Mayors Message - Council Connections - 24 March 2018

We are well into our recovery phase with our recovery sub-groups, with the assistance of State agencies, facilitating recovery actions and planning strategies for the way back to normality.

Another flood has now peaked and is consigned to history.  As a community we endured the flood and as quickly as it rose, jumped into the clean-up process as floodwater receded and allowed.

Your diligence and quick efforts in that regard were superb and ensured that potential for water/soil borne disease was quickly mitigated.

Pat yourselves on the back – your response was exceptional and for that Council sincerely thanks you.  We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to your attentiveness and quick action in responding to threat alerts and notices as the event approached.  Sitting in the disaster centre monitoring the situation unfold and dealing with the incoming requests for assistance, we were clearly able to see that in the main, you were prepared and ready and that speaks volumes for your resilience and ability to self-help.

As any disaster agency will inform you, the effects of disaster events can be substantially mitigated by being prepared – and our community has proven that yet again.

Congratulations and thank you.

Can I please take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who assisted in any manner or form in our counter disaster response.  I would like to specifically mention our local volunteer SES unit, our Local Area Wardens, all Council staff and contractors tasked with assisting the LDMG, the Police, Firies, Ambos, swift water rescue personnel and Queensland Rail personnel.

There are numerous others and you know who you are.

Thank you on behalf of our community, your efforts went a long way in keeping us informed, safe and assisted throughout the process.

The LDMG has formally stood down as transitioning to recovery under the guidance of the recovery sub-groups takes place.  We will continue to provide timely updates on recovery processes as they occur.

Council’s kerbside hard rubbish collection has been finalised.  Particulars will be made available once all details are collated.

Council staff are currently inspecting all roads and other public infrastructure around the district and assessing the extent of damage.  In the short term, temporary repairs will be carried out so as to return the asset to a safe useable condition.  Permanent repair and reconstruction works will be undertaken at a later stage, after all administrative compliance matters have been attended to.

Let me explain the system to you – Damage sustained to public essential infrastructure qualifies for repair under the National Disaster Recovery Relief Arrangements (NDRRA).  This fund is administered by the Federal and State Governments.

To qualify for funding, local governments must submit an application which among other things must include – Evidence of damage; detail of extent of damage; scope of work and costings for repair of damage.

In general, the Fund only allows for repair of damage to the asset’s earlier pre-disaster condition and as part of the process, Council must be able to furnish evidence of pre-condition.  This evidence is derived from road inspections undertaken by Council at various intervals throughout the year.  In short, the asset can only be repaired – not improved.

The process Council must undertake is really no different as to when you, as an individual, lodge an insurance claim.  Sometimes there is a lot of haggling with the insurers to get the claim through.  It is no different for Council and delays of up to 12 months in getting repair work authorised may be expected.

So, I am asking for your patience as we go about this extensive process.  We can understand your frustration and we can understand that you may not be seeing things happening – but we can assure you that they are happening and we will progress as fast as NDRRA allow us.

If you have any concerns regarding public infrastructure damage near you, we will be happy to provide you with progress notes. Just contact us and ask.