MADRA May 2023 News

Sunday in the Soup

MADRA is holding ‘Sunday in the Soup’ sessions during winter as an informal way of getting together to share ideas and talk about what MADRA is doing on behalf of the local and wider communities. As a committee, we’ve felt that there has sometimes been a lack of connection with the communities we represent; there’s always a lot happening at MADRA and with associated agencies and groups, but feedback tells us the work that goes on isn’t always apparent to the community we represent. Sunday Soup will be an opportunity to hear about the projects we are advocating for, to share thoughts, ideas and company, and to see where we’re at as a community recovery association in this third term of MADRA.

Despite awful the weather and a power outage last Sunday, about 50 people turned up to enjoy the five different soups on offer. The merrily burning fire and the buzz of conversations made for a cosy atmosphere and it was really great to see so many people keen to connect with each other and to support MADRA.

If you were unable to make it, don’t worry, we are holding another such evening at the end of June. We’ll announce the date once we make sure we’re not going to clash again with the Strum Club, who kindly gave us use of the Muddie last time. We’d love to see you there.

Fuel management

The area around the commercial sector has recently been mulched (and resulting firewood keenly collected by the community). Representatives from Forest Fire Management (FFM) said it was great to see community coming together at the designated firewood collection area on May 6 and 7. Everyone was very orderly and mindful of safety, not only in their manner but in their parking, positioning and access to the area. The FFM crew would like to thank everyone who attended for their care and involvement.

With funding from the East Gippsland Community Foundation, MADRA has commissioned a scoping study into the local management of the fuel treatment areas around the town. Working within the framework of the existing Fuel Management Working Group and the statewide Joint Fuel Management Plans, the scoping study will research and trial methods of ongoing management of the areas around town already under fuel management treatments. The Study will be conducted locally, jointly by Envite and a consultant, and will report to MADRA on a regular basis over the next two years.

Postcard feedback

A few months ago, MADRA asked the community to complete postcards which represented their aspirations for our town and community. As you might imagine, analysing the responses is a large undertaking, but we are steadily compiling the content and look forward to sharing a summary shortly.

On early impressions, the responses mirror the concerns that pre-occupied the community in the formation of MADRA: a regard and respect for the environment in which we live, deep concerns about fire risk while living in this environment, providing and advocating for support for those most affected by the fires, planning for aged care and associated health support, a reliable energy supply and opportunities for young people – to mention just a few. This is valued and useful feedback and a good opening for us all to assess the progress we’ve made and where our energies are best focused in the coming months. Another good reason to come along to the Soup sessions and talk!

Gipsy Point Telstra tower

MADRA has been strongly advocating for a speedy resolution to the delay in the installation of the new Telstra tower at Gipsy Point. As we understand it, survey and design works for the installation of the new mobile tower have been completed and negotiations for finalising the lease agreement with the State Government are in progress. We’ve asked for assurance that the tower is delivered as a priority and does not suffer further delays in negotiations with Government agencies.

There have been delays to the upgrade of the Mallacoota Telstra tower due to supply shortages, but the project is now forecast to be completed by June.

Mallacoota-Genoa Road

There has been some discussion about the funding of the road upgrade recently due to federal budget constraints. MADRA is seeking to clarify that the promised funds are still assigned to the project.

Other issues

Other projects and issues have also been keeping MADRA busy recently – equipment storage for community groups has become an urgent problem, and MADRA is working with the Halls and Recreation Committee on an audit/sort and redistribution of the various storage needs.

MADRA recently attended a consultation session on the EGSC Draft Housing and Settlement Strategy.

We’ve also been chasing up the progress of the Pittosporum Track and on the rebuilding/repurposing of jetties around the lake.

RediCommunities

The risks that people in Australia face are becoming more frequent and complex. Mallacoota is strong and resilient, but there is more that can be done to prepare for, respond to, and recover well from disasters.

Experience shows that communities that are well connected and have done work to prepare themselves are able to cope better and recover faster from the impacts. Australian Red Cross and MADRA are partnering to run RediCommunities, a series of community-led workshops, and would like you to be involved. We aim to bring a range of community voices together to identify community strengths and vulnerabilities, understand roles and responsibilities in emergencies and how we can best prepare for the future.

This includes an opportunity for emergency services to meet with community members to discuss emergency operations and answer questions, as well as opportunities for community members to share ideas and possibilities with emergency services personnel. RediCommunities does not seek to alter or replace other plans held by emergency services, such as the EGSC Local Incident Management Plan (LIMP), but it does offer an opportunity for those existing plans to be widely shared with the community.

This will be held at the Community Clubrooms over two days, Thursday June 22 and 29, from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm.

To register your interest for the two days, please book through Eventbrite via this link or the QR code below: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/redicommunities-day-1-of-2-mallacoota-and-district-tickets-627848199867

If you would like to represent emergency services, have any queries, or need some help with registering, please email Carol Hopkins: chopkins@redcross.org.au.