Your neighbours and others from your community are likely to be first on the scene when a disaster hits. Emergency service agencies can’t be everywhere and if they do arrive, their priority is saving lives and property. We need to be ready to look after ourselves and each other.
Resilience In Recovery is hosting Community Emergency Management Planning Workshops (CEMP), in conjunction with The Six C’s, Emergency Management Specialists in Murchison, Bunbartha, Undera and Mooroopna to assist communities to empower a community-led response to ensure better outcomes next time a disaster strikes.
Disaster resilient communities function well under stress, can adapt quickly and successfully, are self-reliant, have strong social bonds and can work together to self-organise.
Sue Rondeau, Co-Founder and Director of The Six C’s Group, spoke positively of the upcoming workshops.
“I think it’s a great model for the community. You can’t put a fire truck at every door or put the SES at every house in a flood, but community coming together can achieve a lot. It’s exciting to see the Greater Shepparton area embrace this concept and support their communities in developing a plan,” she said.
“It’s amazing to see the community come together, sometimes they’ve not met fellow community members before this time, so they are coming to the workshop and they meet each other for the first time, and realise they have a common problem whether it might be floods, storm fires and heat, and now they are working together to make it better for each other.”
Retired principal and Murchison resident, Peter Daws, expressed an opportunity for the community to work better together rather than relying on emergency services in a disaster event.
“We are trying to put together a plan, something that hasn’t been done before and we need to get as many views as possible. We’ve got quite an eclectic group of people and getting everyone on board to have their say is important,” he said.
“There were houses in trouble in the October 2022 flood event, I’m high and dry where I am in Murchison, so it is important to get information out to residents about how to best prepare for an emergency event so no one is left behind.”
To have your say, drop into one of the CEMP sessions:
Bunbartha Community Emergency Management Plan Development
Thursday, February 13, 6pm – 9pm
Bunbartha Community Centre
Murchison Community Emergency Management Plan Development
Tuesday, February 18, 6pm – 8pm
Murchison Community Centre
Undera Community Emergency Management Plan Development
Wednesday, February 5, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Wednesday, February 12, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Undera Recreation Reserve
Mooroopna Community Emergency Management Plan Development dates and times to be confirmed. To express interest in participating, email recovery@shepparton.vic.gov.au or call (03) 58329700.
