The Flood Readiness - Are We Better Prepared series covers key organisations that play a vital role in pre-flood warnings and in the rescue & recovery after a major flood. We are asking those organisations to let us know how the 2022 floods and Flood Inquiry have changed their procedures and processes so people will experience better outcomes.

So we know what to expect when the unexpected happens next.

We began Part 7 by looking at our local charities that played a vital role in the first days of the big flood rescue, feeding and clothing thousands of people. The Salvos and Lifeline answered our question 'What have they learnt and what have they improved?'. Today it is the Lismore Lions Club and Australian Red Cross.

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The response of so many people and charities that came to the assistance of Northern Rivers in 2022 were unsurpassed. In the continuation of this story, we hear from the local Lions Club and Australian Red Cross.

Lions Club, Lismore

The Lismore Lions Club was the first Lions Club established in Australia, and in 2022, celebrated its 75th year of service to the Lismore Community. Not necessarily the celebration they anticipated, their capacity to assist the community was tested and proven considerable. We asked Margaret Condon to elaborate on their experience and response to the 2022 floods.

“This flood event and the subsequent needs of the community was much greater than the Lismore Lions Club had dealt with previously. For example, after the 2017 flood we received donations and grants from other Lions Clubs and the Australian Lions Foundation to the value of $20,000 and this was dispensed to flood victims within a few months. This time, we received donations and grants to the value of $600,000 and two years later we are still responding to requests for assistance.

“This time the flood response was in different phases:

• Immediate response of supplying food, water, snacks, fruit and water to flood affected, shopkeepers, volunteers helping in the flood clean up. We were in the CBD for 34 days.
• We provided fridges, washing machines, beds and mattresses as soon as people started returning to their homes.
• As homes were repaired we also added furniture, storage units, installed fans and provided vouchers for household goods, small appliances, clothing etc.
• We also received donations of blankets, quilts, beanies and scarves, toys etc that were delivered to families.
• We worked with other community groups who referred people to us and we supplied barbecues for many re-opening celebrations as time went on.
• A major project was organising for the delivery of all the furniture and appliances from 15 serviced units in Sydney that were being renovated and we were able to arrange for these items to be delivered to the Northern Rivers Flood Recovery Hub at Woodburn. All these items were given to flood affected families throughout the area.
• After the flood we have had opportunities to support groups such as Lions Need for Feed who delivered hay to farmers, Rural Aid who camped at the Showground while they helped farmers with repairs and Blaze Aid who are still in our community providing assistance with fence repairs and other jobs on farms.
•  The flood response activities have also resulted in many requests from community groups for us to cater for a range of different activities and this is continuing.

“We have also supported farmers by catering at Field Days related to flood recovery.

“Lions Clubs International has always focussed on the support of people affected by disasters throughout the world. The wonderful response of people all around Australia to the Lismore disaster only helps us to be more aware of the need for us to continue helping others affected by disasters in our country and overseas.

“We have not developed a weather plan for future disasters as our role is more concerned with the practical issues subsequent to events.

“We feel that we will be guided by the needs of the community in future events and that our response will be to fill the needs as they arrive. We are ready to serve our community whenever the need arises and we try to be flexible in our response as the recovery process happens.”

Lions Club website

Australian Red Cross

The Australian Red Cross describes the work that they have performed as, “work in local communities who have been impacted by disasters such as bushfires and floods providing psychosocial and wellbeing support.” Another organisation with a long history, a Red Cross spokesperson sent us the following statement:

“For more than 100 years, the Australian Red Cross has been helping people in Australia respond to, recover from, and prepare for disasters and other emergencies. Our dedicated staff members and volunteers are located across Australia and work within and alongside communities throughout the disaster journey. 

“Australian Red Cross is a member of the Local Emergency Management Committees that operate in Northern New South Wales, in 2022 when the region was hit by torrential storms, Australian Red Cross teams supported over 35 evacuation centres and 24 recovery hubs across impacted areas. 

“In the immediate aftermath of the floods, Australian Red Cross teams deployed to impacted areas and remained on continuous rotation delivering 24/7 psychosocial support to communities through evacuation centres, relief centres and outreach services. 

“During extreme weather events, we work alongside other emergency services to monitor conditions and make contact with community members across the region who have worked with the Australia Red Cross to establish Community-led Resilience Teams (CRTs) in their villages.

“Australian Red Cross core objective in building community resilience through CRTs is to support people to activate their local and household emergency plans and to remind them where to find reliable information during an emergency event. 

“In the event, we are asked by state government to assist in evacuation centres and later in recovery centres. We ensure local Australia and Red Cross volunteers are ready to activate and prepare local psychosocial support and recovery resources. 

“We understand that recovery is a journey that can take days, months and even years. Our recovery program works to reduce the psychosocial impacts of disaster on people and communities by recognising the varied, complex and long-term impacts that disasters and other crises have on people's lives, including their health and well-being, quality of life and social connections. 

“Australia Red Cross has a range of resources available online to support people to prepare, respond and recover from disasters.”

Red Cross Website

Other stories in this series includes:

Part 1: Essential Energy 

Part 2: Communications - Telstra and Optus

Part 2: Communications - TPG Telecom and nbn

Part 3: Police and Fire + Rescue

Part 4: Critical Flood Information

Part 5: Animals

Part 6: The Federal Government