9 December 2020
Shoalhaven City Council’s Environmental Health Team have been recognised at the Environmental Health Australia (NSW) Inc. Excellence Awards for outstanding work in their field.
As part of the accolades, Council’s Environmental Health Team has been named Environmental Health Team of the Year.
Shoalhaven Mayor Amanda Findley is delighted with the announcement of the award.
“This is outstanding and a very much deserved recognition of the extraordinary work the Environmental Health team have done in response to the challenges the Shoalhaven has experienced this year.
“The team are responsible for a broad range of activities to make sure the air we breathe, the water we swim in and our natural environment stays healthy,” she said.
“I applaud all that the team have done to keep our community safe following the bushfires, floods, wind damage and during COVID. These natural disasters and the pandemic have impacted all of us. This team has been at the frontline day and night throughout all off these events,” said Clr Findley.
During last summer’s bushfires Council’s Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) helped with key emergency management tasks; like water quality assessments around sewer pump stations as well as getting generators through road blocks to help food businesses to manage power outages and prevent food spoilage.
Following the fires, Council’s EHOs were ‘first responders’ attending people’s properties to check on their health and safety alongside Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Police officers. As integral members of the Hybrid Building Impact Assessment Teams (BIA), EHOs helped complete over 5,000 building impact assessments in about six weeks. This was the first time Council EHOs had worked alongside RFS and Police officers as members of a hybrid BIA team. This approach was so successful in the Shoalhaven it was adopted by Eurobodalla and Bega Council areas.
EHOs were also involved in activities like preventing sediment and ash movement into waterways, aerial food drops and installing wildlife feed stations and night cameras as well as monitoring air, land and water quality. The Environment Recovery Action Team were also involved in sourcing funding for bushfire affected waterways, fire trail maintenance and asset protection works as well as processing waste from 295 homes with an impressive 93% recycle rate.
During the floods in February the team assisted with flood preparedness and water quality monitoring and after the floods evaluated caravan parks’ Flood Emergency Management Plans.
In April 2020 once food businesses could re-open, Shoalhaven City Council EHO’s were again at the forefront providing advice and education to food businesses.
The team has also created the Shoalhaven Builders Guide to provide effective and realistic advice on good building site practices to minimise impacts on waterways and the wider environment.
For information about Council’s Environmental Health activities to ensure a healthy, safe and attractive natural, built and social environment in the Shoalhaven. (link https://www.shoalhaven.nsw.
Image: From left Shane Pickering, Mark Sneesby, Kelie Clarke and Thelma Marr, four members of Council's Environmental Health Team who were involved in the building impact assessments after the fires.
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