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Recovery Uncovered Webinar Series

The First Year – Collaborating for Community Recovery

Date

17 September 2024, 12.30pm-2.00pm AEST, 17 September 2024

Cost

Free to attend

Register now

Guest speakers

More about Disaster Recovery Mentors
Australian Red Cross and AIDR present the webinar series Recovery Uncovered.

Recovery Uncovered is a webinar series that explores disaster recovery from a community perspective. Through a fusion of lived experience, expert research and practical advice, each webinar session offers the opportunity to explore disaster recovery through the eyes of those who have lived it and gain valuable insights, evidence and tools to enhance recovery practice.

Join AIDR and the Australian Red Cross as we listen, learn and engage with disaster recovery mentors and advisors.

 

Webinar four: The first year – collaborating for community recovery

The fourth webinar in the Recovery Uncovered series looks at collaboration for community recovery in the first year. Drawing from research and their practical experiences, Disaster Recovery Mentors Danielle O’Hara and Dan Long will discuss the importance and complexities of collaboration in recovery, working with multiple agencies, and provide tips on how new and established organisations can work better together. Dan will provide his perspective on recovery collaborations working within the local government for over 20 years, while Danielle will share her insights as an PhD candidate, consultant, and working with the Australian Red Cross and with Department of Premier and Cabinet (Tas).

 

Guest Speakers:

Danielle O’Hara

PhD candidate, University of Queensland
Recovery Tasmania, Department of Premier and Cabinet Tasmania

 

Danielle has over 10 years' experience in disaster resilience and recovery, including:

  • coordinating the Australian Red Cross Blue Mountains Recovery Program 2014-2015
  • supporting Red Cross Australia-wide state teams to deliver disaster recovery programs through coordination, planning, training, monitoring and evaluation and implementation advice
  • undertaking research related to her PhD, including topics such as interagency collaboration in disaster recovery, community engagement, recovery and social change and understanding and navigating conflict
  • working as a Regional Recovery Coordinator, Department of Premier & Cabinet, Tasmania, and casually with the Recovery Tasmania team
  • working as a consultant designing and delivering training, resources, workshops and group processes, and providing advice and mentoring to NGO’s, local and state government.

In addition to her disaster-related experience, Danielle has worked across other sectors, developing relevant skills such community engagement, facilitation, training development, strategic planning, program design, research and evaluation.

Danielle has a Bachelor of Arts (Politics and International Relations), Master of Education (Social Ecology), and a Graduate Certificate, Conflict Management & Resolution. She is also currently completing a PhD in conflict in disaster recovery collaborations.

 


Dan Long

Manager Recreation, Aquatics and Cemetery Services
Culture and Community Services Directorate
Blue Mountains City Council



Dan has worked for the Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC) for approximately 20 years and has dealt with a number of natural hazards and extreme weather events from an operational perspective during that period. These events include fires, windstorms, sand and snow.

Working with BMCC as the Manager Open Space and Recreation, Dan has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders. Following the October 2013, fires where approximately 200 homes were destroyed, Dan was the Bushfire Recovery Manager for the Blue Mountains City Council. This role included developing a Recovery Action Plan in consultation with a range of stakeholders (both government and NGOs) and setting up a Local Community Reference Group and Local Community Recovery Steering Group.

In addition, the role provided oversight for the following groups:

  • Social/Wellbeing Working Group
  • Rebuild Working Group
  • Economic Working Group
  • Environment Working Group

The role also played a part in a debrief process for BMCC where they celebrated their successes and identified areas for improvement. This led to the creation of a Preparedness Toolkit for the organisation.

 



Erin Pelly (Facilitator)

National Recovery Manager, Australian Red Cross




Erin Pelly is the National Recovery Manager at Australian Red Cross. Erin previously worked as the Recovery and Resilience Lead in Western Australia with the Australian Red Cross. Erin has over 10 years' experience in community development and has worked in emergency services and disaster recovery for the last 6 years. Over this time, she has worked with over 65 local government areas impacted by disasters. This includes providing recovery programming support for communities impacted by the 2019-2020 black summer bushfires, 2021 Wooroloo bushfire, Tropical Cyclone Seroja and communities impacted by flooding in Queensland and New South Wales. Erin has a particular interest in inclusion and leading for wellbeing and program improvement as well as demonstrating the impact of recovery efforts. Erin is passionate about community led recovery and ensuring all community voices are included in recovery activities.