Suncorp Group (Suncorp) has urged Queenslanders to prepare for severe weather season as Get Ready Queensland Week launches.
Launched on Oct. 9, Get Ready Queensland Week is the Queensland government's initiative to help Queenslanders prepare their home and family for extreme weather, specifically El Niño.
To observe the week, Suncorp teamed up with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA), which manages the Get Ready Queensland Program – a year-round, all-hazards resilience building initiative to help communities prepare for extreme weather events.
Suncorp CEO Steve Johnston said the group teams up with QRA every year as part of its commitment to helping communities become more resilient to extreme weather.
“It was only last year that South East Queensland and northern New South Wales saw devastating floods which ended up being one of the [costliest] extreme weather events in Australia's history with nearly $6 billion in claims,” Johnston said. “And now, we're facing El Niño conditions and the possibility of bushfires, which can also be started by severe storms and lightning strikes.”
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk MP urged Queenslanders to prepare for the bushfire season and other extreme weather events by adding long-life food, drinking water, a torch with spare batteries, and toiletries to their shopping list.
“Queenslanders know just how bad natural disasters can be, so it is absolutely vital that everyone acts now, to get ready,” Palaszczuk said. “I'm really proud of the QRA team this year for getting out and reminding Queenslanders what they can do around the house to get ready, including making sure you have the right pantry and home essentials, should disaster strike.”
Last month, Suncorp hosted a discussion on disaster management and community preparedness.
