In this the twelfth anniversary of the Australian Safer Communities Awards, it is encouraging to see the continuing interest shown in developing projects which strengthen community self reliance and resilience in the face of emergencies and disasters.
The trend in past years of seeing entries focused on preparedness projects continued this year, which is a positive indication of the acceptance of a need to build resilience in communities.
The Attorney General’s Department is proud to continue to host these Awards as part of its national role in identifying and promulgating best practice in community safety within Australia. We believe that initiatives such as the Awards are a key plank in facilitating the development of a national approach to community resilience and we invite this year’s winners to encourage and support future entrants from their jurisdictions. I would also like to thank our State and Territory colleagues for their enthusiastic and collaborative efforts in running this awards program. Without their involvement this program would not be as successful.
It has been an extraordinarily busy year in terms of management of natural disaster events. The beginning of 2011 saw far reaching and devastating flooding in South East Queensland.
This was quickly followed by Cyclone Yasi in the north of the State. The summer of 2011 also saw Perth experience terrible bushfires whilst Victoria was inundated with flood waters.
In February of this year, the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience was released by the Council of Australian Governments.
While, the strategy focuses on priority areas to build disaster resilient communities across Australia, it also recognises that disaster resilience is a shared responsibility for individuals, households, businesses and communities, as well as for governments.
The strategy is a first step in a long-term, evolving process to deliver sustained behavioural change and enduring partnerships.
This year the strength of the winning entries is remarkable in terms of the contribution that the projects make towards the government’s goal of a disaster resilient Australia.
The emergency sector is a key element of the Department’s objective of achieving a just and secure society.
Finally, can I note that, alongside the tremendous effort by entrants, my thanks go to the award organisers in each jurisdiction and the local and national judges who gave of their time to conduct the evaluations.
I would also like to express my appreciation to the State and Territory authorities that hosted jurisdictional presentations.
Kym Duggan
First Assistant Secretary National Security Capability Development Division
The Awards
The Australian Safer Communities Awards are sponsored by the Australian Attorney-General’s Department and managed by the Australian Emergency Management Institute in conjunction with State and Territory emergency agencies. They recognise innovative practises and achievements across the nation that are making our communities more resilient, safer, stronger and better prepared for crises or emergency situations.
The Awards cover most aspects of community resilience and safety with an emergency management focus including: risk assessment, research, education and training, information and knowledge management, building self-reliance and developing strategies for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery in an all hazard environments. The level of community engagement and the degree to which the project is special or innovative, raises awareness, and can be taken up by other agencies are all criteria considered by the judges.
The seven categories assigned to the 2011 Awards were:
- state agencies, including government-owned business enterprises
- local government
- volunteer organisations and groups where membership is substantially voluntary
- private sector
- education, training and research
- projects developed or managed by youth (under 18)
- projects of national significance or cross jurisdictional.
Local Government winner
Circular Head Council, Tasmania
‘Look Out for Your Mates’ – Mayor’s Road Safety Challenge
Community concern about the high number of road fatalities and serious injuries occurring in the remote rural north-west Tasmanian municipality of Circular Head was the primary motivation behind this safety awareness campaign. Based on the assumption that road safety messages delivered by one’s mates may be more powerful and more readily received than those delivered by law enforcement bodies the campaign is proving decidedly successful.
While representing only 1.7% of the state’s population, the area had 14% of fatal crashes in the year to January 2010. Part of the Circular Head Community Road Safety partnerships program for this area – which has no access to public transport and only a limited taxi service – the ‘Look Out for Your Mates’ slogan challenges drivers to look after their friends by discouraging risky behaviours on the roads. While the campaign focussed on drink driving, speed and seat belt wearing, it included a competition for students at Smithton’s secondary schools to produce a video exploring road safety messages from the viewpoint of a passenger in a vehicle driven by a distracted or inattentive driver.
Although acknowledged as a work in progress, the Council Mayor believes this message – part of a wider initiative encouraging community health and well-being – could go state wide in an endeavour to reduce road fatalities, road crash injuries and road safety complacency generally.
Volunteer/Community Group winner
NSW State Emergency Service
Tweed Shire Aged & Disabled FloodSafe Guide
This is the first flood safety guide sponsored by the State Emergency Service in NSW to be locally based community-led and specific to the needs of home-based aged and disabled people in the north-east of the state. In conjunction with established community networks in the Tweed Shire district the volunteers of the Tweed Heads and Murwillumbah SES Units along with the Richmond Tweed Region Control, adopted innovative approaches to capture the interest and engage with the range of audiences that it targeted.
With almost 30% of the shire’s population over 60 years of age, and with recent seasons of heavy rain causing flooding concerns for home-bound residents, the SES realised the need to adopt ongoing community engagement to enhance community trust so they would have the capacity to take charge of their own safety and build resilience as a shared responsibility. At risk residents, many of whom are new arrivals and unfamiliar with the potential severe weather and who live in caravan parks, relocatable homes or live independently, are within flood-prone areas. A local advisory committee of aged and disabled care experts, shire council and SES representatives plus aged care facility managers consulted with the community to rework existing flood safety information. Promotion through the local bowling club and with a series of in-house presentations gained maximum exposure to this vulnerable sector.
Local Government Highly Commended
Hinchinbrook Shire Council, Queensland
Local Area Warden System
Following Hinchinbrook Shire’s worst floods in 15 years early in 2009, which left many people isolated for up to 12 days and requiring multiple helicopter drops of food and medications, the local disaster management group decided to build a network of local area wardens to facilitate coordination of information and better direct resources to affected areas.
The system utilises mainly rural fire service volunteers to become local wardens during disaster events.
The initiative included preparation of daily situation reports from the many small communities in the shire, along with training of local people to coordinate helicopter landings and ensure public safety. Initially 26 wardens were trained to cover 19 localities including all towns and rural areas outside the main centre of Ingham. The honorary warden position, including induction as a council volunteer, is for an initial three year term and is covered by the council’s volunteer insurance.
A number of other Queensland regional and shire councils have expressed interest in establishing similar warden systems.