With the Port Douglas cyclone shelter still more than 12 months away, residents and disaster management organisations have begun to prepare for the upcoming storm season.

Councillors and staff of Cairns Regional Council joined with Emergency Management Queensland, Queensland Fire and Rescue, Queensland Ambulance, Police and other key personnel for a seminar to ensure they were up to date with the processes and protocols of disaster coordination.

“Today’s (Wednesday) session was primarily about understanding the roles of various stakeholders and how they work together to ensure efficient and effective disaster coordination,” Mayor Val Schier said.

“It is important that every organisation knows its responsibilities and is able to activate quickly and appropriately as soon as a disaster threatens.”

The seminar also addressed preparation, response and recovery activities and disaster funding arrangements.

Cr Schier said it was also time for residents to start preparing their own disaster management plans.

“The wet season is not far away and every household should be starting to think about stocking their cyclone or evacuation kit, educating their children about what to do in an emergency and where to go in the case of evacuation,” Cr Schier said.

“It is much easier to start buying a pack of batteries and a couple of tinned food items each time you go shopping than to stock up once a cyclone is approaching.

“Also, it’s a good time to get your Storm Tide Evacuation Guide out and familiarise yourself with storm surge risk areas and where your home is in relation.”

After last year's predictions of record numbers of cyclones, climatologists are working to gather and release cyclone information earlier this year.

"All indicators are around neutral and our standard for the Coral Sea is four to five cyclones generally develop between November to May, of which we get one or two coastal crossings," said Bill O'Connor, forecaster for the Bureau of Meteorology.

A statement from Council said that Storm Tide Evacuation Guides have been delivered to all residences in the Cairns Region. However, anyone who did not receive one can collect a copy from Council’s administration offices in either Cairns or Mossman.

The storm tide maps are also available on Council’s website www.cairns.qld.gov.au/disaster.

“The maps have been improved and you can now zoom right in to your own property,” Cr Schier said.
 
Colour-coded evacuation zone labels continue to be placed in electricity meter boxes of residential houses located in storm surge vulnerable areas by Ergon Energy contractors. This roll-out is expected to be completed before the end of the year.