Major-General Stuart Smith may be retired from the army but he has a monumental task ahead of him in his new role.
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Maj-Gen Smith was already the disaster recovery coordinator for the Central Queensland bushfires but now Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has expanded his role to be state disaster recovery coordinator following the flood emergency in North and North West Queensland.
Maj-Gen Smith, who will be based in Townsville for the next three months brings with him 36 years experience in the military and invaluable disaster management involvement in Cyclone Yasi and Indonesia for the 2004 tsunami.
Speaking in Mount Isa on Wednesday, Maj-Gen Smith said recovery was about bringing people to where they were before the crisis "if not better" and his role was to work with local government to understand their recovery priorities and then to direct state assets to cover those priorities.
"Each of the government departments has a responsibility to provide different forms of recovery," Maj-Gen Smith said.
"For example the Department of Communities helps a great deal in what we call 'people recovery' by helping people fill out their emergency assistance grants or providing counselling for those that might be traumatised. while the Department of Transport and Main Roads looks after the rebuilding of bridges and roads."
Maj-Gen Smith said his job was to make sure those agencies were working to the priorities of local councils.
"That's why I am here to start liaising with Mount Isa, Cloncurry and other local government authorities on what their recovery priorities may be," he said.
"I have to produce a state recovery plan and present that to the Premier so that we can follow that through."
Maj-Gen Smith said the plan had to have a long term view.
"We need to ask where do we see ourselves in 12 months time as a shire and as a state and what does that look like in six months time and what are the key activities we have to do.," he said.
"It may be a community event that guides us to celebrate our recovery, or the repair of the railway line."
He said an unprecedented event needed an unprecedented recovery plan and out-of-the-box solutions from councils.
Mount Isa Mayor Joyce McCulloch said her main concern was supporting the people most affected.
"It's not necessarily money that can make a difference but it's the coordination of having support for them on the ground," Cr McCulloch said.
"That's a lot harder to do in the rural areas where you have to travel to the cattle properties."
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