Lake Macquarie council has received a $100,000 funding boost from the State and Federal governments to help plan, prepare and bounce back from disasters.
Made possible by the NSW and Commonwealth Government’s Bushfire Community Resilience and Economic Recovery Fund, the money will be used to upgrade the city’s emergency response facilities and map out an economic resilience plan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
$30,000 will be spent on upgrades to Lake Macquarie City Council’s Emergency Operations Response Centre, ensuring it’s equipped with the latest technology.
Those upgrades set to complete by the end of June.
Another $30,000 will be spent upgrading the council’s fire hydrant system.
Roadside hydrants will have blue light reflectors installed
Known as ‘Cats Eyes’ systems, the triangular reflectors are located in the centre of the road and make fire hydrants easier to locate in poor weather.
Lake Macquarie Mayor, Cr Kay Fraser, welcomed the safety upgrades and said the improvements will help save lives.
“This NSW Government funding will go a long way to improving our community’s capacity and capability to respond to future fires and emergencies,” said Cr Fraser.
“Australia had a horror start to the year, with the devastating impacts of the fires still being felt in communities across the country.”
“Investment into the existing Emergency Operations Response Centre and the installation of blue ‘Cats Eyes’ on roadways around Lake Mac will mean we are better prepared if similar disasters were to occur.”
The remaining $40,000 funding will go towards a tourism campaign, called #RecoveryWeekend.
Aimed at attracting Sydneysiders to the region for a short stay, the campaign will be rolled out online and on TV.
