Whitsunday Bushfire Resilience Community Water Tanks

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Published
7th June 2024

Whitsunday Regional Council has completed the installation of 10 new 26,000 litre steel community water tanks in vulnerable locations throughout the region that are at risk of bushfires.

Mayor Ry Collins said the water tanks, which were installed as part of the Whitsunday Bushfire Resilience Project, are vital Council-owned and managed infrastructure that provide centralised water for Rural Fire Brigades to use for firefighting purposes.

“The Whitsundays has a history of bushfire and just like cyclones, bushfires are a threat to lives, homes, infrastructure and our local economy,” Mayor Collins said.

“Council has been coordinating the project since 2022 to support vulnerable landholders and communities and build bushfire resilience in the region,” he said.

Mayor Collins said Council worked with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to identify the high-risk localities.

"By investing in priority firefighting infrastructure, bushfire education for residents and developing community and property bushfire plans in collaboration with landholders, we are demonstrating our commitment to the safety and protection of our community," he said.

“Rural Fire Brigades will also use the water for planned hazard reduction burns, and the tanks are fitted with locks to ensure the water is only used by the Rural Fire Brigades.”

Council is also coordinating a series of free bushfire management and planning workshops to support landowners throughout the region in preparation for the upcoming bushfire season.

“The bushfire workshops provide landowners with the knowledge and skills they need to help protect their properties and community,” Mayor Collins said.

Upcoming training is planned for:

  • Collinsville Community Centre – Sunday, 16 June
  • Reef Gateway Hotel, Cannonvale – Sunday, 23 June
  • Merinda Rural Fire Brigade – Sunday, 7 July
  • Proserpine SES Shed – Sunday, 4 August

The Whitsunday Bushfire Resilience Project is supported by funding from the Commonwealth Government’s Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program.

The program is also supporting the development of FREE Property Bushfire Plans, coordinated by Council’s Bushfire Officer. Landholders with approved Property Bushfire Plans may be eligible for financial assistance of up to $2,000 per property or 50 percent to help with firefighting mitigations, such as machinery for fire breaks, water tanks, pumps and hoses.

To register interest in bushfire training or developing a property bushfire plan, phone Greg McCarthy in the Whitsunday Regional Council’s Natural Resources Management and Climate unit on 0458 816 751, visit the Whitsunday Bushfire Resilience Project page on Council’s Your Say Whitsunday Online Engagement Portal, email info@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au, or visit a Council Customer Service Centre.

To stay up-to-date with events, information and community engagement opportunities, residents are encouraged to register for Council’s Online Engagement Portal, Your Say Whitsunday, at www.yoursay.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au.