Musician who rescued Far North flood victims in December elected to Cook Shire Council
A Far North flood hero who helped save more than a dozen people from fast-moving floodwaters in his tinnie following ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper is now an elected representative.
Cairns
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Far North flood hero who helped save more than a dozen people from fast-moving floodwaters in his tinnie following ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper is now an elected representative.
Hailed as “Queensland legends” by Premier Steven Miles, Gavin Dear, helicopter pilot Brett ‘Magoo’ Little, along with close family members rescued 18 residents from trees and rooftops in Rossville as buildings around them submerged.
Surviving the flood and watching his community band together in the wake of a natural disaster inspired Mr Dear to enter the race to become a Cook Shire councillor earlier this year.
And following a protracted vote count, the Electoral Commission of Queensland has finally declared the musician one of three new representatives within the shire following last month’s local government elections.
“It was heartening to see how strong we were during that period,” the Helenvale resident said.
“At the same time, I think I only did it (ran for council) because of the experience of going through the floods and the lack of response and coordination at higher levels.
“I saw first-hand what worked and what had no relevance at all.
“The fact is, if it wasn’t for the locals involved in the rescues this would have been like Ash Wednesday. It’s the local people who did 99 percent of the work.”
A lack of support for communities like Bloomfield, Ayton, Degarra, Rossville and Helenvale following TC Jasper had been hard to accept, Mr Dear said.
“No-one came. Day-after-day you would expect emergency services to come and see the damage,” he said.
“It took a long time for officials to show up. The state government went hard on (rebuilding) Wujal Wujal and they’ve done a lot of stuff down there but they’ve sort of forgotten some communities.
“I just want a calm, collected, conversation about why there was no action.
“If it’s going to be the same next time, let’s formalise a localised response.”
Outgoing mayor Peter Scott said Mr Dear will help rejuvenate Cook Shire as part of a revamped leadership team.
“We’re very fortunate,” Mr Scott said.
“We have three existing councillors and four new councillors. It’s always healthy to get new people and new ideas.
“Gav’s a smart bloke. He’s a doer and I’m happy that we have a younger council now too. We’ve got some good people.”
The musician and exploration geologist said helping communities rebuild following the wettest tropical cyclone in Australian history would be his primary focus as a councillor.
“There’s a window in my life now where I can really devote some time to this,” he said.
“Personally, I still have flashbacks to seeing people on the roof and in the trees. But there are a lot of seriously traumatised people from here to Degarra.
“And the people who need help will not be the ones who are looking for it.
“Very few people have insurance up here because you can’t actually get it and the (government) grants are near impossible to get.
“We’re quite savvy with filling out forms but we gave up and a lot of other people did too.
“I love this area with all my heart. I’ll leave my bones here when I die. I’m just excited to see if I can help and be part of some good decision making.”
In December, Mr Dear and Mr Little’s bravery even earned plaudits from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as the community reeled from the region’s record flood.
“These are the stories of which every Australian can be proud of, the very essence of the Australian character that shines through – the true Australian spirit that we see time and time again,” Mr Albanese said.
Cook Shire’s councillors are set to be sworn in next week.
Mr Dear’s band, the Roadtrippers are perhaps best known for their ode to Far North Queensland, ‘I Love the North’.
More Coverage
Originally published as Musician who rescued Far North flood victims in December elected to Cook Shire Council
Watch adorable airport sniffer dog celebrate retirement
From safeguarding a royal visit and an international summit to screening suitcases at Cairns Airport, high-risk explosive detection dog, Ando, has hung up the harness on a ‘paw-some’ career. SEE PHOTO, VIDEO
Watchdog makes call on Cairns mayor
An investigation into a Far North mayor’s alleged use of ratepayer resources for her own personal gain has been dropped by the state’s corruption watchdog. WHAT WATCHDOG HAD TO SAY.