Joy Burch has waved farewell to a team of nine community recovery workers from the Department of Disability, Housing, and Community Services who have answered Queensland’s flooded call:
“On January 13 the Director General of Queensland’s Department of Communities, Ms Linda
Appelt, asked all Australian states and territories to provide experienced staff to assist the
Queensland Recovery Teams, and the ACT has answered that call,” Ms Burch said.“The ACT knows all too well that there is a lot of hard work ahead after such a major natural
disaster, and it is important that we rally as a nation to help our fellow Australians.”Ms Burch said that during the 2003 bushfires ACT was well supported by staff from other
states and it is appropriate that the ACT reciprocates by providing Queensland with support.Community recovery services include a range of activities from grant assessment, practical
and emotional support, assistance with sourcing accommodation and other essential items to
longer term community development activities.The recovery team will be in Queensland for two weeks and it is expected that a second team
will then replace them early February 2011.
Good luck to them.