Further to a meeting in May during which I highlighted the pressing need to safeguard food supplies for the Cairns community during severe weather events, Woolworths announced on 17 November some initial strategies designed to enhance food security and supply resilience for the region.
- Containers will be stored at Team Global Express (TGE) depots north of Townsville, including Cairns for ambient products such as bottled water, nappies, toilet paper and long-life food products. Each container holds 24 pallets, and Woolworths will allocate one container per store for the region.
- Stock levels will be increased at all Cairns stores to help mitigate potential supply chain issues.
- Orders for Cairns stores will be prioritised ahead of the wet season and other impending weather events.
- Woolworths have engaged with suppliers, and where possible will deliver directly from farms to stores, eliminating the risk of supply chain disruption.
- Woolworths completed a comprehensive post-incident review (PIR) with its internal team last month and will continue to work through further options to support Cairns stores. The work is ongoing and will consider additional strategies to enhance resilience in the essential goods supply chain all.
As a remote regional city, Cairns can face significant challenges when extreme weather disrupts transport routes and supply chains. This response aims to reduce risks by improving preparedness, coordination, and stock management to ensure essential groceries remain available to residents when they need them most.
Our community knows the impacts of being isolated during cyclones or flooding, so I am delighted that Woolworths is treating our concerns seriously and are taking a range of practical steps to improve supply reliability for our residents during critical times. This is about business and council working together to keep our community fed and functioning even in the face of challenges.
It is very pleasing to see Woolworths supporting our communities and they were extremely generous with their time, knowledge and openness at our meeting at the logistics hub and their Abbott Street store discussing the roll out of this initiative.
Woolworths Assistant State Manager for Queensland, Sophie Hobden said the company was committed to supporting the community.
“Woolworths has taken proactive steps to increase stock levels in the region ahead of the wet season following a Disaster Preparedness Campaign across Far North Queensland last month.”
“We have positioned six shipping containers here in Cairns and other locations across the region, each filled with essential items to be deployed to nearby stores in the event of a natural disaster.”
“We understand we’re a key business in Cairns and we’ll always work hard to get our stores open as soon as possible to provide for locals in a time of crisis.”
“We thank Mayor Amy Eden, who also Chairs the Local Disaster Management Group, for her leadership and advocacy and Cairns Regional Council for their collaboration and we will continue to work closely with all levels of Government on proactive measures to improve supply chain resilience across FNQ.”
Key initiatives will include:
- Pre-season stock planning for essential food and household items.
- Emergency response protocols to prioritise supply to the city when cut off.
- Regular liaison between Woolworths, council, and local emergency services.
- Community communication campaigns to keep residents informed.
This announcement demonstrates a united effort to build resilience and protect the wellbeing of Cairns residents, ensuring that when severe weather strikes, no one is left without access to essential supplies.
