Scenic Rim Local Recovery Group Bushfire Recovery Plan on a Page Southern Bushfires, 6 – 12 September 2019 and Eastern Queensland Bushfires, which impacted the western part of the , from 8 Mayor CEO LR Coordinator November to 19 December 2019. Endorsed by: Scenic Rim Local Recovery Group on 6 March 2020 Cr Greg Christensen Mr Jon Gibbons Mrs Debra Moore Recovery narrative Surrounded by World-Heritage listed national parks, breathtaking scenery and highest quality, locally grown fresh food, the Damage and impacts Scenic Rim remains a popular must-see tourist destination. Only one hour from both and the Gold Coast, the Scenic Human and Social Environment Rim’s unique location makes for an ideal getaway location. • Community wellbeing – short term instructed and self- • Damage to park infrastructure evacuations of , Sarabah, Palen Creek, and • Potential contamination threat due to asbestos The Scenic Rim is a robust and resilient community, assisting each other through previous events and associated recovery. Carney’s Creek areas. exposure. The Scenic Rim is committed to ensuring that our communities have a successful and resilient future and will approach • Community wellbeing – financial stress from lack of • Catchments and waterways impacted by the fire, recovery from an empathic and inclusive approach in partnership with other agencies. insurance debris run off and retardants. • Community wellbeing – psychosocial wellbeing of • Threats to water quality. Council Values community members affected, compounded trauma from • Burnt and fallen trees – public health and safety risk. • Communication – we actively promote clear, concise and open discussion between staff, Council and communities. drought. • Concerns surrounding vegetation regrowth for rural • Respect - we act respectfully towards each other, accepting each person’s individuality and their role • Community Wellbeing – loss of community connections producers. • Quality - we have pride in whatever we do and strive to do it well • Public Health – concerns about water contamination, in • National, state and local parks and walking trails • Staff worth - our actions demonstrate that our people matter particular with regards to retardant and ash, after rain damaged, impacting on public access. • Trust - we build strong relationships that we believe in and rely on. events. • Threat to flora and fauna in the region. • Teamwork - we work cooperatively to achieve common goals, drawing on the strengths of each other, in a supportive and • Public Health – concerns on exposure to asbestos safe environment. • Isolation for children due to school closure – Beechmont Recovery narrative Recovery • Honesty - we act with integrity and when we ask an honest question, we get an honest answer. State School. Infrastructure (Built and Roads) • Accountability - we accept ownership of our role and responsibility for our actions. • Essential services – loss of power and water to affected • 11 dwellings were destroyed/uninhabitable. communities. • 18 properties sustained damage. About the disaster event • Essential services – loss to little telephone and mobile • A number of roads were closed due to fire threat during event. In September 2019, the Southern Queensland Bushfires impacted a number of communities across the Scenic Rim, service. • Major highways were closed, including Cunningham specifically areas of Binna Burra and Sarabah. The bushfires burned over some weeks, causing significant disruption to Highway and Mt Lindesay highway. essential services, businesses, schools and tourism. In November 2019 bushfires, known as the Eastern Queensland Economic • Large landslip impacted Binna Burra Road. Estimated Bushfires struck the , crucially impacting rural communities of farming and agriculture in areas of Tarome, • Impacts to land utilised by rural producers, such as fencing, to remain closed until mid-2020. Clumber and Carney’s Creek. stock welfare and loss of paddock feed.

• Loss of income to local services and small businesses: • Heritage listed Binna Burra Lodge was destroyed. Recovery narrative Recovery power outages, damage, staff isolation. • Vegetation impacting road furniture. Local Recovery Group • Insurance – lack of or underinsurance for residential and • Power disconnected to a number of homes. Established: 16 September 2019 business properties • Road signs damaged. Chaired by: Local Recovery Coordinator – Mrs. Debra Moore, Manager Community & Culture • Tourism: potential impact on tourism due to road closures • Water tanks sustained fire damage/residue Disaster Management Coordinator – Alisa Totenhofer and closure of national parks • Damage to dwellings, exposing hazardous materials such as asbestos. Damage impacts and Damage • Tourism: drop in custom, cancellation of bookings and Lines of Recovery reduction of enquiries to hospitality businesses. The Scenic Rim Regional Council Recovery Plan on a Page involves four key functions: • Tourism: perception that area is unsafe - impacting local • Human and Social, Economic, Environment and Infrastructure (Building, Roads and Transport). businesses. • Based on the magnitude of the bushfires and ability for the Council to lead the recovery, the functions of Roads and • Loss of income for employees at Binna Burra Lodge – annual Transport and Building have been amalgamated into one function called Infrastructure. wage bill - $1.8M/year. • Loss of income for local suppliers of Binna Burra Lodge – Key stakeholders annual supplies - $3.6-4M/year. Lead state government agencies, community groups, non-government organisations/non-government associations, local • Loss of income for businesses and suppliers were businesses and trader associations, service providers and other invested parties. experienced around closure of major highway. • Loss of employment for Binna Burra Lodge employees Recovery objectives • Evacuations resulted in a loss of customers for O’Reillys, 1. Essential services – power and telecommunications - repaired and restored. Spicer's Peak Lodge and surrounding local businesses. 2. Emergency funding provided to eligible applicants. 3. Damage and impact assessments – completed. Recovery timeframes 4. Offers of assistance are effectively managed 5. Fencing, sheds, water tanks and farming infrastructure repaired and/or replaced. 6. Water tanks are able to be utilised Short term (ST) Medium to long term (ML) Ongoing (OG) 7. Restore confidence in the tourism market. 8. Road transport network – complete damage assessments, develop reconstruction program and coordinate works for state and local controlled roads. Human and Social 1 2 3 10 15 16 4 9 14 9. Increase community awareness and preparedness for all hazards through community engagement. 10. Employment opportunities are sourced for those from Binna Burra Lodge 11. Recovery of wildlife habitats to accelerate return of wildlife. Economic 3 6 5 13 15 16 4 7 12 14 12. Enhance the resilience of local businesses 13. Repair and rebuild of homes and businesses. 3 15 14. Seek further funding assistance opportunities to support community recovery efforts where needed. Environment 1 16 4 11 17 14 15. Enhance recovery governance through the re-development of a Local Recovery Sub-Plan. 16. Support the restoration and re-establishment of Binna Burra Lodge and additional businesses and services affected. 17. Recovery of national parks and surrounding environment. Infrastructure 1 3 8 13 15 16 4 18 14

18. Replacement of park infrastructure and camp grounds and ensure public areas are safe from fire damage trees and other items.

Recovery objectives Recovery Recovery timeframes Recovery Activations summary Map of ScenicRecovery Rim narrative Scenic Rim RegionalCouncil Map Map of Scenic Rim • • • • • • • • • • • Disaster relief measure Fordetails of activations andassistance measures visit Activations for Disaster Recovery Funding Assistance for fornot *The *The Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme (PHAS Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme Freight Subsidies for Primary Producers Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loans Scheme Disaster Assistance (not for Primary Producers Disaster for Small Business Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loans Scheme Disaster Assistance (Small Business) Loans Reconstruction of Essential Public Assets Counter Disaster Operations PHAS and ESSRS for Scenic Scenic for ESSRS and PHAS Assistance Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loans Scheme - profit organisations Rim Rim is limited, refer to to refer limited, is - for - profit organisations) Loans www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters )* )* 07/09/2019 - emergencies/queensland www.qra.qld.gov.au/activations - disasters 07/09/2019 13/09/2019 13/09/2019 13/09/2019 13/09/2019 13/09/2019 13/09/2019 11/09/2019 07/09/2019 Activation date for specific areas. areas. specific for

Measure of success Recovery tasks Recovery tasks Measures • • • • • Economic • • • • • • • • • • Human and social • • • • • • • • • • • • • Human funding opportunities to assist recovery. Identify impact on agriculture andpotential Binna Burra closure. Support workers unemployedas a result of the Provide support for Insurancechallenges . Develop resilience strategies for local businesses “ Develop Manage donated goods. messaging through social media. Community Messaging andcommunity engagementevents Community events Community messaging relating Reopen schools inof need assistance. access to psychological support services to those In partnership with relevant agencies, provide within the community. Identify andmanagepersonal hardship cases eligible impacted individuals Provide Australian Disaster Recovery Paymentsto impacted individuals Provide emergencyhardship payments to Assess humanand social impacts media means.media Enhancedcommunity connectednessthrough theuse of Donated goods havemanaged beeneffectively engagement. Community hasresilience through increased educationand communities andlocal non Stronger partnerships and relationships built with strategies.resilience securedFunding to support community recovery and community Community andvisitors havedistributed beenacross andreceived impact zones. Community messaging assistance. E Community supportedmembers through outreach Community were ablemembers to access a recovery hub. Schools Community havemembers returnedto work. transitioned into appropriate accommodation. Community havemembers returnedhome or have open for business ligible and and Social community strategy to re have events. reopened andbusinesses. of of success ” – . members have accessedfinancial fundraising/donation - engage tourism engage market – – andchildren participate in andsupport Enhancing community community recovery newsletters - government organisations. to fire returned retardant eligible eligible events to school. visits. visits. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Environment Infrastructure Infrastructure Waste individual/private owners. Water tanks, cleanwaterand supplydrinkable to Power Removal of vegetation impacting road through the Binna Burra Lodge taskforce. Identify damage Identify damaged Reopen roads Repair fencing to undertaken Establish damageto dwellings / damageassessments to be Repair damageto park infrastructure andcamp grounds. Water Arborist to inspect Safely remove hazardous waste (asbestos). Clean up of national parks. Regenerationof wildlife numbersandhabitats Identify impact to wildlife andtheir habitats. Remove hazardous naturalenvironment. Identify impacts and activities to support therecovery of the • • • • • • • Infrastructure (built and roads) • • • • • Environment • • • • • • Economic tanks, quality Water tanks are cleanandusable. Power damageto properties has been Damageassessments undertakenandhave been Roads safety issues have Hazardous trees Fencing is repaired. Asset damagehas been haveresolved. been Water quality issues of individual/private owners numbers Wildlife monitoring has indicated a revival in animal Waste hasappropriately been disposed of. reopened. National re Wildlife strategies have developed to been support sought. toFunding support agricultural recovery has been Individuals areto able resolve insurance challenges guests. Binna messaging across SE Tourism resulting in tourism.increased Tourism employment. Binna Burra Lodge workers transitioned to other levy levy fee reconnections. - establishment. Burra Lodge has hasreconnected tobeen are andhighways waived – – parks andcamping grounds have been to Binna Burra live live reads/adverts/open for business targeted tourism strategies released, open rural producer properties (built (built and roads) public assets (buildings androads) and remove andremove hazardous debris/vegetation. of residential for for bushfire and anddamagedinfrastructure posing been removed. removed. been usable. QLD reopened and is andis reopened accepting identified. Lodge andsupport recovery hasimplemented. been water waste/debris. androad furniture. repaired. all all properties. tanks. trees in public areas