Council ready to roll out disaster management trailer

Published on 03 July 2020

Rockhampton Regional Council is ready to hit the road with a trailer designed to support disaster response, relief, recovery, and preparedness.

The project is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Deputy Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group Councillor Tony Williams said the trailer will be a vital resource for Council and other agencies in our Region.

“This may seem like a small addition in the scheme of our Region’s disaster management capability, but the trailer will very quickly become something that our residents will recognise,” said Cr Williams.

“To highlight how useful it will be, let’s imagine there was another event like the Gracemere bushfires in 2018.

“The trailer–which is fitted with solar, a generator, charging points, a computer, and Wi-Fi–would be dispatched to an evacuation centre or central community space.

“This means that people who weren’t able to return to their homes or had to leave in a hurry would have a place to charge their phones and get in touch with their loved ones. They would also be able to access any agencies or information they needed immediately.

“Following the event, the trailer would operate as a mobile Community Recovery Hub, supporting the work of other Government and disaster relief agencies, and pointing residents to relevant services and resources they need to transition through recovery.

“When there isn’t an active or recent emergency the trailer will operate as a hub at community events, which residents can visit to find out more about their disaster risk and learn how to better prepare. It will also be available to other agencies in our Region.

“Overall, this trailer will be a very welcome addition, and I would like to highlight how grateful we are for the funding that made it possible.”