Fire thanks and recovery

As the bushfire threat eases, attention has turned to recovery and thanking the heroes who battled the fires on our behalf.

Mayor Kerry Hayes said it isn’t over yet, but we can all take a breather as the Local Disaster Coordination Centre de-escalates from ‘stand up’ to ‘lean forward’.

‘I want to reiterate my thanks to everyone for your time, your courage and your persistence.

‘A lot was achieved in our region as we fought to protect infrastructure, ecological interests, cultural heritage, state forests and national park land—much of it essential to tourism.

‘However, we are not immune to tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the Rolleston man we lost this week,’ the mayor said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszzczuk said over a million hectares had been burnt across Queensland this fortnight with catastrophic consequences for communities, primary producers, agriculture and the environment.

‘Although Queensland has not experienced a bushfire of this magnitude before, we are very experienced at recovering from natural disasters such as cyclones and flooding.

‘We have a coordinated plan of action in place to recover, rebuild and reconnect our communities after the fires.

‘Our state has Australia’s only standalone agency responsible for coordinating disaster recovery and resilience – the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. They are on the ground, working with councils and helping Queensland Fire and Emergency Services with damage assessments.’

Mayor Hayes said council would contact affected residents with recovery support during the coming weeks.

‘The months ahead will present many challenges, but we are here for the long haul and will do everything we can to support them in their recovery.’