As the region braces itself for bushfire and storm season, now both officially underway, Central Coast Council is urging residents to ‘Get Ready’ for future events.
Council Director of Environment and Planning, Alice Howe, said the Coast is no stranger to emergency events and extreme weather.
“We have experienced a wide range of emergency events in recent years – from severe bushfires to storms, coastal erosion, repeated heavy rainfall and flooding, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Howe said.
“We know that severe weather and other emergency events will continue to be a part of our lives on the Central Coast, especially as we continue to experience La Niña climate conditions which can bring above average rainfall, severe and frequent storms, and a hot, humid summer season.
“Now is the time to understand your current risks and create an up-to-date plan for natural emergency events and severe weather.”
Council Acting Director of Community Services, Glenn Cannard, said as a community we’ve displayed great strength in working through these challenges together and alongside emergency service organisations – from the response phase through to recovery and circling back again.
“Now is the time to prepare,” he said.
“Please don’t wait for a disaster to happen before you think about what you need to do, or how you are going to protect your home and belongings.
“Being prepared for emergencies can save lives, property and helps our community to recover more quickly from emergency events when they do occur.
“We all share the responsibility of being informed and aware of our risks, and to check that we are adequately prepared to respond to emergencies.
“Regardless of whether a resident has recently moved to the Central Coast or has been in the same house for decades with an existing plan, now is the time to understand current risks and create an up-to-date plan.”
Council Administrator, Rik Hart, said the region’s environmental characteristics of over 128,500HA of bushland, 80km of coastline and encasing large lakes and waterways can isolate communities quickly in a severe emergency situation, making preparedness particularly important for the region.
“Council has a holistic approach to management of emergency events which encompasses the full circle of emergency management planning, preparedness, response and recovery – all of which are constantly being improved upon to incorporate new learnings from each event and shared knowledge from a range of key stakeholders,” Hart said.
“Council is not the main authority in emergencies.
“However, we continue to work alongside and support lead emergency agencies to raise awareness and share resources that will help our local community prepare for emergency and severe weather events.
“I encourage all the Central Coast community, including residents and businesses, to take the time this month to ‘Get Ready’ for emergency events and boost our defence as a resilient community.”
Council suggests five steps to prepare for emergency events and severe weather; know your risk; get your home or business premises ready; be aware and keep informed; and look out for each other.
“It’s important to think about the area you live in, your circumstances and the types of disasters that could affect you,” Council says.
“Council has tools and links to a number of resources to help you identify your risks.”
“Ensure you have a current emergency plan in place which considers your risks, abilities and resources, plus an emergency evacuation kit ready to go.
“Prepare your property to best withstand emergency events, with general maintenance and checks, and ensure you are adequately insured.
“Find out in advance where to find critical information in the lead up to, or during, an emergency event.
“Don’t wait for an emergency to build community networks with neighbours.
“Get to know each other now, share your plans with neighbours, friends and family and identify your community strengths and weaknesses to be able to plan for them in advance.”
Central Coast Council is part of Get Ready, a community preparedness program coordinated by Resilience NSW.
For information and resources on preparing for emergency events, go online to centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/emergencies
Primary source: Central Coast Council, Oct 4, 2022l