The view of the western section of last year’s Lakeland fire from a property about 10 kilometres north of the blaze. Photo: Facebook (Joy Marriott).
Lakeland and Cooktown communities made lucky escapes from potentially catastrophic bushfires last October, now Cook Shire Council is hosting a series of seminars designed to boost business disaster resilience in the wake of devastating events.
The first of the free two-hour sessions start on Monday, 13 October at Cooktown Events Centre from 11 am and Ayton Library from 3 pm.
Other sessions in the Lakeland Hall start at 9:30 am on Tuesday, 14 October; Portland Roads Hall at 11:30 am on Wednesday, 15 October; and Coen Hall, at 8:30 am on Thursday, 16 October.
The aim of the workshops is to help small businesses and community groups strengthen their disaster preparedness, recovery, and resilience capabilities, including applying for grants, insurance claims, building resilience into everyday operations and more.
The workshops suit all types of businesses and community groups, including primary producers, civil, tourism operators, hospitality providers, transport services and local organisations.
Cook Shire Council’s disaster management officer Sarah Frew said the sessions would be practical and interactive, using real-life scenarios, best-practice tips and communication strategies.
Ms Frew said the workshops would help businesses learn how to prepare, respond, and bounce back stronger.
The customised training will focus on disaster preparedness and resilience during storm season using Small Business Disaster Hub resources.
The training will include how to apply for small business disaster grants (Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority – QRIDA) and not-for-profit disaster resilience grants; how to make an insurance claim (Insurance Council of Australia); and how to build resilience into business processes and practices.
For more information or to register, email [email protected].
