PANCHO SYMES<\/p>\n
MURWILLUMBAH has staged its first community flood drill, designed to raise awareness of available support services and test local response systems ahead of future flooding events.<\/p>\n
The exercise was organised by Murwillumbah CORE Inc. (Community Organised Resilience Effort), known as M|CORE, a community-led organisation focused on disaster preparedness, response and recovery.<\/p>\n
M|CORE president Katrina Semple said the foundations of the organisation were laid in 2022 with Hub2484 \u2013 a group of locals who set up operations at the M-Arts Precinct to help coordinate the region’s flood recovery.<\/p>\n
“A bunch of locals banded together, cleaned out the M-Arts Precinct and set up various tables to help match needs with offers of help,” Semple said.<\/p>\n
“Known as Hub2484, they coordinated the mud army of volunteers and distributed donations of household items and funds.<\/p>\n
“Well before the end of 2022, these initial volunteers formed a committee and incorporated Hub2484 as Murwillumbah CORE Inc.”<\/p>\n
Now one of more than 60 resilience hubs established across the Northern Rivers since the 2022 floods, Semple said M|CORE is focused on improving preparedness by training street coordinators, strengthening its UHF network, creating an online volunteer response system, building an equipment library and assigning registered volunteers specific roles ahead of future disasters.<\/p>\n
“We are currently in preparedness and resilience stage, hoping to inform our new residents of their area and services available\u2026so that when it hits the fan, we all know what we have to do,” she said.<\/p>\n
The drill simulated a three-day flood emergency, beginning on Thursday 2 July with an evacuation centre placed on standby before communications switched solely to UHF radio during Friday’s mock flooding.<\/p>\n
On Saturday 4 July, the scenario moved into recovery, with the community hub opening to provide services while encouraging residents to register and borrow equipment.<\/p>\n
Speaking ahead of the event, Semple said the exercise would mirror scenarios experienced during the 2022 floods, including isolated communities, power, internet and phone outages, and major flooding in susceptible local areas.<\/p>\n
“We are really just testing our systems, resources and equipment put in place with help from NSW Reconstruction Authority, Janelle Saffin’s office, NRCF and ITV, along with various other funders and sponsors,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We hope that this drill, observations and feedback highlights areas of improvement that we can work on before the next real event.”<\/p>\n
She added that the drill would also help familiarise residents with the location of the support hub and the services it could provide during future disasters.<\/p>\n
“It will help raise community awareness of where we will be when needed, what services we can offer and what equipment is available,” she said.<\/p>\n
Semple said she also hoped the exercise would encourage more organisations and residents to join M|CORE’s recovery network.<\/p>\n
“An added bonus would have other local organisations or businesses contact us to be included in our recovery network; more locals register as volunteers or street coordinators,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We are always looking to expand our street coordinator network in high-impact or isolated areas.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PANCHO SYMES MURWILLUMBAH has staged its first community flood drill, designed to raise awareness of available support services and test local response systems ahead of future flooding events. The exercise was organised by Murwillumbah CORE Inc. (Community Organised Resilience Effort), known as M|CORE, a community-led organisation focused on disaster preparedness, response and recovery. M|CORE president […]<\/p>\n