State stands by Lockyer friends
Lockyer Valley Regional Council's massive disaster response and recovery efforts have been boosted with key staff and resources on loan from Queensland's local government sector, from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Charleville and Jondaryan and right up the eastern seaboard from Cairns.
Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones said Council's calls for additional resources were met with a stream of offers of specialised disaster recovery and administrative support from councils across Queensland.
Cr Jones said most State Government agencies and the Australian Defence Force also played a major role in quickly responding to the series of devastating floods that swept through the region.
“With a series of major floods that started on Boxing Day, Lockyer Valley Regional Council staff have been working around the clock in disaster response and recovery for a long time,” he said.
“Key staff on loan from other councils has enabled us to rest some of our staff and still have some capacity for further disaster response and recovery actions.
“In understanding the best approach to disaster response and recovery, there is no substitute for the local knowledge.
“But, the lessons learned by experts on the ground in disaster response, recovery and rebuilding activities that followed other natural disasters will save us a lot of time, money and heartache,” he said.
In addition to thanking Councils for their active and in-kind help, Cr Jones also thanked those councils who had made a financial contribution and/or loaned machinery and equipment to the local recovery and rebuilding efforts.
“The additional resources on loan from other councils mean that we can better respond to the massive disaster recovery and rebuilding task ahead, while Council also returns to business-as-usual.”
Rubbish services back to normal
General waste services have been restored to the Lockyer Valley region, while kerbside pick-ups are well underway.
Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones today praised Waste Services staff for their tireless efforts in trying to restore household waste services, while taking on the massive clean-up job following a series of floods that devastated the region.
Cr Jones said it was a mighty effort for the Lockyer Valley's household general waste services to be restored so quickly after a major national disaster and kerbside pick ups to be so well advanced.
“Kerbside pick-ups for flood damage and debris have been happening around the clock, but there is still a lot more to do,” Cr Jones said.
“Our kerbside collections and additional truckloads of flood debris and damaged goods have been greatly assisted by the Australian Defence Force, Queensland Fire and Rescue and our contractors.”
Cr Jones said residents who were still cleaning up should put their flood debris and damaged items safely on the kerbside and call Council to arrange collection.
Source: http://www.gattonstar.com.au/story/2011/02/01/state-stands-by-lockyer-valley-friends/
