The Bligh Government has today handed down a targeted suite of flagship initiatives designed to help communities tackle climate change impacts and extreme weather emergencies.
Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones and Community Safety Minister Neil Roberts said the new initiatives were contained in the new ClimateQ: towards a greener Queensland Strategy.
Ms Jones said ClimateQ brought together a raft of measures that would better equip local communities to deal with the expected increase in frequency and severity of extreme weather events resulting from climate change.
The community sector initiatives include:
- Keeping our Mob ClimateSafe ($2 million);
- Supporting Our Heroes ($13 million);
- Disaster Preparedness in Vulnerable Communities ($7.7million);
- Bushfire Community Training Package ($4.6 million).
- Disaster Management Warehouses and Caches ($3.4 million); and
- Queensland Solar Hot Water Program
Ms Jones said the Keeping Our Mob ClimateSafe initiative offered support for Indigenous councils in communities at high risk of extreme weather resulting from climate change.
”It provides funding for Indigenous disaster management field officers to help councils better prepare communities for disaster risks and other priorities identified in their Local Disaster Management Plans,” she said.
“We need to minimise the increasing personal, social and economic costs of disasters and improve education and awareness programs.
“As we saw with the bushfires in Victoria in February, communities can never be too prepared to ensure the preservation of life and property.”
Mr Roberts said Supporting Our Heroes initiative, a 2009 election commitment, would assist the Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service to better prepare for natural disasters resulting from the dangerous effects of climate change by providing funding to train and equip volunteers.
“The Disaster Preparedness in Vulnerable Communities program will develop the capacity of individuals, families and businesses to contribute towards their own safety in the event of increased natural disasters,” Mr Roberts said.
“It will help prepare communities to better withstand the impacts of emergency and disaster events. It will include workshops and education and awareness programs, focusing on practical steps to make homes more resilient to cyclones and storms.
“The Bushfire Community Training Package program will develop and support a statewide network of 3,000 Volunteer Community Education Officers to deliver bushfire education messages to local communities.”
Ms Jones said the Disaster Management Warehouse and Caches initiative would provide a network of emergency supply warehouses across the state in order to tackle expected increases in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
She said the investment would deliver two new disaster management supply warehouses in Brisbane and Townsville and fund additional stock to existing warehouses in Cairns, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Beenleigh.
With 28,000 Queenslanders already registered to switch to solar and save through the Queensland Solar Hot Water Program, a 2009 election commitment, household greenhouse gas emissions are expected to reduce by 4.9 million tonnes over the life of the systems.
The program will deliver up to 200,000 solar hot water systems to Queensland households for a payment of $500, or $100 for pensioners and concession card holders, encouraging householders to make the switch to greenhouse friendly water heating technology.
Recent government actions helping Queenslanders reduce their carbon footprints and prepare for the impacts of climate change include the ClimateSmart Home Service, ClimateSmart Living campaign, TravelSmart Communities, Assisting Queensland communities build resilience and prepare for climate change and emergency response planning.
For further information visit www.climatechange.qld.gov.au
20 August, 2009
MEDIA CONTACT:
Minister Jones’ Office: 3336 8004
Minister Roberts’ Office: 3239 6172
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