More than 60 Tasmanian council general and senior managers will today hear first-hand how the
Queensland Police Service used social media to communicate with communities during one of the
nation’s worst recorded natural disasters.
Deputy Director of the Queensland Police Service Media and Public Affairs Branch, Simon Kelly, was
among the high profile keynote speakers to address delegates at this year’s Local Government Managers
Australia (LGMA) Tasmania Annual Conference, Communication and Collaboration.
Mr Kelly, who spoke about how the Queensland Police Service used social media to communicate with
the public during the floods earlier this year, said online communication was a key factor in preparing
local communities for the worst.
“We established accounts on Twitter and Facebook during the events to ensure we were well prepared
and had a strong online following to provide up-to-date information to as many in the community as
possible, and as it came to hand,” Mr Kelly said.
“The communication channels that were opened through social media allowed us to gauge the situation
and monitor any developments as they arose, which in a crisis situation is hugely important.
“We hadn’t anticipated that so many people would turn to online media under the circumstances, but
we were very relieved to be able to provide regular information and updates to those affected.”
Mr Kelly joined the Queensland Police Service (QPS) in 2004 after working as a press journalist, and has
performed a variety of roles in media liaison, training and internal publications. He currently manages
the media, public affairs and digital media teams for the QPS.
The 2011 LGMA Tasmania Annual Conference is running from October 26 – 28 at Freycinet Lodge, Coles
Bay.
Local Government Managers Australia
