{"id":10220,"date":"2025-11-20T02:23:28","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T02:23:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/?p=10220"},"modified":"2026-01-11T22:54:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T22:54:20","slug":"emergency-prepared-and-response-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/emergency-prepared-and-response-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Emergency Preparedness & Response Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/dsc_0427_banner.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]WET TROPICS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE PLAN[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789112768{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]FROM REACTION TO RESILIENCE[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”60″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″ visibility=”visible-nb”][vc_column_text el_class=”sub-head” css=”.vc_custom_1763432781929{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]19 November 2025[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1768172056785{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Terrain NRM has developed a landmark Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan to better protect the Wet Tropics\u2019 globally significant biodiversity and the natural capital that underpins the region\u2019s agricultural industries.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As climate change drives more intense cyclones, floods, heat events and droughts, the Wet Tropics\u2019 natural assets\u2014its rainforests, waterways, farmlands, ecosystems and species\u2014are becoming increasingly vulnerable.<\/p>\n

Past events including the aftermath of Cyclone Larry have shown that clean-ups can be more damaging to habitat than the cyclone itself, and they’ve prompted calls for better ecological guidance in recovery operations.<\/p>\n

Terrain NRM Project Leader Jacqui Diggins said the new Plan responds to a critical gap in Queensland and Australia\u2019s disaster management systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cDisaster planning has traditionally focused on protecting people and property, but our natural assets are also vulnerable to natural disasters, and their loss has cascading impacts across the environment, communities and the economy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we want resilient communities and resilient industries, we need to plan for natural capital with the same rigour we apply to infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Funded by the Australian Government, the Plan was developed as part of a national initiative. Terrain NRM worked closely with local governments, state and federal agencies, FNQROC, the Regional Natural Asset Management Advisory Committee and a dedicated steering committee including the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation to ensure the Plan is practical, consistent and aligned with existing disaster management processes.<\/p>\n

Mrs Diggins said the development process highlighted several major challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt became clear that there is no structured framework for determining when and how to consider biodiversity, particularly when impacts aren\u2019t tied to infrastructure,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s also no consistent state-wide method to prevent unintended environmental harm during recovery\u2014like weed spread and vegetation damage\u2014and no agreed system for prioritising natural assets, which is essential for targeting resources and guiding recovery efforts.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1696307525915{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\"herbert[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1764822611912{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Proactive investment in natural capital protection delivers significant economic benefits while safeguarding irreplaceable ecosystems.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Wet Tropics is home to almost 150 nationally threatened species and ecosystems, nearly half of which are restricted to small areas and at risk of rapid decline or extinction from a single major event,\u201d Mrs Diggins said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur regional economy also depends heavily on these natural assets. Protecting them is essential\u2014not optional. While this Plan is a major step forward, long-term resilience will require coordinated investment at state and national levels.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1763677004221{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]This project is funded by the Australian Government\u2019s Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by Terrain NRM , a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1763677383908{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]DOWNLOAD:<\/strong> Wet Tropics Regional Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for Biodiversity and Agricultural Natural Capital Assets<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section el_class=”grean-btn-sec” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”47″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_button dimension=”outline” url=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/what-we-do\/waterway-health\/” align=”right” el_class=”green-btn” outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_color=”#175137″ outline_active_text_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_bg_color=”#175137″ outline_hover_color=”#ffffff”]Read More[\/mk_button][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1-blog” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”105″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”right” el_class=”terrain-title”]RELATED NEWS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”post_grid_filter_1″][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”grid_greate_3″ css=”.vc_custom_1651022120669{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

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