Council hosts Guardians of disaster management

Councils, government agencies and organisations from across Queensland and New South Wales have converged on Townsville this week to learn about how the Townsville Local Disaster Management Group (TLDMG) operates.

The Guardian User Group Event brings together users of QIT Plus’s Guardian software, which is used in the management of disasters across the country.

Townsville Local Disaster Coordinator Zac Dawes said it was important for Council to share its knowledge and learnings with other disaster professionals.

“This year’s record-breaking rainfall showed just how important it is to maintain strong processes and training across all areas of disaster management, including operations, planning and communications,” Mr Dawes said.

“It’s important for all of us to remember that our work doesn’t end when the threat of a disaster passes. Taking learnings from each activation event is essential to make sure our team is performing to the best of its ability, and we always look to share what we’ve learned with our fellow councils and government organisations.

“It’s been a pleasure to have disaster management staff from a number of Queensland councils including the Gold Coast, Redland, Gladstone, Mackay, Cairns, Port Douglas, as well as Maritime Safety Queensland and the NSW Environmental Protection Agency with us in Townsville this week. Being able to learn from each other’s experiences across disaster events in vital.”

Councillor and TLDMG Chair Andrew Robinson said it was great to see the team’s expertise shared with others.

“Our TLDMG is extremely dedicated and all of our LDCC staff work tirelessly through disasters of all kinds to ensure our community is kept safe and well-informed,” Cr Robinson said.

“I’m very proud of the work that we did during this year’s record-breaking rainfall event and I’m very pleased to see our team being invited to share valuable learnings and knowledge with the participants at the Guardian event.”