After being an accountant with the Mid Murray Council, Simone had just been elected Mayor when she suddenly faced a major flood crisis, shifting quickly into immediate disaster management.

Simone rallied the community, organising meetings and delivering flyers to get everyone up to speed on flood risks and emergency plans.

Simone helped to successfully secure State Government funding and support, ensuring that essential services continued, and resources reached her community swiftly.

With insurance concerns rising, she tackled premium hikes, working to address affordability issues for affected residents.

Simone worked closely with other councils and the SES, emphasising teamwork and shared intelligence to manage the flood's impact effectively.

She also conducted numerous very successful media interviews with poise and determination to represent the true situation facing her community.

Throughout the catastrophic flood event, Simone highlighted community strength, focusing on recovery efforts and learning from the flood for future preparedness.

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We hope that you enjoyed this episode of River Murray Recovery Stories, brought to you by Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

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Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team