Recovery Group Kick Starts

Following the devastating flooding that hit the Hinchinbrook Shire, the Hinchinbrook Shire Council are now in the recovery stage of a natural disaster.

Deputy Mayor Mary Brown is chair of the recovery group and she said that there are four subgroups - Human and Social, Economic Development, Infrastructure and Environment.

“We've been working in the background for quite some time and that's how we established the community recovery here locally,” explained Deputy Mayor Mary Brown.

“We have a pop up, at Mercer Lane, the main one at TAFE, one down at Forrest Beach, and we're about to go and create a pop up at Halifax.”

The Recovery Group are now in talks with the Government and Ministers about disaster grants.

Mary Brown believes people in the Hinchinbrook Shire suffered extraordinary events, and in turn deserve extraordinary grants.

“These are extraordinary circumstances. So, we need to now start talking about consideration for is there extraordinary support that can be implemented over and above what is business as usual for that disaster grants,” she said.

“The other thing that we're dealing with, which is our highest priority, is the donation hubs that were set up in Townsville and Cairns, where people are gathering donations to send into our community.

“I spoke to that coordinator this morning, which who is an ex local, and in two days they have put together 50 pallets worth of stuff coming, and it will include personal hygiene, cleaning products, bedding, sheets, towels and pillows. Everything is non-perishable.”