At Junee Shire Council’s Tuesday meeting, the Council approved a draft policy which would establish a framework for the Council to prepare for and respond to extreme heat and heatwave events affecting the Junee Local Government Area (LGA).
Council says the policy is developed with a focus on protecting community health and wellbeing, maintaining essential public services where practicable, guiding the management and possible activation of Council public facilities during extreme heat events, and ensuring that any Council response is proportionate, risk-based and coordinated with relevant State emergency management arrangements.
The draft policy provides a structured basis for decision-making in relation to prolonged periods of extreme heat, and allows Council to monitor forecast conditions for preparedness purposes, while making clear that policy activation is based on actual recorded temperatures rather than forecast temperatures alone.
The document is being placed on public exhibition, which will provide an opportunity for the community to review the draft policy and make submissions. If no feedback or submissions are received during the exhibition period, the policy will be adopted as presented to Council.
Council said in the report, “Extreme heat and heatwave events pose risks to public health, community wellbeing, service, continuity and local infrastructure. Prolonged periods of high temperature can have social, economic, environmental and operational impacts across a range of sectors, including health care, transport, energy supply, community facilities and essential services.
Heatwave conditions may also contribute to heat-related illness and, in severe cases, death, particularly among vulnerable members of the community.
“It applies to Council’s planning and decision-making in relation to public facilities ordinarily open to the public and provides a framework for how those facilities may be managed during actual or forecast extreme heat events. Importantly, the draft policy does not require Council to create new or ongoing services beyond those that can be safely and reasonably provided within available resources. Instead, any response under the policy would involve the temporary extension, modification or adaptation of existing Council services or facilities.
“The draft policy sets out the purpose, scope and guiding principles of Council’s response, as well as roles and responsibilities for Council, the General Manager, Directors, managers and staff. It also addresses activation triggers, possible response measures, and assessment criteria for use of facilities as cooling centres or extended-use public spaces, limitations on Council’s role, provisions for Council-operated events, and the legislative and strategic context for implementation.”
The draft Extreme Heatwave Policy is said to provide Council with a practical framework for preparing for and responding to extreme heat events within the Junee LGA. It claims to support community wellbeing, enables a coordinated and proportionate response, aligns with relevant legislative and emergency management frameworks and recognises Council’s operational and resource limitations.
It was recommended and approved that the draft policy be placed on public exhibition for 28 days to allow community feedback.
– Jack Murray
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