Recovery begins across Rockhampton Region

Published on 21 February 2015

As the Rockhampton Region begins to assess damage in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Marcia, the Local Disaster Coordination Centre (LDCC) has begun plans for the mammoth recovery task ahead.

Rockhampton Regional Council’s Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) Chair, Cr Tony Williams, said Council is working with support agencies to assess and prioritise the recovery process.

“There will be long days ahead for our crews, but we have strong support from across the state and great cooperation from the community,” he said.

Getting electricity back into homes is a major concern. 

“The focus for Ergon so far has been on critical infrastructure including communication lines and water supply which is crucial to the overall recovery process,” he said.

An extra 300 Ergon personnel from Mackay and Townsville are expected to arrive today to help restore power in affected areas.

Cr Williams said the SES has received hundreds of calls for assistance with damage overnight and additional resources have been tasked to the Region.

“We have an extra 74 SES volunteers arriving today and Council has also sought further assistance with contractors from Brisbane to assist with the clean-up.

“The extent and nature of the damage means the processes will be slow and we ask the community to be patient,” he said.

Police are also on standby to undertake an extensive assessment following overnight work from Main Roads installing generators to restore power to some traffic lights.

The collective effort to open access and clear the roads can be aided if people stay off the roads.

Residents are also being asked not to take green waste to the landfill until green waste disposal sites are confirmed.