Get Ready and Be Prepared! Recovery and Resilience Day

Council, with the support of the Namoi/Gwydir Rural Fire Service and the NSW State Emergency Service – North Western Zone, will host a free Recovery and Resilience Day on Saturday 21 September from 10am to 2pm in Jellicoe Park, Moree.

The fun-filled, family-friendly day out will include emergency vehicle displays, information stalls, free Grab and Go bags and giveaways.  The community also have the opportunity to take off their shoes and walk across the Big Map, a giant aerial floor map of the Gwydir Catchment. 

The event will bring together emergency service organisations, government and non-government organisations.  It will connect communities with organisations that respond to emergencies and disasters and help the community prepare and recover from them. 

Council will be launching its readiness campaign and will be distributing free ‘Grab and Go’ Bags to the community.  The waterproof bags contain a range of vital information regarding who to contact in an emergency, as well as information about agencies designated to assist with recovery.   The bags will provide safe storage for important documents, as well as providing checklists as to what to include.

Sandy McNaughton, Community Recovery Officer with the Moree Plains Shire Council is encouraging the community to come down to the park for a fun and informative day out.  “Anticipating a disaster and ensuring that communities are in the best possible position for their recovery should be the new normal. 

Unfortunately, we don’t have to look far to see that weather events are becoming more frequent and larger in scale.  Providing the community with the opportunity to engage with emergency management and recovery services is an important way to identify risks, as well as discuss ways we can better prepare our livelihoods, infrastructure, homes and businesses for events that may occur in the future.  In this way, the focus is firmly on building the community’s capacity to recover from future disasters.”

The day coincides with the NSW Rural Fire Service Get Ready Weekend.  As the bushfire season approaches, NSW residents and landowners must be aware of their risk and take steps to protect their homes and properties. There will be plenty of information, as well as a free BBQ provided by the Lions Club of Moree, a jumping castle and wonderful free entertainment.