R YDE COUNCIL FIRST TO ADOPT LOCAL RESILIENCE PLAN
The City of Ryde has become the first council in NSW to endorse a comprehensive local resilience plan that will allow the community and Council's own operations to better prepare for major shocks and emergenc ies as well as respond and recover from such situations into the future. Th is include s risks and threats from heatwaves, severe storms, floods and bushfires, as well as infrastructure failure, communications meltdowns and further pandemics.
The Ryde Resilience Plan 2030 sets out an action plan to help support and equip the community with the tools required to become more resilient to adapt, survive and thrive.
The plan sets out a range of goals, strategic directions and targets in nine key responses areas including energy security, water security, climate change, biodiversity, transport, health and wellbeing.
and emergency prepar edness.
Over the coming decades, the City of Ryde will experience rapid growth, which coupled with external stresses such as climate change, food security, social isolation and mental health, will have far - reaching impacts on the quality of life of reside nts and place pressure on local resources.
The new Resilience Plan establishes a roadmap on how Council and the community will manage these challenges, supported by actions to be taken over the coming decade to overcome emergency situations and events and to withstand other chronic stresses, so that everyone's quality of life can be maintained.
City of Ryde Mayor, Clr Jerome Laxale, said while the development of the plan had been almost two years in the making, its end orsement is very timely as we enter another bushfire season, more summer heat and increased likelihood of severe storms and flash flooding.
"As we approach another bushfire and storm season, the memories of last season are still in firmly in the forefront of all our minds. The sequence of events in 2019 -2020 have forced us to cope with the extreme challenges now magnified by the coronavirus (COVID -19) pandemic and a long road of recovery that we will need to embark on co llectively," Clr Laxale said.
"The Ryde Re silience Plan 2030 means we will be in a better position as a Council and a community to anticipate and prepare for these extremely difficult situations. If we know how to respond, who to help and how to help, then we can work together including with other organisations to reduce the severity and negative impacts on the community.
"Crucially, this plan aligns with the policies and initiatives that Council has committed to in recent years, including our declaration of a climate emergency, adoption of a 100 percent renewable energy target by 2030 and priorities and actions of the North District Plan by the Greater Sydney Commission.
"It is all part of our efforts to ensure the quality of life is sustained for everyone in the City of Ryde.
both for current an d future generations."
Chief Resilience Officer at Resilient Sydney, Beck Dawson, said the Ryde Resilience Plan 2030 was a major milestone as the first plan of its kind in Greater Sydney, and aligned with the Resilient Sydney strategy for our metropoli tan region.
"The City of Ryde has been a leader within local government in working to embed resilience within strategic planning and programs. This new plan continues this work by building resilience within local communities and City operations," Ms Dawson said.
The Ryde Resilience Plan 2030 was developed with the help of extensive engag ement across the community and with key stakeholders. This included the public exhibition of a draft document and previously extensive consultation with groups of more vulnerable residents.
The plan can be viewed at www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/resilience.
