The City of Ipswich ran four community forums in the most flood affected areas of the local community as part of their review of the February 2022 flood event. These sessions allowed affected residents to tell their personal stories and experience relating to the rainfall, flooding, resulting property damage and on-going impacts.
Key objectives of these forums were to:
- Provide an opportunity for individuals affected by the disaster to tell their stories and express their views in a safe and respectful environment
- To listen and acknowledge what the impacts of the disaster event have been on the Ipswich community
- To prioritise the well-being of forum participants to ensure they feel safe, listened to and treated with respect.
- Provide information and supporting documentation as required.
These objectives were met through the following deliverables:
- Facilitation of community forums
- Providing a Terms of Reference (ToR) for attendees prior to the event
- Providing an informative presentation and feedback materials for Council
- Providing debrief reports summarising key points and suggestions for improvements.
Participants of the flood forums left the event feeling heard and with education and support services that can assist them on their personal and insurance journey. Ipswich City Council were able to use the information that came from the flood forums as part of their flood management plans, which recently won a Get Ready Queensland Resilient Australia Award.
