Published Friday, 01 August, 2008 at 03:04 PM
Minister for Emergency Services
The Honourable Neil Roberts
Charleville flood barrier response awarded
Efforts to erect a temporary flood barrier to protect the south-west Queensland town of Charleville from flood in January were recognised with a Department of Emergency Services award today.
The Department’s Emergency Management Queensland’s (EMQ) Disaster Operations Unit was a joint winner of Innovation and Creativity category of the 2008 Emergency Services Minister’s Awards.
Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said EMQ co-ordinated a remarkable effort to plug two unfinished sections of the Charleville levee before the Warrego River peaked at above six metres in January this year.
“The temporary flood barrier was borrowed from the NSW Government, the Defence Force flew the barriers in to Charleville, New Zealand experts were flown in, CHEP provided the pallets, Murweh Shire Council, local and NSW SES volunteers, the New Zealand experts and members of the community helped erect the barriers within hours,” Mr Roberts said.
“Within 24 hours of the original decision by EMQ to check if the NSW barriers were available, the barriers were erected along the banks of the Warrego River.”
“The Warrego River peaked at above six metres, but there was no inundation of the town as a result. The permanent levee at Charleville has since been completed.”
Mr Roberts said training programs, community safety initiatives and numerous rural/remote area-specific achievements were the other big winners at the 2008 Minister’s Awards for Excellence, announced at Parliament House, Brisbane, today.
A total of 16 projects were recognised with eight winners, four highly commended, and four commended for their efforts, the recipients scattered across the entire department.
Mr Roberts said the Awards for Excellence were designed to recognise outstanding achievements, innovations and leadership.
“Queensland is prone to more natural disasters than most other states in Australia, and each year our staff and volunteers work hard and put their lives on the line to battle bushfires, cyclones, storms and medical emergencies,” Mr Roberts said.
“The leadership, initiatives and achievements we have recognised today with these important awards ensure that communities across Queensland remain safe.
“The awards provide recognition to teams, units and volunteer groups that have set new standards within their field and promoted the department’s vision of creating a safer community and a better quality of life in Queensland.
“Many of these creative initiatives are driving improvements at national and international levels, and I am proud of the standard of world-class emergency and disaster management services that we as a state continue to uphold.”
“The sheer amount of winners this year reflects the quality of nominations and I commend all entrants for their creativity and commitment to improving the delivery and management of emergency services in Queensland.”
The award winners are:
|
Category |
Leadership Excellence |
|
Award winner |
Disaster Operations - Operational Leadership in Emergency Management 2007/08 |
|
Project summary |
In an unprecedented busy season, Disaster Operations provided the State’s response to major natural disasters ranging from a major exotic animal disease outbreak to severe flooding across the state. The team displayed outstanding leadership; communicating information, coordinating support and whole of government resources and providing reassurance and leadership to communities in times of disaster. |
|
Category |
Engaging and Serving Communities |
|
Award winner |
Community Engagement Unit - Community Safety Resource Package |
|
Project summary |
The Department is the frontline response for emergencies and disasters, but the Community Safety Resource Package initiative aims to develop the skills and knowledge of the community to prevent, prepare for and lessen the effects of emergencies and disasters. With a target audience from babies to senior citizens, it includes projects such as ‘Watch Out!’, ‘Keeping Children Safe’ and ‘Senior and Safer’, and is a significant example of multiple agencies working together towards the common goal of enhancing community safety. |
|
Category |
Partnerships and Reconciliation |
|
Award winner |
QFRS Northern Region - Indigenous Firefighters Training and Recruitment Program |
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Project summary |
As part of the Department’s Strategic Plan for Indigenous Australians 2005 – 2008, The Indigenous Auxiliary Firefighters Project (IAFP) seeks to improve the quality of life for Indigenous people through employment opportunities, act as a vehicle for practical reconciliation and create a larger QFRS resource pool in difficult recruitment and retention areas. It is a true partnership arrangement, working closely with the Indigenous Coordination Unit and has led to a greater understanding and cooperation between indigenous communities and QFRS, enhanced employment outcomes for participants and increased auxiliary staffing levels in the Hinchinbrook region and Mt Isa regions. |
|
Category |
Innovation and Creativity – Joint Winner |
|
Award winner |
Disaster Operations - Charleville Flood Barrier Response |
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Project summary |
Floods have a potentially catastrophic impact on communities, causing extensive short term misery and long term recovery issues, and in January 2008, very high levels in the Warrego River threatened to do just this as a result of heavy rainfall in Western Queensland. In a bid to avert disaster, EMQ sourced and delivered temporary barriers to hold back the flood waters, flew in experts from New Zealand to coordinate the project and successfully prevented a major flood through the town of Charleville. |
|
Category |
Innovation and Creativity - Joint Winner |
|
Award winner |
Helicopter Replacement - Helicopter Replacement Project |
|
Project summary |
Following 13 years of the EMQ Helicopter Rescue team working with Bell 412 helicopters to provide the community with world class 24 hour-a-day service, the time came late last year, due to accumulated flying hours and increased tasking, to modernise its fleet. On time and under budget, two of the new AW139s were delivered and are currently operational, to be joined by a third shortly. The AW139s will set a new standard in Australian aeromedical retrieval, offering benefits and efficiencies above the current fleet, and enhancing EMQHR’s capability to deal with mass casualty, counter disaster and rescue operations as well as providing regional communities with greater accessibility to hospital and health services. |
|
Category |
Building Queensland’s Regions – Joint Winner |
|
Award winner |
Far Northern Regional Staff - Gubau Kakaruss – Disaster Supply Kits |
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Project summary |
A comprehensive Disaster Supply Kit was designed by the Far Northern Region and strategically distributed across the Cape and Torres Strait islands so that families have all the necessary items they will need in an emergency or evacuation in remote areas. Kits contain things such as hand crank powered torches and radios, small camping stoves, water bladders and first aid kits. |
|
Category |
Building Queensland’s Regions – Joint Winner |
|
Award winner |
Queensland Ambulance Service Graduates of Isolated Practice Paramedics Program - Rural and Remote Paramedics Program “Expanding the Scope of Paramedic Practice” |
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Project summary |
The Queensland Ambulance Service Rural and Remote Paramedic Program, which kicked off at James Cook University in November 2006 is designed to meet the health care needs of people residing in rural, remote and isolated communities in Queensland. Developed to address the shortage of rural and remote area health workers, the Graduate Certificate with 44 graduates and current students, gives paramedics more skills and represents a significant improvement in access to basic healthcare needs for rural and remote communities. |
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Category |
ZEROharm Excellence in Safety Leadership (Focussing on our People) |
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Award winner |
Rural Operations and Rural Fire Service WH&S Implementation, Rural Operations |
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Project summary |
In 2007, a significant gap in the implementation of basic Workplace Health and Safety systems was identified in the volunteer workforce. A review led to the creation of a permanent position at QFRS Rural Operations at senior management level to commence development and implementation of these systems with ZEROharm the primary focus. Tens of thousands of volunteers and over 100 permanent staff are continuing work to implement these control measures. |
1 August 2008
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Brendan Connell 3247 8992 or Kirby Anderson 3247 8194