Suncorp’s community program helping prepare Queenslanders for storm season
Suncorp’s ‘Storm Ready Streets’ campaign rewarded Queenslanders who teamed up and cleaned up ahead of what could be a significant storm season.
Share
Over 300 households and community organisations across Queensland - stretching from Townsville to Southport - recently rolled up their sleeves to get ready for the upcoming storm season and take part in Suncorp’s ‘Storm Ready Streets’ program.
Storm Ready Streets is a key part of Suncorp’s work to ensure communities around Australia are better prepared for, and able to recover from, natural disasters.
In North Queensland preparing for extreme weather is part of life. Local Townsville resident Kris Bosworth and her family signed up to take part in Storm Ready Streets after almost losing their home in the February 2019 floods.
It is something that, for Ms. Bosworth and for residents of the region, has become as much about safeguarding your property as it is for looking out for your neighbours and friends.
It’s like the adage, a stitch in time saves nine” says Ms Bosworth. “You can have a little bit of cleaning up beforehand, and you won’t have a major clean up on your hands, or accident, later. It might be in your yard now, but it’ll finish up in someone else’s yard later
Kris Bosworth, local Townsville resident
As part of Storm Ready Streets, Suncorp representatives were on the ground at Disaster Ready Day in Townsville to spread the word. They also worked with community partners Multicultural Australia to help new Queenslanders living in the Ipswich region understand the importance of storm season.
Suncorp’s Storm Season ambassador Johnathan Thurston even made a surprise visit to help Wulguru Little Athletics in Townsville and a local family to undertake their clean ups as part of the initiative.
"Helping the young athletes at Wulguru Little Athletics Club to clean up their sporting field was a heap of fun and a good chance to teach the kids an important lesson for the future." Mr. Thurston said.
Community organisations who participated received a $1000 grant to their organisation and the initiative has so far rewarded over 60 community organisations with a grant to help them further prepare for storm season.
