Meeting summary
Welcome and apologies
Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin chaired the meeting and opened with an introduction and welcome.
Review of actions
Progress on actions was noted.
Northern Rivers Recovery Coordination
RA provided an update on preparedness activities across the organisation.
The Get Ready NSW website went live on 2 December 2024, featuring a Resource Hub with downloadable and editable content such as posters and social media tiles. Information covers emergency warnings and the importance of knowing your neighbour.
Interest in the Big Map Lismore activity run by Disaster Relief Australia and RA on 9 December 2024 resulted in the addition of a second session that evening. The activity used a visual map of the entire catchment to guide conversations about preparedness for future disasters. Feedback shared included using radio as back-up and earlier evacuation in some circumstances.
Temporary Housing
RA confirmed that licence fees for temporary housing will start being collected from 9 December 2024.
Service mapping continues for Recovery Support Services (RSS) to identify strengths and gaps within the social service sector to support communities.
It was noted that Community Resilience Networks (CRNs) will be leveraged to support preparedness in 2025.
Red Cross Community Led Resilience Project update
Australian Red Cross provided an update on the Red Cross Community-led Resilience Project, funded under the $150m Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program (NRRRP).
Community Resilience Teams (CRT) have been established and include a Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader, and Street Coordinators. The model allows for communication before, during and after emergencies, providing opportunities for communities to prepare based on local priorities.
The project will run to 30 September 2025. To date, 297 activities have been delivered. 114 CRTs have either been established or are in planning. More than 40 volunteers have been trained who will remain in community. The program will be externally evaluated in 2025. Case studies of local CRTs were shared.
Flood Inquiry update
The Premier’s Department presented on the recommendations from the NSW inquiries on the 2022 floods: the NSW Independent Flood Inquiry and the inquiry by the Legislative Council Select Committee on the Response to Major Flooding across New South Wales in 2022.
The Department is tracking progress on 65 recommendations from these two inquiries. It was noted that almost half of these have been completed to date.
Resilient Homes Program
The recent $90m in additional funding for the Resilient Homes Program (RHP) was noted. An update was also provided on the waiving of the co-contribution for identified hardship cases.
Closing
The Chair closed the meeting.