Recovery

Recovery – to take steps to minimise disruption and recovery times

Recovery can be a long and challenging process that needs to recognise the diversity of our community. We need to take quick action at crucial times, while resources may be compromised. The success of our recovery after a disaster event is entirely dependent upon the resilience and continuing engagement of the affected community.

  • After an event, affected individuals and communities have diverse needs, wants and expectations. Demands are immediate, evolve rapidly and may create long term legacies.

    Recovery provides an opportunity to improve and enhance social and natural environments, infrastructure and economies and contributing to a more resilient community. Successful recovery relies on recognising this complexity, using community-led approaches, communicating effectively, and acknowledging and building capacity.

    To prepare for Recovery events in the future we are committed to building resilience within our community by implementing the lessons we have identified through our recovery processes. The Local Recovery Group was active after TC Debbie and transitioned from ‘Recovery’ to ‘Business as Usual’ in June 2019.

    *Note that there are still recovery projects and activities happening in the Whitsundays, but as we are in the phase of Business As Usual we look at them as Resilience Activities.

  • Effective recovery requires a coordinated effort by all agencies to develop needs analysis, consequence management, community engagement, planning and service delivery.

    As recovery is a complex and potentially long process, aspects of recovery are grouped into four functions, including:

    • Economic
    • Environmental
    • Human-Social
    • Infrastructure


    There are four agencies for leading recovery under each of these functions. Their responsibilities during recovery have a direct link to the relevant agency’s core business, and depend upon the nature and consequences of an event. For example:

    • A marine oil spill may generate significant environmental and economic impacts that require additional emphasis on financial and industry recovery
    • A cyclone may generate more physical damage that requires greater emphasis on infrastructure, road and property recovery
    • A pandemic may require greater emphasis on human-social recovery and communications


    The State Recovery Group (SRG) assists in overall coordination of recovery activities across the four functional areas. During recovery operations, the SRG supports and assists local and district groups.

    These agencies and contributing organisations provide a supporting role and work with the affected community to rebuild and strengthen community resilience.

  • To view more on Recovery Information view Pages 68 to 74 of the Whitsunday Emergency Action Guide.

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