FUNDING TO SUPPORT REGION'S DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Scenic Rim has received $192,000 to enable the region to better prepare for future disasters and protect its communities.

The Australian Government's Prepared Communities Fund, with contributions from Council, will provide for a Resilience Project Officer to be employed for two years to promote disaster preparedness, and for Council to carry out an updated bushfire management study.

Mayor Greg Christensen said support from the Prepared Communities Fund enabled councils to identify and deliver local resilience priorities based on local needs.

"Since early 2017, our region has experienced both floods and bushfires which have highlighted the need for everyone to be prepared to deal with potential disasters that can unfold with very little warning," he said.

"We can't control natural disasters and extreme weather events, however we can control the way we respond to them.

"This is about building greater resilience for individuals and our communities and reducing, as far as possible, potential hazards."

Council aims to recruit the Resilience Project Officer by the end of 2019 to work with the Local Disaster Management Group and Scenic Rim communities to enhance the region's ability to respond to the threat of natural disasters.

The Resilience Project Officer will be engaged to develop disaster management plans, progress a community development framework in the context of disaster management and develop disaster guides that will better prepare the Scenic Rim community to deal with an emergency or disaster event.

The Bushfire Management Study will review and update the Bushfire Risk Assessment of 2012 to ensure bushfire management in Council-owned and controlled areas is undertaken in line with the most up-to-date information available.

"In 2012, Council assessed every structure fronting Council-managed land and considered the need for infrastructure and fuel management measures to reduce bushfire risks," Cr Christensen said.

"Since then, new structures have been built on vacant lots, new reserves have come under Council's control so that we now manage some 200 blocks across the region, and there have been advances in bushfire hazard assessment.

"A critical part of the study will be to look at what we have done to date and how this could be improved, from reviewing areas where hazard levels may have changed to better managing vegetation and working with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to improve access to reserves for risk mitigation and emergency response."

Scenic Rim is one of nine local governments in Queensland to receive a share of the $5 million Prepared Communities Fund.

Council is very grateful for the Australian Government funding which will provide the resources to undertake these important projects.