2 April, 2024

Emergencies and disasters such as the 2021-22 floods show time and again that the way to build resilience is to work together and to be prepared.

Gunnedah Shire Council, with the support of the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network and sponsorship from Whitehaven Coal and the NSW State Emergency Service – North Western Zone, will host a free Get Ready & Resilience Expo on Saturday, 4 May, 2024.

The event will bring together emergency service organisations, government and non-government organisations, Council and local not-for-profit organisations for an Expo at Wolseley Park from 11am to 2pm, and a forum at Gunnedah Town Hall from 5pm to 8pm.

There will be plenty for families and organisations to learn and do, and the free forum will feature guest speakers retired Detective Senior Constable Allan Sparkes CV, OAM, VA FRSN, and noted Australian actor and philanthropist Samuel Johnson OAM who will talk about resilience.

Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the Get Ready & Resilience Expo was a great community and services partnership in action.

“The floods brought home to us all just how much we need each other when something goes wrong,” Cr Chaffey said.

“This Expo is an opportunity to bring people together with all the organisations that works so hard to not only respond to emergencies and disasters, but that help a community prepare for events and recover from them. It’s great to see so many agencies working together to help build our resilience.”

Whitehaven Coal General Manager Community Engagement Darren Swain said the company was delighted to support such an important event.

“It’s great to see Gunnedah putting itself forward to host these types of events and bring the community together in partnership with a range of organisations and interested stakeholders,” Mr Swain said.

“At Whitehaven, we’re proud to be a part of this community and we recognise the important role we have to play as the largest employer in the region to support our local stakeholders.

“We look forward to contributing to the Expo and helping to build a more resilient Gunnedah for the future.”

To find out more, visit Gunnedah Shire Council’s website www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au or Facebook page.

ENDS

For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.