Response, clean-up team gets cyclone ready ahead of third straight La Nina wet season

A team of more than 100 is running through the city’s cyclone response ahead of the wet season predicted to be more severe than usual. Here’s what to do if a cyclone hits.

When Cyclone Marcus swept over the Top End four years ago, the City of Darwin was left with the mammoth task – and $17m cost – of cleaning up streets and public spaces.

A weather event of the same severity is what the council’s Emergency Operations Centre in Woolner is currently preparing for, with more than 100 staff involved in the week-long training exercise and simulation.

It comes after the Bureau of Meteorology predicted an above average number of cyclones could hit the Northern Territory this wet season.

City of Darwin chief executive Simone Saunders said the EOC would be stood up immediately after a cyclone had officially passed.

CEO Simone Saunders said the City of Darwin EOC team is working with Power and Water and emergency services in the week-long dedicated training excercise. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“This week’s staff training … helps ensure we are ready to hit the ground running to get Darwin moving again as soon as possible after a cyclone has passed,” Ms Saunders said.

“Marcus left our staff and contractors the task of clearing our streets, parks and public places of thousands of fallen trees and other debris.

“Following a cyclone, our immediate focus is clearing priority roads to places like the hospital and airport.

“We’ll also make sure the community is safe, so around schools and shopping centres.

“Ours is a recovery role and very much about getting Darwin back to normal as soon as possible.”

Earlier this October, Darwin was also hit with the strongest winds on record since Cyclone Tracy in an unexpected ‘monster’ storm.

The Bureau has also predicted a 60 per cent chance of more severe weather this wet season. Ema Hassell, the EOC’s ‘logger’ supervisor, said the training was built on how the city responded to Cyclone Marcus in 2018.

“During Marcus there were 2800 calls that came through the centre over two days and we lodged 1250 jobs,” Ms Hassell said.

“If there’s trees down (in a cyclone this season) you can give us a call, if there’s powerlines down, give Power and Water a call.

“If it is a life-threatening emergency, please phone the NTES, the SES or triple-0.”

The EOC can be contacted on 8980 3616 once the centre is operating, which will be immediately after a cyclone has officially passed.

Much of the council’s $17m clean-up bill following Cyclone Marcus was able to be recovered through insurance and federal government grants.

The City of Darwin’s annual pre-cyclone clean-up is also now in its final stages, with 615 tonnes of material collected.

Mayor Kon Vatskalis said more than a third of what was picked up, including scrap metal and white goods, was diverted from landfill.

During the clean-up, City of Darwin workers came across 627 prohibited hazardous items, which were not collected. These were mostly glass, car parts, tyres, liquids, chemicals, or items which were either longer than 1.5m or exceeded 2 cubic metres. Picture: Supplied

“A total of 1238 truckloads of waste were collected from verges across Darwin and transported to the Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility,” Mr Vatskalis said.

“Our crews are currently in the process of working their way through requests for assisted pick-ups, which have come from either seniors or people with mobility restrictions.

“Now that our clean-up teams have been through all 35 suburbs people should no longer be leaving material on verges.

“Unfortunately, we are receiving reports that some residents are still placing rubbish on verges.

“Anyone doing this is risking a fine.”

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