, radio and TV advertising, and skills workshops, and providing tools to help communities understand and act on the material. It also means ensuring that all experts and key community leaders in the community are engaged in the planning, preparation and recovery processes.

The community information session will provide participants with a broad outline of national and state-based recovery planning protocols, and then focus specifically on how Red Cross Volunteers support people and communities recovering from disaster events. We will look at several case studies, and do some exercises to build our skills in the recovery efforts, as well as discuss ideas for making Norfolk Island more disaster resilient.

To book your place please call Kate Lemerle (Team Convenor) on 52112 or email bushtucka@iinet.net.au