Cassowary Coast Regional Council

You own holiday units, a caravan park or a B&B. Its peak season and you are fully booked. But there is a tropical cyclone approaching. What do you do?

If you have attended an Accommodation Providers Disaster Preparedness Workshop, you will already know how to minimise the risk of physical injury to your guests and damage to your property during a disaster, and maximise the ability of your business to bounce back afterwards.

The Cassowary Coast Regional Council has joined forces with a number of government agencies and businesses to organise just such a workshop for accommodation providers in this region, prior to the beginning of this year’s cyclone season on 1 November.

The four-hour workshop, to be held on Wednesday 14th October at Wongaling Beach, will provide crucial information on a range of topics and issues which confront accommodation providers at the mercy of adverse – sometimes catastrophic – weather conditions, as well as other types of disaster.

“Planning and preparing before a disaster happens could mean the difference between staying in business or closing your doors,” observed CCRC Disaster Manager, Carola Washbourne.

The workshop program includes segments on cyclone preparedness, insurance, security of property, the Queensland Disaster Management System, support networks, building after a cyclone, and business continuity planning (to assist in business recovery).

Workshop facilitators will include representatives from Emergency Management Queensland, the Building Services Authority, the Queensland Police Force, Working Visions, ACME Insurance and the Cassowary Coast Regional Council.

“Accommodation providers are an important part of the business community in this region,” Ms Washbourne said.

“We want to supply them with the necessary information to strengthen their resilience in the face of disastrous events.”

For further information on the workshop contact Sheila Lawler on 4068 2288 or Carola Washbourne on 4043 9180.