Hinchinbrook Shire Council Mayor, Ramon Jayo, said weeks of intense rainfall and flooding have dampened the Hinchinbrook region, but not the spirits of locals.
As the floodwaters recede, Mayor Jayo said the Council was now focused on the clean-up effort and getting the community “back on its feet”.
“We know it’s been tough for everyone – residents, businesses and community groups have all been hit in different ways – but we’re tougher than what the weather has thrown at us,” he said.
“The one thing I know is we’ll get through it together.”
Many Council staff were also personally impacted by the floods, but that hasn’t stopped the organisation’s ability to respond across the region, the Mayor said.
“Thanks to support from the Local Government Association of Queensland, a contingent of disaster management staff from councils across the state have been lending a hand in the Local Disaster Coordination Centre, both on-site and remotely.”
“This is an addition to crews from emergency services agencies and other government departments being deployed in North Queensland.”
The Mayor said the extra assistance has been welcomed locally with open arms.
“The expertise, experience and above all else, a genuine willingness to help, has been greatly appreciated by all of us,” Mayor Jayo said.
“In the Coordination Centre, we’re all Team Hinchinbrook, no matter the logos on our shirts. We’re now looking ahead to support the community through recovery – which will take some time – but we’ll take it a day at a time.”
With the immediate threat to life and property now passed, the Council is developing a recovery plan that deals with the economic, environmental, human-social and infrastructure impacts of the floods.
“Some of our most-loved facilities have been damaged, such as the JL Kelly Theatre and Hinchinbrook Shire Library, while we know our local businesses and industries will need help to get back on their feet too.”
“Importantly this will be a joint response with relevant government departments who can offer practical solutions going forward,” the Mayor said.
A new webpage collating all flood recovery information has been published on Council’s website, January 2025 Flood Event Important Information page.
