The Tumbulgum Community Association has been recognised for their incredible resilience after floods devastated the area following Cyclone Debbie more than a year ago.
Minister for Emergency Services Troy Grant presented the award during a special ceremony at Parliament House in Sydney today, alongside Tweed MP Geoff Provest.
The 2018 NSW Get Ready Community Award and the Resilient Australia Awards help highlight significant community-led disaster preparedness and response initiatives across the state.
Mr Grant said while our emergency services do a tremendous job preparing and protecting the community, their efforts are often bolstered by unsung local heroes across NSW communities.
“Over the last 12 months, the Tumbulgum community has come together for this project to strengthen relationships with stakeholders and ultimately ensure they are best prepared for any future incidents,” Mr Grant said.
“This community survived horrendous events, but under the worst of circumstances showed us the amazing things local residents and community groups can achieve when they work together.”
The 2017 floods following Cyclone Debbie caused considerable damage to property in the Tumbulgum area and surrounding districts. Most distressingly, the community was then faced with the death of a local mother and her two children when their car went into the Tweed River two days after flood water had subsided.
Mr Provest said he was incredibly proud of the association for their outstanding efforts to fortify flood recovery strategies into the future. The group appointed coordinators, established a Flood Recovery and Resilience Sub Committee, held community meetings, BBQs and forums to move forward with recovery efforts.
“By involving the whole local community, the Tumbulgum Community Association’s proactive response not only improved access to information, but also forged stronger relationships with the local council, government and support agencies,” Mr Provest said.
“After such devastating floods and the tragic loss of life in our community, it’s so heartening to see people banding together in this way to support one another.”