Qld Government Signs Emergency Warning Agreement with ABC
A new agreement between the Queensland Government and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) will deliver early public warnings about significant emergencies affecting Queenslanders, Premier Peter Beattie said today.
Mr Beattie said the Agreement and Protocol was the first of its kind in Australia and meant Government agencies could now deliver public warnings quickly in times of emergency - be it a natural disaster, public health risk or terrorism situation.
“We learned many lessons out of the devastation of Cyclone Larry and the threat of a tsunami hitting Australian shores earlier this year,” Mr Beattie said.
“While the Queensland Department of Emergency Services has had a similar agreement in place with the ABC for sometime, this new, broader Agreement recognises the response to emergency situations can occur across government.
“Authorised representatives from a range of Queensland Government agencies - including Health, Police and Emergency Services and the Department of Premier and Cabinet - can now call a dedicated 24-hour ABC hotline to deliver urgent public warnings for broadcast on ABC radio.
“The ABC’s extensive network will allow targeted warnings to be broadcast to affected areas of Queensland, whether it’s statewide, the coastal strip or individual communities.”
