1. – SAFETY IN NUMBERS, ISAAC REGIONAL COUNCIL
Can we find you in an emergency? In
the town of Nebo, west of Mackay, rapid
growth had led to multiple house lots
being assigned the same street address,
making it difficult for emergency services
to find a property. A communication and
engagement plan was needed to guide
the rollout of re-numbering in the town.
Driven by the need for resident safety,
Isaac Regional Council involved those
most affected – the emergency services.
A round-table meeting gathered the
support needed and was followed with
further stakeholder engagement with
emergency services, and with schools,
Australia Post and the community
development group.
A range of communication tools
including factsheets, media and a
speech to Nebo Business Breakfast
helped to build support for the new
street numbering system.
Change Your Outlook,
Port Stephens Council
‘Change Your Outlook…We Have’ was
Port Stephens Council’s first video
campaign. By understanding what was
working in the world of YouTube, the
Communications team was able to
develop a YouTube channel that would
reach its audience.
Humour was the key to the campaign,
with catchy messages and staff for
actors to save costs (and because
they were the experts). The videos
feature real staff telling their stories of
Council’s services.
Videos such as ‘Moronic rubbish
dumper’, ‘Don’t mess with the
Greenkeeper…’ and ‘The strategic
smooth movement facilitator’ are
already helping to change the public’s
perceptions of Council and the wide
and varied role it plays day–to–day in
the community.
BEST MARKETING/ PUBLIC
RELATIONS CAMPAIGN
– SHIRE/ RURAL COUNCIL
C O U N C I L
Can we find you in an emergency?
Award category: Best Advocacy, Public Affairs
Submission date: Thursday 31 October 2013
Isaac Regional Council
PO Box 97
MORANBAH QLD 4744
PHONE:
1300 ISAACS (1300 472 227)
FAX:
07 4941 8666
EMAIL:
records@isaac.qld.gov.au
Safety in numbers
Can we find you in an emergency?
Award category: Best Advocacy, Public Affairs
Submission date: Thursday 31 October 2013
Isaac Regional Council
PO Box 97
MORANBAH QLD 4744
PHONE:
1300 ISAACS (1300 472 227)
FAX:
07 4941 8666
EMAIL:
records@isaac.qld.gov.au
Safety in numbers
3.1.2 Phase one communication collateral
3.1.2.1 Online web banner
Page 8
3.1.2.2 Feedback / comment form
3.1.2.2.1 Side A (front) 3.1.2.2.2 Side B (Reverse)
Safety in numbers Can we find you in an emergency?Page 7Safety in numbers Can we find you in an emergency?Page 2
1.0 The Issue
When a Nebo resident faced
a life-threatening emergency,
they risked not being found in
How do you change an entire town’s street
address? You give the community a voice.
Nebo is a small close-knit community located
approximately 100 kilometres west of Mackay,
on the Peak Downs Highway - the gateway to
Queensland’s Bowen Basin coal mines.
As at 2013, the town of Nebo consists of 476 lots.
At least 272 of these lots are occupied by residents
or business owners (based on IRC’s 2012 aerial
mapping).
Nebo has evolved as a reaction to the Queensland
mining boom – quickly, and as a consequence,
without thorough planning. As part of this domino
effect, multiple house lots in Nebo were assigned
the same street address.
In other words, the existing numbering system
didn’t allocate each lot a unique street number.
With more than one property having the same lot
number, this posed one critical challenge:
Emergency services were not able to receive
clear instructions when called out to a street
address in an emergency
In addition, local stakeholders were faced with three
further concerns:
• Courier companies found it difficult to
service the Nebo community
• There was no provision for logical street
address numbering as the town expands
and existing lots are subdivided
• Community members and local businesses
found it difficult to locate properties
in the town
What’s more, the existing street numbering system
did not meet the Australian Standard 4819:2011
Rural and Urban Addressing.
That’s when Isaac Regional
Council knew safety was in
the numbers.
Resident safety is paramount
This was formally highlighted in 2012 when the
region’s local State Emergency Services (SES)
controller requested the current numbering system
be revised due to a growing number of reports
demonstrating paramedics and emergency service
staff were having great difficulty finding properties
in emergency call-outs.
Furthermore, concerns regarding relieving officers
and volunteers being able to find residents were
tabled at Nebo’s Community Development Group
meetings and Council roundtables.
As your Council, we’re listening.
IRC jumped into gear with the Brand Marketing
and Communications (BMC) team developing a
comprehensive two-phase communication and
stakeholder engagement plan to guide successful
roll-out of renumbering the town.
Critical to communication roll out was a clear
understanding of the project – its history, limitations
and potential issues and risks. The BMC team
consistently met and collaborated with the
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team,
management and Executive Leadership Team (ELT)
to develop content and coordinate approvals of
the communication plan. This extended beyond
an organisational management level to gain
unanimous support from the whole of Council.
Or at all.
Interesting fact
The majority of Nebo residents don’t
have letterboxes and there is no
Australia Post courier service. Instead,
residents wander down to the Australia
Post office in the main street and collect
their mail in person.
[Nebo streetscape, no letterboxes]
Page 1
With such a strong community response showing
support for the project, it was unanimously passed
at IRC’s Ordinary Meeting on 24 September 2013.
SES, emergency service stakeholders and Australia
Post were quickly informed and a stakeholder
meeting was held to finalise project details and
resident communication. Guideposts and reflective
numbers were ordered, teams assembled and
installation dates confirmed.
Project related community queries were
incorporated into resident communication. An
IRC Councillor attended the next Nebo Business
Breakfast to share the good news and provide a
project update. This was met with further positive
comments from local businesses.
The communication schedule and action plan were
finalised and phase two “informing the community”
rolled out as per the communication plan.
Page 12
94%
of feedback received
was positive in support
of the project
Photoshop preview of new reflective numbering in Nebo
5.1.1 Online web banner
Safety in numbers Can we find you
5.2 Resident mail out
5.2.1 Page 1
5.0 Key outcomes and evaluation
Page 11
5.1 Phase two
communication collateral