As the clean-up from the February 13 storm event continues across East Gippsland, mayor Cr Tom Crook has praised the collaborative effort of volunteers, emergency services agencies and the work of East Gippsland Shire Council staff and contractors.
Cr Crook said the efforts to pull together and help each other during such events means that collectively we were back up and running as quickly as possible.
“We know there were challenges with power and telecommunications and many people were impacted for an extended period. There are lessons to be learnt from this event,” Cr Crook said.
“On that note, to have the Minister for Local Government, the Hon. Melissa Horne, reach out directly in the immediate aftermath of the storm was most welcome. We have kept the lines of communication open, and I have emphasised the need to have telecommunications identified as an essential service.
“We will also be raising this more broadly with a delegation of Gippsland mayors and chief executive officers going to Canberra this week, in planned Ministerial meetings in early March and with telecommunication service providers directly.
IMAGE: Works to clean up storm damage are well and truly underway however may take some time to complete given the extensive damage caused across the region on February 13. (PS)
