The recent tsunami that has created havoc in Samoa and Tonga and the earthquake in Indonesia have prompted people to think seriously about how ready our region is to deal with disasters. I can assure you that the Disaster Management Unit at Council is one of the best in the state and it has already done a huge amount of work to ensure that we are both prepared for any disasters,and able to respond quickly to them.
Check out www.cairns.qld.gov.au/disaster

I chair the Local Disaster Management Group so I know first hand some of the work that Council staff and our community partners do throughout the year.

This year we've been pleased to get federal and state government assistance to construct a cyclone-proof Disaster Coordination Centre at Woree which will be used for training and public awareness, and and will be the coordination and media base for the region in the event of a disaster.

Currently, with the cyclone season imminent, we are getting underway with a community education strategy to reach vulnerable groups such as elderly, infirm and disabled residents, those in coastal areas at risk of storm surge, visitors to the region, new residents and pet owners. In addition to the usual "Preparing for Cyclones" brochure, visits to schools, community meetings and advertising, we will be trialling online tools such as Facebook and Twitter to disseminate messages to the wider community.

You may be interested to know that Telstra has been awarded the contract to develop and deliver a national emergency warning system (NEWS), with the aim of disseminating emergency information to landlines (voice message) and mobiles (text message).