Bluey and Bingo help spread disaster preparedness message
Published on 11 September 2024
Disaster preparedness was the message from Bluey and Bingo during Western Downs Regional Council's Ready Together Day in Tara at the weekend.
More than 500 people converged on the Tara Showgrounds on Sunday to meet Bluey and Bingo and hear from former NRL star and mental health advocate David Shillington while taking in valuable advice on how to plan and prepare for extreme weather and disaster events.
Council's disaster management team and personnel from the Queensland Police Services (QPS) and Queensland Fire Department (QFD) were on hand to provide valuable advice and assist residents with household emergency plans and disaster readiness.
Western Downs Regional Council Spokesperson for Community and Cultural Development Peter Saxelby said Council was pleased to partner with Shell QGC to highlight the importance of being prepared for bushfires, floods and severe storm weather.
"Council is committed to investing in educating residents about disaster and emergency preparedness to increase the resilience and recovery of the Western Downs region when disaster strikes," Cr Saxelby said.
"Ready Together Day is an important opportunity to bring our community together to share advice and tips on how to prepare our homes and properties for extreme weather events.
"The Western Downs has seen the devastating impacts of bushfires and floods, and community events like this are also a wonderful reminder to check in on our mates and to keep our own mental health in check as we continue to work through the recovery process.
"I'd also like to thank the personnel from the Queensland Police Service, the Queensland Fire Department and our local SES who were on hand to provide residents with face-to-face advice and assistance with preparing emergency plans."
Cr Saxelby said Council had implemented the new Australian Warning System into its disaster planning, to give residents consistent warning messaging during times of disasters.
"I would encourage all residents on the Western Downs to jump onto Council's website and get familiar with the region's Disaster Dashboard," he said.
"This is the best source of current weather warnings, power outages, road conditions and emergency news."
Council's Disaster Dashboard can be found online at: https://disaster.wdrc.qld.gov.au/
For more information contact Council on 1300 268 624 (COUNCIL) or visit www.wdrc.qld.gov.au