Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
One of the best parts of being Mayor is getting the chance to recognise people who quietly do great things for our community.
So I want to start this week by congratulating Whitsunday SES Local Controller Greg Yuskan, who has taken out the Suncorp Spirit of SES Award at the Queensland SES State Awards.
It’s a fantastic achievement and well-deserved recognition for Greg’s leadership, professionalism and commitment to our Whitsunday community.
But I reckon Greg would be the first to say that SES is very much a team effort.
Across the Whitsundays we are incredibly lucky to have people who put their hand up to help when things go wrong.
They’re SES volunteers, rural firies, marine rescue crews and the many other volunteers and emergency service personnel who turn up when our community needs them.
Most aren't doing it for awards or recognition. They do it because they care about their community and want to help.
As Chair of the Whitsunday Disaster Management Group, I get to see just how important these people are and how much work goes on behind the scenes before an emergency ever happens.
Training, planning and preparing doesn't attract much attention on a normal Tuesday afternoon.
But when a cyclone is approaching, roads are cut or somebody needs help, suddenly that preparation matters enormously.
Cyclone season officially starts on 1 November, so we're getting to that time of year when all of us should start thinking about our own preparations as well.
That doesn't mean panicking or filling the trolley with baked beans every time there's a cloud on the weather map.
It just means having a plan, knowing where you'll get reliable information, checking around the house and making sure you're ready before you need to be.
Because disaster preparedness isn't only something Council and emergency services do as we all have a part to play.
So congratulations again Greg, and thank you to every volunteer across the Whitsundays who gives their time to help keep the rest of us safe.
You probably don't hear it often enough, but our community is lucky to have you.
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