COVID-19 Pandemic: Community Recovery Plan
The impact of COVID-19 on the Greater Shepparton community from a social and economic perspective has been significant. This plan for recovery is a subset of the Greater Shepparton Municipal Emergency Management Plan.
Planning for recovery has been underway since the Pandemic started as is good practice in emergency management. Now at a point where the emergency response phase of the Pandemic is easing and relief needs are also reducing, the importance of recovery now takes on increasing importance.
Food security, housing affordability, unemployment have been significant issues for residents while the impact on local retail, tourism and hospitality sectors have been most impacted from an economic perspective. These areas have been a keen focus for Council and agencies through the response and relief phases of this Pandemic and will be the focus of our recovery.
While the development of this Recovery Plan is an important step in re-establishing Greater Shepparton on a COVID-19 normal setting, Council acknowledges that without a vaccine, the threat of the virus remains. There remains a risk that outbreaks will require adjustments to the level of restrictions. Council and the Greater Shepparton community remains ready to respond should that scenario present itself.
What’s the purpose of the Plan?
The broad objectives of the Greater Shepparton COVID-19 Recovery Plan are based on the principles of disaster recovery:
- Social Recovery - where support is provided to those who have been disadvantaged by the pandemic in ways such as employment, safe and secure accommodation, food security and wellbeing.
- Economic Recovery - where support is provided not only to those businesses who have been adversely affected by restrictions but also to those who have identified new growth opportunities in a new economy.
- Environmental Recovery - where the opportunity to take advantage of many of the benefits observed during COVID-19 by retaining behaviours that can assist in addressing the declared climate emergency locally.
- Built/Infrastructure Recovery - where Greater Shepparton looks to take advantage of economic stimulus funding provided by government as part of restarting the economy.
The main objective of this Recovery Plan is to re-establish Greater Shepparton, its residents, businesses and communities in what will undoubtedly be a new normal for many, one that is redefined by the legacies of COVID-19.