By Sahar Foladi
Ahead of a predicted scorching summer, Greater Dandenong’s preparation for heatwave emergencies is still a work under construction.
The municipality’s first heatwave preparedness event was held on Tuesday 19 September, at the Drum Theatre, was in response to a notice of motion by councillor Rhonda Garad in July.
The motion was for the council to undertake a detailed report on emergency management necessary for events such as power blackouts during heatwaves.
“The City of Greater Dandenong’s heatwave preparedness event is a timely and essential first step, given that temperatures are currently up to 12 degrees above average and our first heatwave has arrived in September,” she said.
The public event saw community members from all walks of lives attend the session.
Gaye Guest, an active member of the Greater Dandenong community, says there were a lot of unanswered questions.
“As a resident I actually came away with a little more knowledge than I had; however, there were no real outcomes.
“Let’s say the next three days there’ll be heatwaves and my power goes off, where do I go?
“Which community centre or space will be open to me if I don’t have power?
“None of us walked out with an idea of where those centres would be.”
The event featured representatives from emergency services, the Victorian Department of Health, United Energy, business and manufacturing groups, members of the public, schools, aged care facilities and Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
Emergency services representatives informed the audience on what to do in a heatwave situation and what to avoid.
“I felt that I was more empowered but still wanting more answers,“ Ms Guest said.
“There were gaps in the session because none of our questions (submitted before the event) were answered.”
Sixteen of the questions were posted online including, “What is the capacity of the waiting room at Dandenong Hospital ER and what is the plan in place to handle a large number of walk-ins on a very hot day?”
Another asked, “What advocacy is CGD doing for rights of renters to cooling? What is the role of state government in holding landlords to account?”
Cr Garad says at times of heightened difficulties where emergency services don’t have the capacity to assist large numbers of people, community members should be informed on what to do.
“While commendable, this is just the beginning.
“We urgently need greater representation from the community to co-design emergency plans that are localised, tailored to the needs of our community, and effectively communicated to every resident.”
Along with the council’s chief executive officer Jacqui Weatherill, mayor Eden Foster and other council representatives, Cr Garad will commence discussions with community groups, working towards an informed municipality to safeguard the population against heatwaves.
Since the event, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has declared El Nino, a weather pattern that occurs every two to seven years due to wind patterns in the Pacific Ocean which is known to result in increased temperatures worldwide.
As reported previously by Star Journal, as a result of El Nino, Australia is expected to swelter under a rise in temperatures this summer. A continuous increase in global temperatures for the next nine to 12 months is forecast.
Ms Guest facilitates a group of elders and recently met up with them to communicate the outcomes of the heatwave preparedness session.
“I’ll now say to them that you will not be rescued because now I know I won’t be rescued if I’m in a situation.
“We all have to start thinking now about what we’ll do to keep ourselves safe if there’s a lengthy heatwave situation.”
This is despite elderly people being recognised as vulnerable residents along with pregnant women, children, people with medical conditions and those with outdoor jobs.
Executive director of not-for-profit Sweltering Cities, Emma Bacon has worked with communities affected by extreme heat to achieve a sustainable and liveable city.
Ms Bacon also attended the event on Tuesday and was one of the guest speakers.
“The event was fantastic and if more local councils can act similarly it would benefit everyone.
“What we can do is provide community members and organisations the tools to prepare for extreme heat to make sure people are aware of risks and have the understanding of how to keep safe,” she said.
“I hope that’s the beginning of the conversation, not the end.”
She has worked across movements for social and environmental justice for over 10 years as an activist and campaigner.
