The Resilience Party was held at The Channon Hall on Saturday 14th May. With the creeks swollen and the ground still soggy it was wonderful to have such a great turn-out of people keen to socialize and dance. Regardless of the dampening conditions spirits were still high, and having our hall (which was the site of the emergency flood response for many weeks earlier this year) filled with light, music and joviality was a balm for all who came along.
Uncle Gil doing smoking ceremony
Uncle Gil gave a heartfelt Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, huge pots of delicious food and tasty desserts were enjoyed, and the local circus performers put on a grand show. And the music! What a fantastic display of local talent there was! From folk, to punk rock, to DJ’s mixing, there was indeed something for everyone. A particular highlight was when the younger kids took to the dancefloor, owning the front row with their heads banging enthusiastically to the punk rock, while the older ones among us either tried to keep up, or appreciated from a quieter distance.
There were some fun games played, and the raffle was drawn, both helping to raise money to reimburse costs of the disaster response.
Zoe & Steve serve up yummy food
The Channon Resilience put on the event, with funds from a grant from Healthy North Coast, which we applied for to support our social, mental and environmental wellbeing. Grateful appreciation to everyone who helped the event take place, and to everyone who came along.Our original plan of holding a Festival of Resilience has had to adapt to the changing circumstances, and we now anticipate holding a series of workshops in The Channon Hall over spring. These workshops will use the remaining funds from Healthy North Coast, and still aim to support our communitys’ social, mental and environmental wellbeing.
If you would like to be kept informed of these workshops drop us an email at .
We are very happy to announce that the Festival of Resilience for The Channon and surrounds will be held on Saturday 2nd April at The Channon Oval (Coronation Park).
So please save the date to come along to connect with others in our community, learn skills that we can utilise in caring for ourselves and others in our lives, techniques to enhance our local environment, dance, share stories, and have some FUN!
We are currently seeking expressions of interest for workshop facilitators, musicians, and stallholders. Workshops will focus on mental and environmental wellbeing. Stallholders may be a business, community or government group that supports ecological or mental health. Food stalls and local musicians are also encouraged to register their interest.
If you have something to offer we would love to hear from you:
Cane toads sadly have a disastrous impact on many of our native species.
My family live on Wallace Rd ridge, where until a few years ago we had no cane toads. Last year we had a beautiful big carpet snake writhing in pain, then dying in our pond- from eating a cane toad. We will regularly do the rounds of our yard in the evening, but it can be hard to feel like we can make an impact individually. However, collectively we can make a real difference in their population.
In November we trialed a competitive cane toad muster. The outstanding winner was Sonya, from The Channon. Over two nights she collected 113 cane toads! Last year she collected a similar amount, and was happy to notice an increase in native frogs around her home afterward. She initially began collecting the cane toads as she was worried about her dogs eating them- as they are very toxic to pets as well as natives.
Sonya is keen to get out with others who may be interested in helping her around The Channon- if you would like to join her please get in touch with her on 0406288477.
It would be interesting to see what impact we can make collectively, so if you are keen to protect our natives by helping reduce local cane toad numbers, you can contribute to a cane toad tally. When you collect cane toads, head to www.thechannonhub.org/canetoadtally to add to the count. Please remember to take due caution when handling cane toads, and to be as humane as possible in your treatment of them. You can find more information here: www.awe.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/invasive-species/feral-animals-australia/cane-toads
The Channon Hub Website Updates
Terri and Olof are updating our community website. If you have a local business, or you have something to offer our community, and you aren’t already listed in the directory, then please get in touch with Terri on 0400394373 or and give her all the info needed to include you on www.thechannonhub.org/local-directory/
Wishing everyone an enjoyable festive summer season!
It began with an unprecedented disaster – in November 2019 the rainforest was burning in our beloved World Heritage Nightcap National Park, threatening homes in surrounding hills and valleys. But the concerted effort of our local RFS brigades, NPWS, volunteers and defenders stopped the fire and saved our homes and forest from the fires’ destruction.
This event sparked a collaborative Resilience Workshop, held at The Channon Hall in February 2020. Close to 100 local people came together to look at our current climatic and societal situation squarely in the face and say “well, what are we going to do about it on our local level?”
Recognising the impact of the fires on The Channon and surrounds, Lismore City Council applied for a grant, and employed Emma Broomfield and Katrina Burbige of Locale Consulting to assist the people of The Channon with forming a Disaster Resilience Plan.
Since December 2020 The Channon and Surrounds Disaster Resilience Group have been working with the broader community, Locale Consulting, and Lismore City Council, to create a community-led Disaster Resilience Plan for The Channon and Surrounds. See whole Plan here >> link
The Plan itself was launched with a celebration at The Channon Hall on the 24th April 2021.
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Aim of the Plan
This Community Disaster Plan aims to clarify what is needed for The Channon and Surrounds community to build future resilience and provide recovery from recent events by establishing actions and programs that our community can implement.
The Plan will help our community to respond before, during and after a disaster. This includes recovering from the 2019/2020 bushfire season and preparing for other likely disasters such as floods or storm events.
It also provides practical and useful information for our community to use when preparing, preventing, responding or recovery from a disaster.
Having our thoughts and plans clearly laid out will help us be able to access grants for specific Actions in the plan.
“It’s a satisfying place to get to” says local resident, Ivy Young. “Having a plan, that has been created from the input and vision of locals, and expertise and skills of Emma from Locale Consulting, means that we now have a road-map for how we, as a community, can work together to improve our resilience and preparedness in the face of a range of disasters.”
Thanks
Thanks so much to Lismore City Council and Locale Consulting for funding, and facilitating this community-led process and keeping us on track! Of course, thanks to the group of committed and caring community members who helped put this Plan together.
Actions in the Plan
From the identified Actions, small working groups have formed to implement some of these. These will evolve and change, some may merge together.
ALL DISASTERS
No.
Action
Priority / Timeline
Phase
Person / Organisation Responsible
Funding and Grant Source
1.
Appoint a dedicated resource to implement the PlanObtain grant funds to appoint a person from the community to implement this Plan. The role would:Oversee the delivery of actions in this Plan Find funding sources to implement actions in this PlanFoster community connections and cohesiveness Take lead role in establishing community communication channels Administer and acquit any grantsMonitor and report on risks and progress back to The Channon Disaster Resilience Group to ensure delivery is being achieved Recruit the Channon and Surrounds – Disaster Resilience Plan delivery officer for up to 12 months on a part-time basis (3-4 hours per week).
High priorityDeadline:September 2021
Prevention, preparation, recovery and response
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group auspiced by Lismore City CouncilCommunity lead:Person to be appointed to co-ordinator role
Funding source to be identified
2.
Create a local website focused on disastersDevelop a website which provides the community with up-to-date information about disaster prevention, preparation, recovery and response, and also builds community connectedness and cohesiveness. The website will be available for our community to help communicate, inform and educate us before, during and after a disaster. The website will include:Information about this Plan and the actions our community is taking to build our resilienceInformation about disasters which impact our community (ie bushfire, flood, storms, landslip and heatwave) and how to mitigate risks and impacts of these disastersLinks to RFS, SES, and Lismore City Council disaster dashboardLinks to support the mental health and wellbeing of our community A community directory of support services directly related to bushfire recovery assistanceCommunity protocols for animal management A local directory of businesses to support the buy local initiativePromotion of the new farmers market initiative Local advertising to support ongoing maintenance costsInformation about living The Channon and being part of the community
High priorityDeadline:August 2021
Prevention, preparation, recovery and response
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group in partnership with Lismore City CouncilCommunity lead:Terri Nicolson
To be identified.
3.
Communicate on social media As a short-term response, communicate through the Hook Ups Facebook page the importance of the following (but not limited to): Having a disaster survival kit Signing up with entities that provide emergency news or alert systemsSpeaking with the household or significant others about preparednessIdentifying if you have a “storz” fitting on your water tankUnderstanding emergency risks during a flood based on current SES information and campaignsNeed for self-managed animal plans during an emergencyRequest through social media input from the community on:Information about any existing fire trails so that these can be mapped (action 14)Information about any static water sources so that these can be mapped (action 15)
High priority:Deadline:Ongoing
Prevention, preparation, recovery and response
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group Community lead:Terri Nicolson
Nil
4.
Deliver workshops and information sheetsDeliver a series of information sheets or community workshops at a new farmers market or other locations to inform landholders on methods to promote landscape health and recovery including flood mitigation. This could include lessons from the Watershed Initiative. Workshops to include:Regeneration of rainforest and planting of fire-retardant speciesCool-season cultural burning (firesticks)Wildlife habitat recovery (such as nesting boxes)Replanting (in conjunction with a plant giveaway program)Prevention and management of invasive flora and faunaNature based solutions Develop factsheets or videos to cover workshop themes.
Medium priorityDeadline:September 2021
Preparation / recovery
The Channon Disaster Resilience GroupCommunity lead:Rachel Whiting & Zoe Fehlberg Potential partners:Lismore City CouncilOffice of the Environment and HeritageLandcare
To be identified
5.
Establish community communication channels Develop and maintain a connection tree which includes the address and preferred method of contact for:Vulnerable community members Isolated or hard-to-reach residentsDevelop a communications protocol where committee members (or those that are nominated) are available before, during and after emergencies to provide local advice and improved community liaison, communication and coordination between agencies and the local community.Investigate a local text alert to contact our community members during a disaster.
Medium priorityDeadline:September 2021
Preparation / response/ recovery
The Channon Disaster Resilience GroupCommunity lead:Person to be appointed to co-ordinator role
Nil
6.
Prepare a skills and inventory listCreate a list of any skills and equipment which is available within our community to help during or after a disaster and categorise into disaster types.Skills could consist of the following:Medical / first aid trainingMental health first aid trainingArborist/tree pruningBasic machinery operatorHeavy vehicle licence Communication or media Catering or cookingChild care A tool and equipment list, including ownership, could include:Tree pruning equipment such as chain sawPA system / Bull horn or portable public address communication device Equipment needed to boil large volumes of water or cook large volumes of food (adequate supply of large pots, commercial cooking kettles, etc.)Logistics, equipment and containers available to transport food or water during an evacuation Portable chairs and tables for evacuation relocation/stagingVarious power tools (drill, saws, leaf blower etc.)Farm equipment Traffic control equipmentManual siphon pumpsDust/filter‐type masksEye protection (goggles, safety glasses, etc.)Sandbags / portable cots
Medium priorityDeadline:Ongoing
Recovery / Preparation
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group Community lead: Person to be appointed to co-ordinator role
Nil
7.
Lobby for road upgrades Form a lobby group to ensure regular communication with all levels of government about local roads.Lobby all levels of government to:Upgrade Wallace Road for safe access and evacuation during all disaster events (first, identify priority sections of Wallace Road that need upgrading)Classify upper Wallace Road as a strategic fire trailClassify Cox Road / Rose Road connector as a strategic fire trailPut together a submission / petition to lobby for upgrades and changes based on local knowledge and information.
Medium priorityDeadline:October 2021
Recovery / Preparation
The Channon Disaster Resilience GroupCommunity lead:Wallace Road residents – Dave, Ivy, Peta, Zoe Community Lead:Rose Road – Wal Davies
Potential funding: Federal government
8.
Create a Community Safer PlaceDevelop a “Community Safer Place” program which will include:Confirming where the “Community Safer Place” is located within our community. The place could be an open space or buildings where people may gather, as a last resort, to seek shelter from a bushfire or flood event (eg: The Channon Hall).Identifying improvements to the “Community Safer Place” as a community hub to ensure these facilities support everyday community gatherings as well as shelter in the case of an emergency. For the Hall, this includes:Installing solar for power outages Installing a gas stove for cookingInstalling showers Creating a place for storage of any community owned equipment Working with The Channon Hall Committee to carry out a risk assessment of the facilities (eg: fire risk) and to obtain funding for identified improvementsUndertaking a community healing event at the Hall or The Channon markets to bring the independent communities and families together and provide direct support for psychological services for community-wide initiatives (eg: listening / heart circle). Invite Red Cross or other relevant mental health support services to attend to support the community’s mental health and wellbeing.
Low priorityDeadline:June 2021
October / December 2021
Response
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group in partnership with The Channon Hall Committee, Safe Places Working Group and the CARE Group Community lead: Rachel Whiting, Dave & Mish
To be identified
9.
Promote buy local initiatives Promote buy local initiatives to drive our local economy, increase our economic diversity, maintain local goods and services available and enhance resilience through periods of potential isolation. This includes:marketing The Channon markets developing a farmer’s market for The Channoncreating a directory of local businesses and promoting on the new website and Hook Ups Facebook pagepromoting local food swap events such as Djaningworking in partnership with existing businesses such as the Tavern, General Store and cafe
Medium priorityDeadline:October 2021
Resilience
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group Community lead (farmers markets):Rachel Whiting & Zoe FehlbergCommunity lead (directory):Terri Nicholson
To be identified
10.
Encourage youth involvement Encourage youth involvement in implementation of this plan by informal mentoring opportunities. Develop a youth forum for our community that aims to revitalise youth engagement in volunteering across a whole range of activities including land care, emergency services, SES, RFS and community projects.
Low priorityDeadline:Ongoing
July 2021
Resilience
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group in partnership with Youth GroupCommunity lead:Rachel Whiting
To be identified
11.
Promote awareness about animal management Encourage and facilitate community awareness about the need for self-managed animal plans during an emergency.Develop community protocols about animal management with experienced farmers in the community including:identifying triggers for actively moving animals, animal rescue and shelter during an emergencysecuring community members assistance with animal handling skillsidentifying who has transport to move animals
Low priorityDeadline:June 2022
Resilience
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group in collaboration with farmers, animal owners, horse ownersCommunity lead: Caroline & Kirsty Joy, Ani Potential partners:Pony ClubDepartment of Primary IndustriesBlaze AidWorld Wildlife Fund
To be identified
12.
Implement nature based solution projectsInvestigate nature based solutions as a way to prevent and mitigate the risk of future natural disasters (eg: by supporting the Watershed Initiative)Create and implement local nature based solution projects that enhance local vegetation and reduce our risk to future natural disasters
Medium priorityDeadline: April 2022
Preparation/ Prevention
The Channon Disaster Resilience GroupCommunity lead: Ivy YoungPotential partners:Landcare
To be identified
13.
Lobby for action on climate change Form a lobby group to ensure regular communication with all levels of government about need to take action on climate change to reduce the risk of future natural disasters.
Low priorityDeadline:December 2022
Prevention
The Channon Disaster Resilience GroupCommunity lead: Ivy Young
Nil
BUSHFIRES
No.
Action
Priority / Timeline
Phase
Person / Organisation Responsible
Funding and Grant Source
14.
Create a fire trail map Develop a fire trail map of the local area to include existing and needed fire trails. This includes:Asking our intentional communities and property owners to provide any existing maps to the local RFSIdentifying the difference between walkable and drivable tracksIdentifying the strategic fire trailsUndertaking a physical audit of the trails where possible to check the conditionsConfirming how the maps will be produced (ie digital or paper) Respecting the privacy of any individuals who do not wish to share or disclose informationOnce the map has been produced, provide to the local and district RFS.
High priorityDeadline:August 2021
Preparation
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group in collaboration with the Fire GroupCommunity lead:Michael Murphy & John HutchinsonPotential partners:Lismore City CouncilLocal RFS brigade
To be identified
15.
Create an emergency water supply mapMap existing still water access points (such as tanks and dams) and identify any gaps. This map will be completed with the fire trail map.
Medium priorityDeadline:August 2021
Recovery
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group in collaboration with the Fire Group Community lead:Michael Murphy & John HutchinsonPotential partners:Lismore City CouncilLocal RFS brigade
Lismore City Council (water supply points)
16.
Facilitate the community to “tank up”Share information with the community about eligibility for water tank rebates, water tank replacement schemes and support community through a communal tank drive. Identify properties with gaps or a need to replace existing tanks include public spaces such as the school, preschool and oval. Work with the RFS about the current agency water tank scheme. Apply to grants schemes to provide more water tanks in the community.Establish water access points in remote locations which can be accessible for emergency water supply (Note: Council has funds do to this)
Medium priorityDeadline:Ongoing
Recovery / Preparation
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group in collaboration with individuals / householdsCommunity lead:To be identifiedPotential partners:RFS
To be identified
17.
Hold a community information day on bushfire preparation and recoveryHold a community information stall with the RFS at The Channon markets to share information about preparing for bushfires on individual properties (Bushfire Plan). Invite feedback on the fire trail / static water supply maps (actions 14 and 15)Invite other agencies to attend The Channon markets including SES, Red Cross and Resilience NSW to share information about disaster management.
Medium priorityDeadline:September 2021
July / August 2021
Preparation
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group in collaboration with The Channon Markets and The Channon RFS brigadeCommunity Lead:John Hutchison & Allison
Nil
18.
Carry out community bushfire exercisesIdentify the type of community bushfire exercise our community wishes to carry out. This could include:Hands on demonstration of “cool burning” or “cultural burning” techniques Assistance from RFS on burning off on individual propertiesCommunal day to clear fire trails Community wide practice drills Mock evacuation events to “Community Safe Place” (action 8)Carry out agreed community bushfire exercises to improve understanding of local bushfire risk, including different scenarios.
Medium priorityDeadline:Ongoing
Preparation
The Channon Disaster Resilience Group in collaboration with The Channon RFS brigade Community Lead:John Hutchison
To be identified
19.
Upgrade the RFS shedUpgrade The Channon RFS brigade shed as it plays a vital role in the immediate response to bushfire threats and the resilience of our community. This includes:Negotiating to secure additional landImproving the facilities to include meeting rooms and showers
Action : The Channon Hub Website Through the process of creating this plan the need for a local website became clear- somewhere people can find information, not only about disaster preparedness, but all manner of knowledge and information sharing about living in or around The Channon. The website, www.thechannonhub.org has been created, and went live at the Launch on 24th April 2021. Thanks to the funding from Lismore City Council to help get this website up and running.
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