NFPs Working In Cyclone Larry Recovery Effort
10 April 2006 at 1:04 pm
A massive coordinated recovery effort is continuing to deliver assistance to residents in Far North Queensland following Cyclone Larry and despite flooding in the region.
Torrential rain had restricted access but not curtailed efforts to deliver vital provisions to the cyclone-ravaged townships of Innisfail and Babinda and surrounding areas.
Under the Commonwealth Disaster Response Plan, requests for assistance by Queensland Government authorities continue to be answered by government and Not for Profit agencies.
The federal government says that the disaster plan had already ensured the delivery of food and water, tarpaulins, showers and sanitation facilities, generators, satellite imagery and even milking machines to assist in the recovery effort in North Queensland.
Australian Government assistance to disaster response and recovery aid is being coordinated by Emergency Management Australia (EMA) through the National Emergency Management Coordination Centre (NEMCC) in Canberra.
The government says this has been the central coordinating point since the cyclone crossed the Queensland coast and is ensuring a direct line of communication exists between Canberra and emergency personnel working on the ground in Far North Queensland.
It says the well-rehearsed response means EMA can liaise closely and quickly with the Queensland Government, the Australian Defence Force and all other relevant agencies to bring assistance to where it is most needed.
Agencies assisting in the recovery include the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Coastwatch, Bureau of Meteorology, Australian Defence Force, Department of Transport and Regional Services, Department of Health and Ageing, Department of Family and Community Services, along with emergency services agencies from other states and territories.
