Well, what a year’s it been already.
I had planned to start this year’s column with the traditional greeting, and good wishes for our residents and businesses.
But there’s no denying it hasn’t been the Happy New Year we were hoping for.
The storms that smashed through our city over the Christmas period left a long trail of destruction from which we are still picking up the pieces.
Heavy rain, interspersed with hot and humid weather, has also done its best to dampen our spirits.
But still, we battle on.
This week, my strongest message is one of thanks to those involved in our recovery.
Everyone – from our hardworking Council staff and local contractors to our dedicated volunteers and impacted residents themselves – continues to rise to the clean-up task.
With power finally flicked back on for most, the true size of that clean-up came to light last week.
Hard waste or green, the numbers are enormous.
More than 200 tonnes of general storm waste have been collected at Council’s waste and recycling facilities, which remain FREE for storm-impacted residents.
At the Logan Village facility – nearest to our storm-ravaged areas – self-haul customer numbers were up 40 per cent on what’s already a busy time of the year.
We are immensely grateful to everyone who has been able to transport their waste to our facilities themselves.
Their efforts have helped lessen the mammoth task facing our Council officers, who continue to clear our roads, collect our bins and clean up our parks and public spaces.
We’re also working hard to get the area feeling liveable again with mowing and mosquito management teams out in force.
We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we prioritise and complete these important jobs.
In the meantime, we are still inviting residents in need to reach out and let us know how we can help get them back on their feet.
A dedicated recovery page – outlining several financial, and mental health support services – can now be found on Council’s website.
Just head to logan.qld.gov.au and click on the ‘Storm Recovery’ banner.
Those in need of help to clear their properties can also still log their requests online at lccqld.com/StormHelp.
Despite everything that’s been thrown at us, my spirits are lifted by the fact that we are all in this together.
It’s my sincere hope that we will have a Happy New Year yet.
