Queenslanders awarded for building resilience

Four innovative projects from across Queensland have been recognised for making communities safer and better prepared for natural disasters and emergencies at the 2018 Get Ready Queensland Resilient Australia Awards.

Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick announced the Queensland winners as part of the state’s Get Ready Week activities.

“I would like to acknowledge the work of all the finalists at last night’s awards, with teams from as far north as Wujal Wujal, Hope Vale and Cooktown to Moreton Bay and North Stradbroke Island in the south,” he said.

“The Queensland Resilient Australia Award finalists are all building resilience to natural disasters in their communities and, in many cases, have highlighted the benefits of working in partnership.

“Congratulations to this year’s four winners for the projects that were delivered in Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), Moreton Bay, Wide Bay-Burnett and the Whitsundays.

“The highly competitive Government Award category exemplified the benefits of collaboration with joint winners in this category.

“The Wide Bay Regional Organisation of Councils was a joint winner of the award for the Burnett River Catchment Flood Resilience Strategy, which was the first floodplain management plan to bring together four councils to manage flood risk on a regional scale. 

“This was a locally-led, regionally coordinated and state supported approach to managing flood risk across the Bundaberg, Cherbourg, North Burnett and South Burnett council areas in the Burnett River Catchment.

“Moreton Bay Regional Council, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and Queensland Police Service were also joint award winners for the ‘My Resilient Community’ project, which is a collaboration between government and non-government agencies, business, volunteers and community organisations to deliver customised local community resilience strategies.”

Mr Dick said the theme of partnerships in delivering resilience was also recognised in the Community Award.

“Congratulations to the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC) and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority for their work in developing the Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) Bushfire Management Plans, which integrate modern disaster management techniques with the traditional burning techniques of the Quandamooka People. 

“Whitsunday Regional Council won the photography award for Cyclone Resilience – Whitsunday Water which captured the Whitsunday Water team after Tropical Cyclone Debbie working in a temporary office run by generators where they worked 18-20 hours a day for two weeks trying to restore services to the region. A truly resilient team in a resilient community.

“As Queensland is the most disaster prone state in Australia, it is vitally important we continue to build resilience in our communities and projects such as these award winners are shining examples of that.”

The 2018 Get Ready Queensland Resilient Australia Award winners will go on to represent Queensland in the national awards, which will be announced in late 2018.

Get Ready Queensland Week runs from 8-14 October 2018, for more information go to http://www.qld.gov.au/getready

ENDS

Media contact: Anika Hume 0447 320 039