We often hear the term one-stop-shop, but not in terms of natural disasters and other emergency information.
A local online page for emergency information has been recognised with a major award at the RH Dougherty Awards for Communications – the Tweed Emergency Dashboard won the Reporting to your Community Award (Division C, for Council with a population of more than 70,000).
The Dashboard was launched in December 2018 in response to the devastating floods which hit the Tweed in March 2017.
The purpose of the Dashboard is to provide a single source of emergency information for Tweed residents, businesses and visitors that can be accessed on any computer or device with an internet connection, at any time of day.
It centralises information to connect, integrate and communicate from a range of specialist sources in real-time.
The Emergency Dashboard includes the current status for weather warnings, road closures, power outages, water and sewer interruptions, and Council services and facilities, along with links to many other useful resources to help with planning for an emergency and what to do after.
Mayor of Tweed Councillor Katie Milne said one of the key lessons from the March 2017 flood was the need for an improved online support for the Tweed community during emergencies.
‘The Emergency Dashboard provides up-to-date information, useful links and contacts in the event of an emergency. It is linked to our website and is available 24/7,’ said Councillor Milne.
‘This award is a great finale to Local Government Week celebrations. Hundreds of residents got involved in the various events from tree plantings to tours of Council’s waste and water facilities, museum tours and heritage talks, information sessions on the NDIS and My Aged Care, to e-commerce tips for business success.’
Regional and rural councils took out all but one of the RH Dougherty Awards handed out by Local Government NSW (LGNSW) to encourage and recognise best-practice communication by councils to their local communities.
The awards are managed by Local Government NSW and judged by leading experts in the communications field.
To view the Emergency Dashboard, go to https://emergency.tweed.nsw.gov.au/
Please note that unlike on the Gold Coast, Tweed Shire Council is not the main agency in an emergency. Residents are asked to contact the SES on 132 500.
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