Safety Sausage Sizzle event will inform Gunnedah locals about emergency services

"We all have our heads in the sand a bit, thinking 'it will never happen to me'," Ms McCallen said.

"But the last few years have shown us that we have got to stop thinking that way and instead have better plans in place."

The Safety Sausage Sizzle will be held outside the town hall in Gunnedah on June 3, and will include stall holders and others with information about how to prepare for, what to do during, and after a natural disaster.

"It's a real credit to Gunnedah and the community and everyone who will be involved," Ms McCallen said.

"It's really exciting that we're going to be doing this."

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State Emergency Services (SES) spokesperson David Rankine will be among the stall holders, and will officially release a report following the Community Flood Forum held in Gunnedah on April 12.

"The [SES] response [to the floods] was far better last year than in 2021, but we've still got a way to go," Mr Rankine said.

"But the idea is [for the SES] to be transparent about the issues that we have identified, as an organisation, that need improvement."

He said some of the issues include: better communication to the community earlier on about potential flood risks; better resources to assist with educating the community; and developing better networks among all community providers during natural disasters.

The SES is also expected to have fridge magnets and other paraphernalia that people can take away so they can more easily identify and access emergency services contacts.

Gunnedah was hit by six major flood peaks above the major flood level within a nine week period from September to November 2022, resulting in the evacuation of many residents in low-lying areas, or the isolation of those whose homes were on stilts.

It came on the back of three major flood peaks in a similar time frame in 2021.

It also follows on from the mouse plague, droughts, bushfires, and Mr Rankine said Covid-19 made it even more difficult for emergency services to access the resources they needed during the 2021 and 2022 flooding events.

The SES will hold more community flood forums in towns across the north, central and northwest of NSW, including Moree and Walgett, which were hit during the recent flooding.

The Safety Sausage Sizzle is the "fun name" Ms McCallem gave to the event, which was initially called the Preparedness Resilience and Recovery Expo.

Other stall holders will include the Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC), emergency services, stakeholders, service providers and community groups.

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