Recovery and Resilience

The Disaster Management Unit gathered feedback and captured community sentiment by conducting surveys into community members’ experiences during the last wet season, their feelings of preparedness, recovery and resilience and feedback on the Douglas Disaster Dashboard. These surveys gave community members who were unable to attend a session in person the opportunity to share their thoughts.

We thank everyone who took the time to share their experience. Recovery is a journey, and we’re in it together.

Some common themes and key issues emerged across the sessions and surveys:

• A desire for clearer, more consistent communication before, during and after disasters.
• Questions about infrastructure repairs, connectivity and recovery delays.
• Feelings of anxiety and stress when it rains or as another wet season approaches.
• A strong sense of community pride and resilience – even as recovery continues.
• Tangible updates on the progress of Council to prepare for future events and projects

Water Tank Installations

Enquiries were raised by some residents about being installing slimline poly water tanks for water security.

• Council clarified that water tanks require building approval from private certifiers under the National Construction Code (Class 10b structure. Boundary setback requirements exist for amenity and sight lines, such as keeping the tank out of the 6m frontage setback of residential lots. This is standard across the State and other states
• Residents across the Shire have been installing water tanks at the rear of their properties and Council encourages these initiatives to be prepared.

Telstra

• The Wangetti community raised questions around mobile connectivity which Telstra have noted; enhancement strategies are currently being explored, and Council will be updated on further developments.
• Wonga’s exchange has been repaired, resolving previous connectivity issues. As Daintree Village relies on the Wonga site, the recent upgrades are expected to improve connectivity in Daintree as well.

Ergon

Questions were raised about Ergon’s pre-deployment and network restoration strategy during TC Jasper, as a pre-deployed generator at Wangetti was not operational during the event. Ergon stated the expectation was for damage on the Craiglie sub-station line, however Wangetti sustained damage instead. The network had to be repaired before power could be restored (mains or generator) for public safety. Port Douglas network repairs were prioritised due to an aged care facility, water and sewerage services on its network

Starlink

The Disaster Management Unit currently maintains three portable Starlink units.

• One unit is reserved for Disaster Management Unit operational use.
• Two units are available for deployment or pre-deployment to communities at risk of communications disruptions.

The deployment of these units provides an essential contingency capability. In the event that mobile communications are lost, Starlink allows isolated communities to re-establish critical connectivity with the outside world. This function directly supports community safety, situational awareness, and coordination of response efforts.

During the 2024–2025 wet season, one Starlink unit was pre-positioned in Degarra. This proved highly effective, ensuring the community had reliable communications access throughout periods of isolation and network disruption.

The Disaster Management Unit is in the process of developing educational materials to ensure that community members are aware of the resources that are available in future events.