The Queensland Government has committed $2 million to assist remote indigenous communities to prepare for extreme weather events. Indigenous Disaster Management Field Officers will be based in Indigenous communities. It will provide training for these officers to run disaster management exercises.
These Indigenous Disaster Management Field Officers are to work with Indigenous Councils with the following aims:
- enhance disaster management planning and exercises;
- recruit and support volunteers for disaster management roles; and
- encourage community leaders to be involved in disaster planning.
There is a need for these people.
Coastal and remote Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of extreme events such as cyclone, storm surge and flooding.
Factors such as distance from major centres, proximity to the coast and the socio-economic status of community members can increase this vulnerability and influence the impact of events.
This two million dollars is to be spent over three years. In remote communities accommodation is scarce. I assume new people will be employed and brought into the community. If it is people already working in the community then they will have to be replaced and housing found. Basic houses in these areas can cost several hundred thousand to build.
Queensland is a large state. These field officers will have to travel extensively. So there will be significant costs with buying vehicles, fuel, airfares etc. With wages to be paid out of this program I can’t see too many field officers being employed.
This $2 million dollar Indigenous Disaster Management Field Officers initiative is a tiny part of a $196 million climate change strategy.
I think I will call it window dressing.
The bulletin is available for downloading: Keeping Our Mob Climate Safe (110)
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