Community leaders in Wyndham and Melton will take part in a new project to help their municipalities build “resilience” to emergencies.
The state government has provided Wyndham and Melton councils with $91,700 for the Western Areas Resilience project as part of its ‘Resilient Community Program’.
The funding will allow the councils to employ a manager to run the program across both municipalities.
Wyndham mayor Bob Fairclough said the $243,700 project was aimed at linking community leaders with the council’s community leadership program to help increase each city’s capacity to prepare for, withstand and recover from all types of emergencies.
“Wyndham and Melton share similar risk profiles such as grassfires on the urban/rural interface and both face the challenge of having growing communities,” Cr Fairclough said.
“Both are also part of the North Western Metropolitan Region Relief and Recovery Collaboration, which involves councils working together to build capacity in emergency management.
“Many resources already exist in the emergency management space that will help our community respond as best they can to an adverse event – they just need to be localised and locally owned. This project will work with existing resources and networks to build resilience in our communities.”
Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury said the Western Areas Resilience project would also include community forums and emergency planning toolkits.
He said the program would involve faith-based and seniors groups, service clubs and culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The project will provide community leaders with the skills to train others in their networks.
Regional and Rural Development Minister Peter Ryan said the funding would help communities in Wyndham and Melton take an active role in emergency management.
“Our funding is helping communities fully understand local risks and improve their own capacity to tackle and recover from all hazards,” he said.
“Funded projects are building community confidence to share the responsibility of handling emergencies.”
