New look Disaster Management Dashboard ready for summer

Summer in the Central Highlands is a great time for icy poles, airconditioning and cooling off in your local watering hole, but even more importantly it’s a time to be on high alert for storms, flooding and fires.

As the region enters disaster season, council has been working on a number of projects to ensure residents are kept informed and safe in an emergency.

‘Recently, we completed updates to our Disaster Management Dashboard in partnership with external specialist QIT Plus,’ Coordinator Disaster Management and Community Resilience Glenn Bell said.

‘We have made the dashboard easier to navigate and more robust, giving residents quick access to up-to-date information on floods, fires, pandemics, storms and any other events that may occur.

‘There is information on getting ready for a disaster, including plans for your pets, understanding your risks, who to contact in an emergency, what to do after an event and much more. Residents can also sign up to receive SMS alerts during an event by following the prompts. It really is a priceless resource I encourage everyone to use.’

Mr Bell said council had also installed an automated river gauge and infrared camera at Graves Hill in the Gemfields this year, adding to the network of cameras already located at Sapphire, Rubyvale, Panorama Creek at the Dawson Highway and Comet River Overflow at the Carnarvon Highway.

‘These cameras feed real-time visuals directly to our dashboard and allow people to make informed decisions about their movements and actions during flooding,’ he said.

‘This financial year we plan to expand this network even more, improving our region’s early warning system of rain gauges, river gauges, sirens and cameras.’

With the region bracing for the third onset of La Niña and a wetter than usual summer, Mr Bell said it was important Central Highlanders do their bit to protect themselves and their properties.

‘By being prepared, not only do you help avoid your family being caught out, you also help take the pressure off our emergency services,’ he said.

Mr Bell recommended residents save the dashboard as a favourite on their browser of choice for quick, easy access.