EDITION 484
9 DECEMBER 2019
YOUR REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWS
Groups come together for Bouddi emergency plan Four community groups have united to establish an emergency plan to help guide residents of the Bouddi Peninsula.
Wagstaffe-Killcare Community Association president Mr Mike Allsop said the catastrophic danger day on November 12 “exposed some vulnerability in our community with some confusion about what people should be doing to respond and prepare”. “We found that some people did not know what they should do or where they should go in an emergency,” he said. Leaders of four main community groups in the area met and agreed to assemble a joint Community Resilience and Empowerment Plan. Mr Allsop said the objective was to get clear and concise information to people, both locals and tourists, and to co-ordinate the community response to disaster events. The core group of organisers are Mr Allsop, Killcare Wagstaffe Rural Fire Brigade captain Ms Michelle Biddulph, Killy Cares president Mr Stephen Hinks and Killcare Surf Life Saving Club president Mr Craig Shepherd. “With the two emergency services and two great community organisations acting as one, you can be assured that whatever happens, we’ll be in a much better place to cope,” Mr Allsop said. “There are one or two roads
Killcare Surf Life Saving Clubhouse
that are critical and if these are blocked for whatever reason, storm damage for instance, or fire, there is no escape by road. “So, we have to be prepared and that’s where this new plan will come into effect. “We know Wagstaffe Hall is a safe neighbourhood place so we have to make sure we are ready to offer assistance with amenities and shelter. “The surf club is also a designated emergency service and the clubhouse is a good solid building for a safe place, too. “We have to make those safe places better known and their
Tree group wins regional environmental award A Umina tree advocacy group has been named Community Environment Network’s Most Outstanding Communitybased Organisation of the Year.
Grow Urban Shade Trees received the award for their work in making the Peninsula a greener, cooler place to live. The group works under the umbrella of the Umina Community Group, Group member Ms Melissa Chandler said their award was a reminder to all Peninsula residents that grassroots activism can have an impact. “This award provided a timely reminder of how three individuals Jennifer Wilder, Debbie Sunartha and myself started this journey simply by putting fingers to
keyboards and pens to paper to contact the then Gosford Council to say ‘we need more trees on the Peninsula’. “We were solo keyboard warriors until we all joined together, but it’s true that three heads are better than one because the second we started sharing our ideas we started making progress. “Having our efforts to green the Peninsula acknowledged by the board and members of the Community Environment Network, many of whom we highly respect, is a massive honour for us, but it’s just early days and we are still learning. “We will do our best to be worthy of this award,” Ms Chandler said. SOURCE: Social media, 28 Nov 2019 Melissa Chandler, Grow Urban Shade Trees
location better known. “It’s still a work in progress and Michelle is researching various RFS emergency templates to find the most suitable for our community of about 2000.” Mr Allsop said the finished plan could be a two-page leaflet listing trigger points so people know what
to do, where to go, who to call in an emergency. “We’re hoping that leaflet will be visible and easy to find in every house, even holiday homes for the tourists. The Community Resilience and Empowerment Plan will be published in the association’s
newsletter and by email and printed copies will be displayed in retail stores and community buildings. SOURCE: Newsletter, 3 Dec 2019 Interview (Sue Murray), 4 Dec 2019 Mike Allsop, WTKCA
Study about relocating koalas to Pearl Beach Pearl Beach Arboretum has been successful in gaining a $20,000 grant to go towards a University of Sydney study about relocating koalas to Pearl Beach.
The funding would allow a detailed survey of the Brisbane Water National Park to determine whether or not any koalas were still present, according to Federal Member for Robertson Ms Lucy Wicks. If none were present, koalas whose habitat had been destroyed in the northern NSW could be relocated to the arboretum, she said. The arboretum had a wildlife corridor planted with “koala trees” where they could be released with transponders to track their movement. “The approval could not have come at a better time,” Ms Wicks said. “Koala habitats have been completely devastated in northern NSW and koalas currently recovering at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital will have no habitat to return to.” Arboretum vice-president
Lucy Wicks with Milo the koala
Ms Anne Parson said she was pleased the grant application had been successful. “Due to the catastrophic loss of habitat for koalas, they no longer have a habitat to return to so it is vital they have somewhere suitable where they can be relocated,” Ms
Parson said. “Things have changed very quickly and we really need to be ready to go.” SOURCE: Media release, 25 Nov 2019 Lucy Wicks, Federal Member for Robertson
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