Maribyrnong residents will be able to gain essential knowledge and tools to use in case of an emergency at a community event this weekend.
The Community Preparedness Day at Maribyrnong Community Centre on Sunday, June 22, will provide local residents with the opportunity to learn vital flood and storm preparedness strategies, while also offering a chance to connect with key organisations involved in flood and storm planning.
The joint initiative of Maribyrnong and Moonee Valley councils follows the 2022 Maribyrnong River flood, which inundated more than 500 properties across both municipalities.
In response, Maribyrnong council established a Community Recovery Committee (CRC) to gather feedback and insights from residents.
The committee identified preparedness as a priority area, resulting in the development of Community Preparedness Day and various other programs and activities designed to better equip residents for any future flood events.
Maribyrnong mayor Pradeep Tiwari encouraged all local residents to attend and take an active role in making the community safer and more resilient.
“The Community Preparedness Day is a unique opportunity for all members of the Maribyrnong community to come together, learn about emergency preparedness, and for some, take the first step in creating their own personalised emergency plans,” Cr Tiwari said.
“Our goal is to ensure that everyone, whether impacted by the flood or not, is better prepared for future emergencies.”
Alongside this event, other key initiatives to boost preparedness include the Maribyrnong Neighbourhood Flood Network, where community leaders are trained by VicSES and the Australian Red Cross to share crucial flood-risk and preparedness information with their neighbours.
Personalised flood-risk cards have also been developed for at-risk households in the suburb of Maribyrnong and will be distributed via a door-knock.
The cards allow homeowners to match the predicted flood level with the parts of their property that will likely be affected, giving them a visual guide to assist with their preparations.
