Leadership - Strategic and Executive Awareness. Build the activation capability of the LDCC and LDMG arrangements in terms of leadership and oversight to improved efficiency and effectiveness of LDMG operations by:
1.1 Reviewing procedures that guide the communication of the activation status of the LDCC and Cairns LDMG as distinct from Council's BAU, to clearly convey the transition of authority of the counter disaster operations to the LDMG
1.2 Reviewing processes to ensure that all leadership roles are inducted into the QDMA and adhere to the structures through participation in mandatory training
1.3 Conducting skills needs assessments and deliver additional training in enhanced counter disaster capabilities (prediction; forecasting; situational awareness) across all leadership tiers.
1.4 Revewing structures and rostering processes to ensure fail-safe redundancy measures for all leadership roles - particularly for middle tier leaders (e.g. Team Leaders; IMT Operations Room Manager)

Improve the capacity of the Incident Management Operations through:
a. resourcing and renumeration of the IMT - strengthen the model of incident management team to better optimise structures and performance; and
b. internal communications and dynaics - strengthen the frequency and quality of critical information to enhance collaboration and effectiveness across disaster management structures; and
c. LDCC functionality - increase depth in the capability of and redundancy of critical IMT leadership roles to better optimise capacity and quality of functions

Public Messaging - increase the rate of dissemination, reach and effectiveness of public information and communication channels to improve the flow of critical messaging by:
1.1 review the public information and community awareness sections of the Cairns Local Disaster Management Plan with the intent of ensuring the communication strategy is being executed as intended and/or update as required. It should also identify how social media can be incorporated into the strategy and target those hard-to-reach groups that may be disengaged/isolated from traditional communication channels. Social media can be a means of addressing mis-information within the community. The review should focus on
- Section 9.2 Community Warning & Alert System and Dissemination
- Section 8.3 Community Awareness
-A.10 Public Information and Warnings Operational Plan
1.2 Continuing those community engagement activities that build public awareness of the types of hazards, increased prevalence, and impacts
1.3 Increasing engagement with the District Disaster Management Group to increase a shared understanding of support requirements in an activation, particularly related to public messaging

Recovery Arrangements - shore-up recovery structures and systems to better streamline and sustain arrangements during transition by:
4.1 Increasing awareness of the Cairns Local Recovery Plan and associated arrangements - including the LDMG processes that support the transition from response to recovery, the span of authority for these operations (LDC/LRC; IMT or CRC BAU), and processes for the allocation of adequate resoucing - via training and functional exercises
4.2 Reviewing operational resources and information systems that support recovery processes to ensure they are up to date and accessible

This Report should be considered for publication so that the insights, data, conclusions and recommendations are available within Queensland and other jurisdictions to assist with disaster management issues in the future.

That consideration be given to additional ways and means to improve broadcast capability into disaster-affected regions, particularly for the early aftermath of any disaster when a loss of power characterises the event.

In any future disaster of comparable proportions, consideration should be given to the co-location of the Building Coordination Centre and the principal One Stop Shop. 

In any future large-scale disaster or event, consideration be given to a centrally located Media Operations Centre.

An early and high priority task in recovery from a natural disaster should be the development of a coordinated, succinct, practical and flexible public communications plan.

The Queensland Government should consider the endorsement of transitional arrangements proposed in this report, in order to ensure as far as possible the smooth completion of the recovery and the ultimate return to government operations as usual in the cyclone-affected area.