$1.5 million for CALD communities to Get Ready

In a win for disaster-prone communities throughout Australia, the Australian Government has recently announced more than $5.4 million in funding to reduce the risk and limit the impact of future natural disasters.

As part of this funding package, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s flagship resilience program, Get Ready Queensland has been granted $1.5 million to create a series of natural hazard information videos and Easy Read resources for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities across Australia. 

The objective of the grant is to build Australian’s disaster resilience by improving accessibility and inclusivity of key disaster information, including types of extreme weather, their impacts and ways to mitigate risks at a household and community level.

The videos and complementary resources will be developed by GRQ for use across Australia and focus on seven natural hazards: bushfires, floods, cyclones, storms, heatwaves, earthquakes and tsunamis. 

The videos and resources will then be translated into the most common CALD languages.

This approach aims to improve the disaster resilience of all Australians, regardless of their language or literacy barriers. 

The use of simplified language and images means local authorities can also get the Easy Read resources translated into other languages spoken in their locality where there is community need.

Consistent messaging will help improve communication about natural hazards across Australia between local, district, regional, state and federal levels and is intended to increase disaster awareness and preparedness.

Being aware of local risks and having a household emergency plan could be the difference between staying safe or putting yourself and your family in danger.

As QRA’s Get Ready team are fond of saying, “we can’t control the weather, but we can always get ready.”

The Commonwealth, State and Territory governments have committed $261 million over five years from 2019-20 through the DRRP which is designed to reduce the risk and impact of disasters in line with the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework.