Sunshine Coast Disaster Hub
Natural disasters strike Queenslanders frequently, causing significant damage to people, property, and possessions. These events can happen suddenly and without much warning, making it crucial to be prepared.
Those who are prepared for disasters will know what to do and have the necessary supplies to react quickly and stay safe. A well-thought-out plan is the best way to protect yourself and your family.
The Sunshine Coast Disaster Hub is a centralised platform that provides real-time information on hazards, risks, and emergency response efforts.
By accessing Council’s Geographic information and data from the council’s maps and external sources, the Disaster Hub offers a comprehensive overview of potential threats. This information is vital for community members, emergency services, and Council staff to make informed decisions before, during, and after disasters.
Whether you’re concerned about bushfires, floods, cyclones, or other hazards, the Disaster Hub has you covered. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to understand and navigate, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy.
Click or tap here for Sunshine Coast Disaster Hub dashboard
Click or tap here for Queensland Government Get Ready dashboard
Mapleton Rural Fire Brigade: Fire Season Prep
Fire Permit Reminders:
- Fire Permits Required: A fire permit is mandatory for any fire exceeding 2 meters in any direction. Burning without a permit can lead to fines and unnecessary call-outs for our dedicated Rural Fire Brigade volunteers.
- Obtaining a Permit: Easily apply online at the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website: https://www.fire.qld.gov.au/.
- Contact your Fire Warden: For questions or after applying online, contact your local Fire Warden, Geoff Noble, at 0499 778 806.
Fire Safety Tips:
- Small Fires: Always check the current fire danger and weather forecast before lighting a small fire. When in doubt, reach out to your Fire Warden.
- Stay Informed: The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website is a wealth of information on bushfire warnings, permits, bans, and preparation resources.
Prepare Now for Fire Season:
The recent weather patterns suggest a potentially significant fire season. Now is the perfect time to take steps to protect your property and community.
Bushfire Arson: A Threat to Our Community
Bushfire arson is a serious crime that can have devastating consequences for our communities. Not only does it cause significant property damage, but it can also endanger lives and disrupt our way of life.
Recent data indicates that up to 50% of all bushfires in Australia are deliberately lit or start under suspicious circumstances. This reckless behavior costs taxpayers a staggering $1.6 billion annually.
How You Can Help
We can all play a role in preventing bushfire arson. If you suspect someone of deliberately starting a fire, report it immediately to the authorities. Here’s what you can do:
- Dial Triple Zero (000) to report a fire emergency.
- Gather evidence: Take note of suspicious vehicles, individuals, or unusual activities in the area.
- Report anonymously: Contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or report online.
By working together, we can help protect our communities from the devastating effects of bushfire arson.
Parcel Thief Operating in Mapleton
A parcel thief has been spotted operating in the Mapleton area. The suspect is a man who appears to be in his 30s with black hair. He was seen on the morning of July 4th, stealing from a Mapleton property while wearing a light blue hooded top, black trousers, and trainers.
Residents are advised to take precautions, such as scheduling deliveries for times they are home, using secure parcel lockers, and installing security cameras.
If you experience a theft or know who this individual is, please call or report an incident online via Police Link. https://www.police.qld.gov.au/policelink-reporting
See it! Call it! Stop it!
Community safety is about recognising the need for all sections of the community, to work together to create a safer environment for people to work, live and travel. This means building partnerships between police, government agencies, local councils, community organizations and individuals to promote community safety.
Many crimes are opportunistic. They happen because the environment is conducive to crime or because people think it will be easy to “get away with it”. The challenge is to recognise these problems and do something about it. Urban design can encourage crime through poor lighting, hidden recesses in buildings or deserted open spaces. Inadequate services can also contribute. This could be anything from telephones that don’t work to transport facilities that are poorly located. Then these services can be easily and cost effectively improved once the problems are identified.
Creating safer local environments will help those more vulnerable members of our community feel safer. By working together we can identify problems and demonstrate how small changes can have big benefits.
The following button links to a “heat-map” of crime based on reports in the Queensland police database. It’s one day behind, however is a “close to real time” view of crime statistics.
Emergency Preparedness
Emergencies can happen suddenly and without warning. You can safeguard yourself, loved ones, and your belongings effortlessly with the Red Cross’s disaster preparedness resources, including Auslan and community language materials, as well as resources for children and caregivers.
Stay safe by preparing, starting with the Red Cross’s informative quiz, which may serve as a valuable reminder, even if you believe you are well-prepared.
Queensland Police
Call 000 if:
- The Crime is happening now
- When you life or property is in immediate danger
- When the event is time critical, for example a fire that concerns you.
Call 131 444 PoliceLink if the crime is NOT happening now, not life threatening or there is no likelihood of the suspected offender still being in the area. This number is used for non-uregnt reporting and enquiries.
Call 1800 333 000 CrimeStoppers to provide anonymous information about criminal activity. This is a community Programme.
Protect yourself against Scams
Scams are getting harder to spot. Australians reported a record $3.1 billion lost to scams last year. That’s 80% more than the year before.
Behind the growing numbers are everyday Australians who lost money to scams – sometimes their life savings. And the true cost of scams is more than a dollar figure. Scams can have a devastating impact on victims’ lives.
As scammers become increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, we need to better coordinate our efforts to stop them.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has been set up to coordinate government, law enforcement and the private sector to combat scams. It builds on the work of the ACCC’s Scamwatch service.
The best way to protect yourself is through awareness and education.
The The Australian Competition and Consummer Commission (ACCC) has produced the ‘Little Black Book of Scams’ for consumers and small businesses to learn about scams including:
- the most common scams to watch out for
- the different ways scammers can contact you
- the tools scammers use to trick you
- the warning signs
- how to protect yourself, and
- where you can find help.
Kureelpa and Mapleton Rural Fire Brigade
The Mapleton and Kureelpa brigades are seeking volunteer fire fighters. Training and personal protecive equipment is provided. Contact the First Officers for more information.
Fire Wardens and First Officers.
Dulong Wd 5441 2538
Kureelpa Wd 5476 0281
Kureelpa 1st Off 0408 710 156
Mapleton Wd, 1st Off 0499 778 806
The Kureelpa, Dulong and Mapleton Neighbourhood Watch
The goal of Neighbourhood Watch is to create “safer, connected and inclusive communities”. The Kureelpa and Dulong Neighbourhood Watch does this by:
- Strengthening our resilience against crime
- Feeling safer in our homes and within our local communities
- Working together with Police and the community
- Making our communities better places to
March is here – already! – and with it has arrived Neighbourhood Watch Month, the annual Neighbourhood Watch Australasia (NHWA) promotional campaign to raise awareness of the community benefits of joining a local Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) group, and of effective ways to keep homes and property secure.
This year the theme of NHW Month is ‘Safety in Numbers’, an initiative encouraging homeowners to join with other members of their local communities in building safer, more crime-resilient neighbourhoods, through proactively working with and connecting with their local NHW groups, and by collectively improving the security of their homes through the practical application of Target Hardening techniques.
Target Hardening is a process wherein a building or place is made into a more difficult or less attractive target through practical applications such as effective fencing, secure locks, installation of security lights and /or CCTV cameras, and the active lessening of opportunity for unlawful entry to premises, such as the installation of security screening on windows and doors, and the removal or storage of items that could be used to assist with access, such as wheelie bins.
Both NHWA and NHWQ have expert tools and advice for improving home and property security, so contact these organisations directly for more information or reach out to your local NHW group who have direct access to these resources.
At its core, ‘Safety in Numbers’ is about people and neighbours coming together to connect with other members of their community to collectively work together to create safer neighbourhoods at a grassroots level. Studies demonstrate that active membership in NHW groups result in individuals and families being more aware and engaged in proactive crime prevention. This in turn leads to a greater sense of safety, and feeling safe in neighbourhoods has been shown to be essential for physical and mental wellbeing.
If you haven’t yet engaged with or joined your local NHW group, please seek them out this NHW Month, for your own and others’ safety and wellbeing: there’s Safety in Numbers.
Quarterly Neighbourhood Watch Newsletters.
Thank you to the Kureelpa and Dulong Neighbourhood watch for sharing their newsletters on this site.
Domestic Violence Safe Phones
Domestic Violence Safe Phones is a registered charity which collects used mobile phones which are repurposed and gifted to victims of Domestic Violence through avenues of registered charities, safe houses and government agencies.
The Blackall Range Lions collect donations of used mobile phones and ensure they are delivered for processing. There are collection boxes in the Medical Centres at Montville and Mapleton, Mapleton Community Centre, Mapleton Bowls Club and the Mapleton Mens Shed. Please donate to ensure no call for help goes unheard!
The Domestic Violence Safe Phones web page gives simple instructions on how to prepare your old phone by signing out of areas before donation. Domestic Violence Safe Phones will also ensure that the records in your phone are fully cleared. (Iphone users: Please note that defore donating your Iphone you must sign out of ICloud or the phone can not be used.)