An emergency radio system is to be established to cover rural areas from the Lower Hawkesbury to Yarramalong, using $600,000 in funding from the national Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program.
Mangrove Emergency Planning and Communications Committee spokesperson, Keith Aranjo, said the committee had been successful in its grant application to provide emergency radio communication for areas from Spencer in the south, through Somersby, Mangrove Mountain, Kulnura, Bucketty and north to Dooralong and Yarramalong.
“Normally when we have emergencies such as bushfires and floods we lose power and thereby all communication – people have no way of finding out what’s happening or telling each other what’s going on,” Aranjo said.
“With a radio network we can relay messages to each other and integrate with emergency services so we can feed information back to the authorities.
“Our next step will be to work out with each of the groups making up the entire district how they can set themselves up for the network.
“Then a protocol will be put in pace to coordinate it.
“Spencer is on its way to getting ready and other communities need to do it as well.”
Aranjo said the network would also be used to advise residents on mitigation measures such as keeping homes clear of debris and organising emergency water supplies.
He said it as important to be fully prepared for future emergency situations.
The grant was part of a total of $1.5M awarded to Central Coast organisations.
Central Coast Council received $381,000 for water and sewer bushfire management planning; Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council was granted $220,261 for fire trail construction and the Pearl Beach Community Support Centre received $91,630.
Other recipients included: the Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park for a fire trail upgrade ($57,620); disability access for Wyong Creek Literary Institute ($174,500); and River Cares Incorporated to help build community resilience and bushfire preparedness ($21,200).
The Coast is also listed in state-wide grants given to the Australian Red Cross Society for a bushfire recovery program ($7.2M); the Emergency Service’s Volunteers Association for a first responder program ($463,900) and Mackillop Family Services to build “community capacity and resilience to respond and recover” ($240,507).
River Cares President, Robyn Downham, said the group’s funding allocation would be used for its project Building Community Resilience and Bushfire Preparedness.
“This funding will help to provide resources to support the community-led Emergency Response Plan that River Cares has recently completed,” Downham said.
She said the emergency plan was prepared after the Gospers Mountain and Three Mile Creek bushfires in December 2019 saw the communities of the Lower Hawkesbury completely cut off.
Downham said the grant would help in a number of ways including: establishing a telecommunications infrastructure and “phone tree”; holding emergency preparedness and information workshops; and providing emergency resource packs.
Federal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, commended the grant recipients for their dedication to the Central Coast community and commitment to ensuring those impacted by the Black Summer Bushfires are supported in their recovery.
Terry Collins