Fraser Coast council launches its own podcast
The Fraser Coast Regional Council has launched the first of what it says will be an annual podcast series, funded by state and federal government Disaster Recovery funding.
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The Fraser Coast Regional Council will spend an as yet undisclosed amount of money on its own annual podcast.
A statement released by the council on Tuesday - the day after the podcast was launched - said the first 11-part series was jointly funded by state and federal government Disaster Recovery funding.
While this initial council podcast has captured stories from the 2022 floods, future, annual “limited series” podcasts would explore specific themes and communities such as LGBTQIA+ voices and young children, the statement said.
Mayor George Seymour said What’s Your Story? was the name of the podcast and it featured 11 episodes that dove into the experiences of local residents who were heavily affected by the 2022 floods.
“Everyone was impacted in some way, and these powerful podcasts give raw insight into what it was really like – from the heartbreak and chaos to the strength and recovery of our community,” Mr Seymour said.
“Maryborough was hit hard by major flooding in early 2022, caused by intense rainfall from ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth and later a separate severe weather event in February.
“The Mary River peaked twice within a month – first in January, reaching around 10m and then again in late February, peaking at 10.3m, giving the region the worst floods they had seen in over a decade.”
Each episode will run for 20-40 minutes and share “deeply personal perspectives, highlighting the impact of the floods and the resilience of those affected”.
“Interviewees include local residents, Red Cross volunteers, business owners, a conservationist, and council staff who worked on the frontline,” Mr Seymour said.
“My story features in Episode 7, where I reflect on my own experience during the disaster and my role in keeping the community informed with vital updates such as road closures and safety information.
“It was an incredibly challenging time. As we’ve seen again with the recent Hervey Bay flooding, council is committed to keeping our community safe and informed in times of disaster.
“Episode 4 features long-time Maryborough local Don Schmidt, who has lived in the region since 1955, and shares his memories of both the 1950’s flood and the 2022 disaster.
“These reflections are incredibly valuable – they not only help us learn from the disaster to better prepare for the future, but they also honour the strength of our community, and we sincerely thank everyone who generously shared their stories.”
The podcast is available on Spotify.
Extended versions of each episode can be viewed on iPads at The Story Bank in Maryborough.
“Council plans to grow its Bank of Stories by releasing a new limited-series podcast each year, with future seasons exploring specific themes and communities such as LGBTQIA+ voices, young children, and more,” the statement said.
“This podcast project is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
“Tune in to inspiring local voices on What’s Your Story?, available now on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/51WSnqu7Lt1pU1VKRaUdrS
For more information, visit: https://storybank.ourfrasercoast.com.au/
The council was asked to share the cost of the project but had not done so at time of publication.
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