NT’s disaster preparedness in the spotlight at historic first National Recovery and Resilience Agency board meeting

The Territory’s preparedness for disasters has come under the eye of the newly formed National Recovery and Resilience Agency in Darwin.

THE Territory’s preparedness for disasters – in particular cyclones – has come under the eye of the newly formed National Recovery and Resilience Agency in Darwin.

The agency has had its historic first board meeting in Darwin.

The agency’s co-ordinator general, former NT chief minister Shane Stone, said Darwin was picked for the first meeting to help members get a clear picture of where their responsibilities lay for remote Australia.

“We have all the responsibilities associated with flood disasters, bushfires, drought, cyclones, Covid relief payments,” Mr Stone said.

“We are responsible for the Disaster Relief Funding Arrangements, which we partner with the states.

“So we have spent the week here interfacing with key agencies involved in disaster emergencies in the NT.”

This CBD underground carpark can be used as a cyclone shelter. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Mr Stone said key among the stakeholders were NT Police and the National Trauma Centre headed by Professor Len Notaras.

“We have also been inspecting cyclone shelters,” Mr Stone said. “One of our priorities is cyclone shelters right across the north.

“I’m particularly concerned that we (don’t) have adequate cyclone shelter facilities in remote NT communities. It has been raised with me repeatedly and I want to fix this.”

Mr Stone said his agency has at its disposal a Preparing Australia fund and its rollout is on the table.

MORE TOP NEWS

New Covid hot spots declared for regional NSW areas

Why $100k is being spent on Cav St ‘shade’ structure

Police union calls for NTG to patch up ‘substantial gaps’ in resourcing

“We want to help people be better prepared for cyclones and bushfires,” Mr Stone said.

“Australia spends 97 per cent of disaster money on the clean up and only three per cent on getting ready. We have to flip that. We have to be better prepared

“If we are better prepared we can have an impact on a whole raft of things such as insurance premiums.

“The old approach of simply evacuating people is no longer satisfactory.

“You have to make people safe and you have to give them somewhere secure and make sure you can bed them down and feed them and keep them safe.”