Recovery: we all have a role to play

Video transcript

Queenslanders are no strangers to natural disasters. In fact, we're the most disaster-impacted state in Australia. Cyclones, floods, bush fires, we've experienced them all. There's probably not a community in Queensland that hasn't been impacted by a natural disaster. And every year, these communities are recovering from impacts.

It's important to understand that the road to recovery is different for everyone. People and communities recover in different ways and at different paces.

While local councils are responsible for disaster operations in Queensland including recovery, we all have a role to play.

Before disaster strikes, we all need to be prepared and plan what we will do in a disaster. Individuals, small businesses and primary producers should be reviewing emergency and business continuity plans. Emergency kits should be packed and ready. Steps should be in place to minimise the impacts of a disaster. For example, ensuring their property is cleaned up and well-maintained. Councils should review recovery plans in conjunction with recovery groups.

Training and recovery exercises will ensure everyone knows what to do during and after a disaster.

Councils also undertake resilience-building projects, such as improving roads and bridges.

The first stage of recovery comes immediately after a disaster. It focuses on post-impact relief and emergency repairs with recovery groups standing up to help guide recovery. This stage focuses on assistance to individuals, damage assessments, public health risks, and prioritising infrastructure for repair. Immediate recovery initiatives for individuals may include personal hardship grants, psychosocial assistance, and case coordination.

For the broader community and environment, initiatives to contain pollution and relief for wildlife will be put in place and emergency infrastructure repairs will begin.

Local recovery groups are encouraged to develop their event-specific recovery plan.

Next, community can focus on short to medium term recovery, the 'three Rs' - Re-establish, Rehablitation, Reconstruction.

Small businesses and other services reopen and community events resume.

Some assistance measures may continue depending on community needs.

Reconstruction of residential and community infrastructure begins. At this stage,  we may see building back better of essential public assets in order to make our communities more resilient. Restoration of environment and heritage sites will commence.

Behind the scenes, recovery plans are implemented and recovery progress is monitored.

Follow up damage assessments enable us to monitor reconstruction and ongoing impacts.

The next stage focuses on long-term recovery, restoration, rebuilding and reshaping. Recovery and reconstruction responsibilities are progressively observed by local agencies that support ongoing recovery and community development. 

New social connections have been created and fostered, often resulting in increased innovation and entrepreneurial activities.

It is at this point where we evaluate our recovery operations. What did we do well? And what could we do better next time? Lessons identified can lead to improvements in our recovery capability and resilience. This could be through enhancing infrastructure and supporting behavioural change.

The road to disaster recovery ends when the community is in a post-disaster recovered state, which brings us back to communities getting ready before a disaster strikes again.