National Award Finalists
About the Resilient Australia Awards
The Resilient Australia Awards is a nation-wide program that celebrates, shares and promotes initiatives that build and foster community resilience to disasters and emergencies. Since 2000, the awards have showcased innovation and exemplary practice across Australia; celebrating achievements that might otherwise go unseen, and inspiring others to build greater disaster resilience in their own communities.
With the exception of multi-jurisdictional projects, submissions are judged in their state or territory, and jurisdictional winners considered for national awards.
The Australian Government is proud to sponsor the Resilient Australia Awards in partnership with the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience and the states and territories.
Resilient Australia National Collaboration and Partnership Award
Recognition of projects that encompass activity across two or more partners, sectors, states or territories, and consistently demonstrate the power of collaboration and partnership when working toward a goal or mission with partners combining efforts and resources.
Judges will consider winning projects from all Award categories except Photography.
Resilient Australia National Research for Impact Award
Open to all tertiary institutions (colleges and universities). Applicants will showcase research that is having or will have a significant impact on knowledge, capability and practice and will enhance disaster resilience outcomes as a result. Applications for this Category will only be received and judged at the national level.
Finalists
Fire Centre: Building community resilience to bushfires through science translation
David Bowman
The Fire Centre at the University of Tasmania is a bushfire research hub that integrates methods from a broad range of biophysical sciences and the humanities. We aim to achieve a holistic understanding of bushfire disasters and develop cost-effective interventions and public education campaigns to build community resilience. We have developed deep collaborative relationships with local councils, fire-management agencies, Aboriginal communities contributing traditional knowledge, and world-leading fire scientists. It was established in 2018 by Professor David Bowman, the Centre Director, and is managed by Ms Meagan Porter.
The Centre has been remarkably successful in attracting grants, including a $3.4 million prestigious Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship awarded to Professor Bowman. The Laureate Fellowship is designed to develop adaptation pathways so Australian communities can co-exist safely and sustainably with intrinsically flammable landscapes. Two Natural Hazard Research Grants that involve a broad cross section of Australian stakeholders tasked with managing bushfire risk have also been awarded to the Centre.
The Centre was part of the NSW Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub and its second iteration of the NSW Bushfire and Natural Hazards Hub. A key outcome of this collaboration has been the development of the cutting edge FireTools software package by Dr Grant Williamson, which now underpins prescribed burning planning and reserve management throughout NSW. This work contributed to the first NSW Bushfire Hub receiving a Eureka Prize for applied research excellence.
University of Tasmania has awarded over $1 million to the Centre to build FireLab3, a globally unique fire laboratory that enables studies of plant flammability, smoke exposure, and the evaluation of whether bioenergy and biochar can be used to reduce wildfire fuel loads and thus bushfire risk.
The Centre has a deep commitment to public outreach and education including developing short online courses such as ‘Living with Fire and Bushfire’.
Energy Ready: A Toolkit for Resilient Communities
Caitlin McGee
This research project explored energy resilience from a community perspective, aiming to build community knowledge and capacity. The project synthesised leading academic research, consulted with experts in energy resilience and disaster response, and worked with climate disaster-impacted or at-risk Australian communities to understand their perspectives, experiences and needs. The primary output was the Energy Ready Toolkit.
Energy Ready is a free Toolkit for communities that want to become more energy-resilient and better prepared to meet environmental disasters exacerbated by climate change. Consisting of a user-friendly guidebook and activity-based workshop materials, Energy Ready helps communities across Australia to create a plan that meets their unique circumstances, values and priorities.
Developed for communities with communities, Energy Ready draws on insights from workshops in Bonang, Gympie, Mullumbimby, Mornington Peninsula, Lake Macquarie and Magnetic Island.
It helps communities be prepared, stay safer, maintain access to energy (a lifeline during a disaster), and bounce back faster and stronger in the aftermath of a disaster. Encouraging communities to work together strengthens ties, not just in emergencies but all the time. Energy Ready also guides communities to engage and collaborate productively with local councils, emergency response agencies, communications providers and utilities.
Since its launch in December 2023, Energy Ready's website has attracted 1,472 viewers from Australian and international community groups, government agencies, regulators and local councils. Over 60 Toolkits (physical copies) have been shipped across Australia, the electronic version has been downloaded more than 270 times and shared widely.
Energy Ready is funded by Energy Consumers Australia (ECA). The research was led by the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at the University of Technology Sydney, in collaboration with Community Power Agency (CPA) (community engagement) and Parallel Lines (user-led design). An advisory group of cross-sector experts, stakeholders and government agencies from around Australia contributed expertise.
Please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIVY9pC8W4Y&t=1s
An integrated hi-tech solution to detect and suppress fires
Marta Yebra
The Bushfire Research Centre of Excellence (BRCoE) at the Australian National University (ANU) is at the forefront of a transformative shift in bushfire management that will equip Australia to navigate the threat of fire in a world altered by climate change.
Australia’s current fire management system is not equipped to detect and suppress the fires that cause the most catastrophic damage to life, property, and nature: bushfires started by lightning strikes in remote areas.
Our mission at the BRCoE is to identify how cutting-edge technologies can be combined to find these fires and put them out before they escalate beyond our capacity to control them.
Launched in response to the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires, BRCoE has already become a trusted voice in the bushfire community. In collaboration with many industry and emergency management sector partners, BRCoE Director Professor Marta Yebra and her team of engineers and scientists are making significant strides in advancing how fires are managed.
Our expertise in engineering, bushfire, space, and computing science is globally recognised. We lead discussions on fire management policy and standards, influencing political and policy decisions with ministers and providing formal advice to government.
In the lab and in the field, we are developing and validating a range of novel technologies that have been demonstrated as proofs-of-concept or become operationalised, including novel space-grade sensors and algorithms for satellite vegetation flammability monitoring, detection of hazardous lightning strikes, and fire detection using data from ground internet-of-things sensors as well as imagery from drones, fire watch towers and other infrastructure. The result is a suite of tools that provides highly specific intelligence that firefighters can use to make better decisions about risk and strategy, helping avoid the loss of life, habitat, and infrastructure.
The Impact of Heatwaves on Health Services on Queensland
Hannah Mason
Heatwaves pose a growing threat to health and wellbeing. Our project addressed a critical knowledge gap regarding heatwave impacts on health service delivery across Queensland, especially beyond Brisbane. Utilising a retrospective population-based approach, we analysed data from 2010 to 2019, incorporating inputs from diverse stakeholders, including Queensland Health, the Queensland Ambulance Service, and the Bureau of Meteorology.
Our research identified significant increases in ambulance calls, emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and deaths during heatwaves. Vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, those with preexisting health conditions, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, were notably affected. Collaborative efforts with state departments and academic institutions enriched the project's outcomes and facilitated the integration of findings into policy and planning, exemplified by their inclusion in the Queensland Health Heatwave Sub-Plan and the Stakeholder Toolkit.
Diversity and community engagement were central to our methodology. The research team, primarily based at James Cook University, represented regional Queensland, ensuring a comprehensive analysis that included rural and remote areas. Feedback from diverse community representatives and experts helped tailor our findings to address the needs of at-risk groups, including Indigenous communities and those in low socioeconomic regions.
Our project's sustainability is underscored by ongoing collaborations and the adaptability of our research methods. The scalability of our data has already inspired further investigations into specific health outcomes, such as drowning during heatwaves. The project's findings have been widely disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, media engagements, and academic presentations, raising public awareness and driving future research.
In conclusion, this project has significantly advanced understandings of heatwave impacts on health services in Queensland, informed policy, and laid the groundwork for continued research and preparedness efforts. Our collaborative, inclusive approach ensured the research benefits are broad-reaching and sustainable, fostering resilience against the increasing threat of heatwaves.
Predictions in Public: Improving public-facing fire spread prediction map design
Erica Kuligowski
For the first time, during the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires, authorities released bushfire spread prediction or impact zone maps to the public in New South Wales, ACT, and Victoria. The novelty and popularity of these predictive products led emergency management agencies across Australia - and in particular, the AFAC National Working Group for Public Information and Warnings (WG) and AFAC Predictive Services Group (PSG) – to want to better understand how the public received, interpreted, and acted on these maps, and where and when these maps would be useful in the future.
With so much public attention on these and other types of hazard maps, it is concerning that there is a lack of research focusing exclusively on hazard maps, and in particular fire spread prediction maps, in an Australian context. Therefore, the Predictions in Public research project, which is funded and supported by Natural Hazards Research Australia, was created to assess the extent to which community members use, comprehend, perceive, and act in response to maps, including incident and fire spread prediction maps in bushfires.
Predictions in Public, a highly collaborative and practitioner-led project by experts at the Country Fire Authority (CFA) in Victoria and the Victorian Department of Education (DE), involved researchers from four Australian universities (RMIT University, Queensland University of Technology, Deakin University, and Swinburne University of Technology) and emergency management personnel from each Australian jurisdiction. This project strives to develop an evidence base for a nationally consistent approach to the design, dissemination, and communication of public-facing fire spread prediction maps during future emergencies. By involving community members in this research via surveys, experiments, interviews and focus groups, the project addresses their information needs and, in turn, empowers communities to take action to protect their lives and the lives of their loved ones during future bushfire emergencies.
Building individual and collective resilience through community engagement
Brian Cook
Community Engagement for Disaster Risk Reduction (CEDRR) is the title of a large-scale research program led by Dr. Brian Cook from the University of Melbourne. The CEDRR team has successfully supported individual and community resilience through partnerships with flood-prone households and with community groups. Beginning in 2022, CEDRR has undertaken 9,363 door-knocks with flood-prone households and, as of July 2024, held 3,509 individual engagements. CEDRR has partnered with more than 20 community groups, distributing more than $40,000 to support their activities.
62% of CEDRR participants reported increased awareness of flood risk, 64% reported increased intentions to reduce flood risk, and 43% had taken action to mitigate risk of various types. In terms of spillover effects, 73% of participants who had completed a follow-up engagement had spoken about risk mitigation with an average of 3.6 non-participants.
In terms of research, our commitment to rigorous, empirical analyses has enabled CEDRR to support actual risk mitigation while analyzing who learns or acts, why they learn or act, and how their learning and acting influences other community members. Most originally, we have empirically demonstrated that normative learning is the root of risk mitigation actions, providing world-leading evidence on the value of community engagement and public partnerships.
CEDRR is being embraced by local governments (e.g., Mornington Council) and the risk sector (e.g., Melbourne Water) to reduce future and present risk. The approach enables risk reduction across society, having targeted all households in flood-prone areas. CEDRR supports community groups (e.g., Girl Guides, Community Gardens, Sports teams) whose members participate, creating stronger and more resilience communities through connections amongst government, industry, community, and not-for-profit organizations. Lastly, CEDRR is rigorously empirical in its generation of evidence, enhancing the basis of future risk mitigation in Australia.
Innovative model explaining community flood preparedness attitudes, strategies, and dynamics
Willow Forsyth
Floods remain Australia's costliest natural hazard. Communities and households bear the brunt. So why do those impacted by floods often lack a flood plan? The logic of preparedness planning is sound. Those who have prepared tend to suffer less losses, damages, and trauma; preparedness protects life and promotes recovery. Yet, in practice, getting to the national aim of household preparedness has stalled (Diagram A). Why is that?
This is a profoundly important question with a widely misconceived answer (Diagram B). A 2020-2023 NSW Government scholarship funded PhD research project conceptualised an innovative model; explaining the socio-educative dynamics that inhibit our national aim of flood awareness and preparedness.
The study's empirical findings break apart this understudied phenomenon. Preparedness means you have chosen your best coping strategy (Diagram C). Which means you have understood your realistic options (Diagram D). Which means you have understood the specific impacts of the worst and best possible flooding events on you. Which means you have gauged your flood risk exposure. Which means you have learnt how a flood will behave in your local street. Which means you have the motivation, time and capacity to learn about floods. Which assumes you have (at the very least) become aware you have flood risk.
The study shows it is a problem of our own design: society's current practice inhibit, even counter, the dynamics that support households within their community settings to climb this ladder of preparedness; dismantling barriers across authorised and unauthorised systems can change the trajectory of community resilience; changing prevailing social narratives allows education to trump bitter experience.
Expert practitioners, attending the 2024 Australian national floodplain conference, embraced the model's potential for re-designing community engagement approaches and flood intelligence practices (Diagram E).
Measuring fire prevention and preparedness to inform community risk reduction
Kamarah Pooley
In 2022, Fire and Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) was awarded funding from the NSW Government to measure fire prevention and preparedness in NSW. The study proposed a systematic, rigorous approach that would result in evidence-based recommendations for community resilience to fire and other emergencies. In 2023, FRNSW partnered with Monash University Accident Research Centre to conduct the research. A scoping review of fire prevention and preparedness measurement was conducted to inform the development of a survey instrument. After validation, the survey was disseminated to a representative sample of over 10,000 householders in urban fire districts in NSW. The survey collected data on demographic and situational characteristics, use of fire, fire risk and safety knowledge, residential fire and bushfire prevention and preparedness, exposure to residential fire and bushfire and associated behavioural responses, perceptions and attitudes towards fire, awareness and trust of fire services, and participation in FRNSW’s fire prevention and preparedness approaches. The survey produced rich, diverse, and valuable population-level data that has been analysed in myriad ways. For example, the data has been used to identify the demographic predictors of exposure to residential fire and bushfire to inform targeted approaches to at-risk groups; demographic and situational predictors of fire prevention and preparedness that must be considered when measuring resilience to fire; associations between perceptions and behaviours to inform tailored messaging; and measures of reach and effectiveness of FRNSW’s suite of approaches, including the first known attempt at analysing the effectiveness of combined and cumulative exposure to fire prevention and preparedness approaches. Importantly, the survey serves as a population-level measure of fire prevention and preparedness that can be expanded to include other disasters and emergencies and can be disseminated repeatedly to measure changes in risk, resilience, and program reach and effectiveness.
Optimised Street Greenery for Urban Heat Resilience
Jiawei Fu
The Optimised Street Greenery Strategy Study is an Australia's first multidisciplinary project offering implementable guideline for strategic planning to reduce heat risks in the built environment. By utilising sustainable solutions to address extreme heat, the number one natural hazard-related killer, this study successfully fills the gap on where to plant street vegetation for maximising their cooling effect. This strategy is based on a quantitative assessment of numerical simulation output data grounded in field research and can form the basis for a national evaluation system for the urban street thermal environment. Aligned with the main values specified in the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience, the outcomes of this study enrich relevant knowledge on heat risks and providing valuable insights for urban planners, designers, policy makers, and stakeholders to mitigate risks in the built environment.
Reviewing Globally Observed Hazard Factors, Relating to Mining Coal Seam Methane by the Process of 'Fracking'.
Colin Lynam
Volunteer Learned Societies Contribute to a National Hazard Resilience Analysis.
Research from The Royal Society of Queensland by Peter Dart1, Colin Lynam and Geoff Edwards3 and Revel Pointon4
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072
- Earthquake Services, 32 Coventry Place, Wishart, QLD 4122
- Centre for Governance and Public Policy, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4222
- Environment Defenders Office, QLD 4101, Australia
This entry is made under the assumption that "National Action 2" is still an operational goal of AIDR, whereby it hopes to "ensure risk is not opaquely transferred to those least able to mitigate it, ... creating and maintaining alignment between local, state and national assessments of natural hazard risk, to create a national picture." We report on such a scenario, which can be implemented nationally.
Coal seam gas mining in the Surat and Bowen Basins in Queensland, Australia, has developed rapidly over the past decade.
Many landholders are concerned about the effects of the industry on groundwater and agricultural resources and the weakness of official oversight, recently criticised by the Queensland Audit Office. The prevailing self-regulation, lack of baseline assessment and inadequate monitoring of the mining processes is an abrogation of government responsibility and the precautionary principle.
The authors from this Royal Society of Queensland volunteer investigation team have researched widely and documented the potential hazards, that are observed elsewhere and have cited valuable local historical earthquake occurrence data, in lieu of a paucity of a regional earthquake monitoring program.
The Authors propose three initiatives for the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments, essential to making prudent decisions about hazard prevention.
Irreparable damage is being done to the public interest is revealed in this paper justified by the extensive scientific literature cited.
Keywords: groundwater, subsidence, aquifer, Induced earthquake, agriculture production, regulation
Evaluation of the Royal Far West Bushfire Recovery Program
Michael Curtin
A Charles Sturt University research team conducted an independent evaluation of the second phase of the Royal Far West Bushfire Recovery Program (BRP). The BRP was a multifaceted, multidisciplinary, community-based program, delivered through primary schools and preschools, providing psychosocial support to children, parents/carers and educators impacted by the 2019/2020 bushfires.
The evaluation aim was to determine whether the BRP had a demonstrable impact, and identify for whom, in what ways and circumstances the outcomes were achieved. In addition, the evaluation identified ways the BRP and other factors contributed to the outcomes. A mixed method approach was used, including the use of established surveys and clinical measures, analysis of data collected by RFW, spatial analysis, and interviews.
The outcomes of the evaluation found the BRP was a successful program. Children who participated in the program understood the changes they experienced due to bushfires and other events (e.g., COVID-19, floods), understood their reactions were normal, developed skills for coping, problem-solving, decision-making, and building peer support networks, and developed strategies to restore self-confidence and self-esteem. Parents/carers who attended the Tuning in to Kids® program learned helpful ways to understand and respond to their child’s emotions and were more confident connecting emotionally with their children. Educators developed the knowledge and skills to be confident to emotionally support the children in their care in relation to the impact of the bushfires and other disasters. The Royal Far West staff implemented strategies and supports to monitor and maintain their sense of wellbeing while planning and delivering the Program.
As climate-related disasters are predicted to be compounding and increase in frequency and intensity, there is a need for programs, such as the BRP, to continue to be funded and delivered to improve the resilience and wellbeing, and decrease the likelihood of long-term emotional reactions, of children post-disaster.
Resilient Australia National Business Award
State and territory winners in the Business category will be considered for the Resilient Australia National Business Award.
Finalists
Climate Change Adaptation Plan – building resilience to climate driven disasters
Icon Water
Australian Capital Territory
Climate change is no longer a future threat but a present reality. In Australia, climate disasters have affected the whole of society, impacting human and environmental health, households’ resilience, community and business investments, and seeing insurance premiums soar. It is a complex challenge.
As the supplier of essential water and wastewater services to the nation’s capital, it is critical our services remain available and resilient to climate disasters. Our operations rely on weather and the water cycle. We are keenly aware of the important role we play protecting human health and the environment.
As climate-driven disasters become more frequent and severe, the need to protect lives and livelihoods through informed decision-making and planning is becoming more urgent and doing this effectively requires a united and coordinated effort.
Icon Water paved the way for the water industry by being one of the first Australian utilities to develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan in 2020. This plan was founded on sound governance, the ability to assess and address climate risk and resilience based on latest scientific evidence and climate modelling, internal consultation and external engagement, and achieved through measurable metrics and targets.
Since our first plan four years ago, we have experienced first-hand the impacts of widespread bushfires followed closely by storms and flooding. Our second Climate Change Adaptation Plan - sustaining resilience released in 2023 acknowledges that climate change extreme events do not happen in isolation, often happening concurrently and consecutively. In addition, cascading impacts from external forces can further amplify the impact of climate change - adding complexity.
In developing these plans, we consulted with 200 stakeholders and local partners. A community version is publicly available to build broader community and industry understanding. It aligns with government policy and delivers actions to create stronger, more resilient communities to climate disasters.
An amphibious dwelling design to bring flood resilient accommodation to residential land lease communities and caravan parks.
Amphibode
New South Wales
The mid north coast of NSW experienced major flooding in 2021. Our caravan park was inundated, flooding all our cabin accommodation and half of the permanent homes in our park. The community was very vulnerable to flood risk as these dwellings had been installed prior to current day flood controls. The impact of the flood was disastrous, and even more so for our vulnerable community, the larger majority of whom live week-to-week on the pension. Their emotional and financial resilience to rebuild was next-to-none. Residents in our caravan park required a significant contribution from government, the local community and not-for-profits to recover. In some instances, this recovery period took longer than a year and the emotional impact of this disaster will be lifelong. This event made us seriously consider what change we could bring to the residential land lease community/caravan park sector and we embarked on a journey to design and build fit-for-purpose flood resilient accommodation. Out of this disaster, an amphibious dwelling was borne, and the first of its kind amphibious dwelling was installed in our park in April 2024. This dwelling delivers an affordable flood resilient accommodation option to our sector. It offers a design that can be used to retro fit existing dwellings and achieves important social and community objectives such as inclusion, accessibility and affordability as it adapts to climate risk is a safe and measured way. This amphibious dwelling enables owners of residential land lease communities, and residents themselves, to invest in disaster risk reduction to create a stronger and more resilient community before, during and after a flood. We have commenced this journey to prove it can be achieved and our efforts have received interest nationally from the private sector and government.
Global to local: Cross-sector Collaboration for Resilient Infrastructure
Aurecon
Victoria
Resilience is multi-scalar and requires collaboration to connect assets and systems to the people, communities and economies that rely on critical infrastructure. This project demonstrates how asset resilience can be measured and inform investment. With the support of Aurecon, a resilience assessment was undertaken by Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd, a major asset within QIC’s infrastructure portfolio. The Port of Brisbane is a cornerstone of the Queensland economy with 95% of Queensland’s containerised trade, 90% of motor vehicles and 50% of Australia’s agricultural exports moving through this vital asset.
This project reviewed Port of Brisbane’s vulnerability to external risks and hazards, encompassing wider economic and social impacts. The resilience assessment was the first in Australia to integrate a leading global methodology – the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Principles of Resilient Infrastructure Scorecard – applying a global benchmark to a critical local asset. This project was carefully designed to address the systemic need for public-private partnerships to enhance asset resilience.
Third-party risks are risks beyond the control of the owner and mitigation requires collaboration between asset managers and third-party stakeholders. The Port of Brisbane resilience assessment identified risks to critical access roads and their vulnerabilities to disasters. The access roads are managed by local councils, thus revealing collaboration with respective stakeholders as essential to enabling infrastructure resilience. QIC supported an additional assessment for a wind farm asset, identifying a consistent theme - the criticality of cross-sector collaboration for infrastructure resilience.
The outcomes of Port of Brisbane resilience assessment will be enhanced through future work; the Increasing Investment in Infrastructure Resilience (IIIR) initiative, a collaborative project focused on undertaking resilience assessments to provide financial justifications for resilient investments. The PoB assessment will help demonstrate how investment in resilience initiatives is financially beneficial and critical to long-term asset sustainability.
Cultural Healing & Aboriginal Participation for October 2022 Flood Clean Up Victoria
A2B Personnel Pty Ltd
Victoria
A2B are an Aboriginal Owned and Operated Regionally based company. We provide Indigenous workforce to major projects through our Labour Hire model.
The Cultural Healing and Aboriginal Participation program for the October 2022 Victorian Flood Clean Up was lead by A2B Personnel, a regionally based Aboriginal Owned and Operated organisation creating employment opportunities on major projects for First Nations people. Creating opportunities for Indigenous employment, training, mental health and healing for the communities affected by the Oct 2022 floods. The project created 38 jobs for local Indigenous people, many coming from unemployment and adversity. The Community Liaison program within the Aboriginal Participation created an opportunity for local First Nations people to talk with community during a time of trauma and loss. The project saw local First Nations people in roles across all areas of the clean-up process. Regional Operations Managers, Supervisors, Labourers, Traffic Personnel along with out Cultural Heritage team worked together to deliver street debris removal, the make safe & demolition of flood effected property and post event heritage surveys of National Parks under the Emergency Recovery Victoria Clean up Program.
Resilient Australia National Community Award
State and territory winners in the Community category will be considered for the Resilient Australia National Community Award.
Finalists
Bushfire Risk Reduction, Prevention and Infrastructure Upgrade
Tasmania Fire Service
Tasmania
Hydro Tasmania was mandated to install static water tanks for property protection during bushfires as part of subdivision approval. Approximately 56 of these tanks, serving as community assets in the Miena Great Lake area, lack adequate risk mitigation messaging. This deficiency poses a challenge as landowners may be unaware of the tanks' critical role due to limited education on bushfire risks.
Ownership arrangements and maintenance issues have rendered these tanks ineffective. To address this, a project was proposed to enhance their functionality and visibility. Each tank would to be appropriately labeled and equipped with QR codes linking to bushfire planning messages, emphasizing safety considerations regarding firefighting tanks.
The project's primary objective for the project was to educate local communities in Miena, Breona, and Brady’s Lake on bushfire prevention and property preparation to mitigate fire risks. Additionally, it aims to ensure the water tanks are operational and easily accessible, thereby supporting fire prevention and preparedness efforts.
Through 2 targeted education sessions and the introduction of tank signage, the project empowered local residents with essential knowledge and resources, ultimately increasing their resilience to bushfire threats and enhancing the survivability of shack and homeowners within these communities.
Women Rising: Empowering Flood Recovery
Women's Health Loddon Mallee
Victoria
In the wake of the floods that impacted Victoria in October 2022, Women’s Health Loddon Malee (WHLM) took steps to address the unique challenges faced by rural women in the Loddon Mallee region in times of disaster. Heavy rain led to widespread evacuations, loss of homes, businesses, and infrastructure, plunging communities into chaos and uncertainty.
Recognising that disasters exacerbate existing gender inequalities, WHLM responded with a multifaceted approach aimed at supporting gender equality and women’s wellbeing in disasters. The impacts of floods are felt by the entire community; however, women face a heightened risk of gendered violence, stress, financial insecurity, and disruption to their personal and family life.
WHLM’s response aimed to ensure women were not overlooked in disaster recovery efforts. By addressing the unique needs and vulnerabilities of women, WHLM sought to promote more equitable health, social and economic outcomes in the aftermath of disasters.
Key highlights of WHLM’s response include:
Gender Inclusive Disaster Planning, Response, and Recovery: WHLM worked closely with key stakeholders to integrate gender-responsive approaches to ensure women’s needs are prioritised.
Community-centred and led approaches: WHLM facilitated access to resources to ensure communities could lead their own recovery efforts and to provide women with safe spaces to share their experiences.
Advocacy for policy change: WHLM has been able to advocate for policy changes that address gender disparities in disasters. By leveraging their expertise and networks, WHLM aims to influence decision-makers at all levels to adopt more inclusive and gender-responsive approaches to disaster management.
WHLM’s innovative approach to addressing gender inequalities in disasters serves as a model for how other organisations can proactively support women’s wellbeing and promote gender equality. By prioritising the needs of women, we can build communities that are more inclusive, safer for women and better equipped to withstand the impacts of future disasters.
Walking alongside, building resilience: The First Nations Recovery Group
Australian Red Cross
Victoria
First Nations people in Australia are between three and five times more likely to be living in areas that are impacted by increasingly severe natural hazards than non-First Nations people. However emergency management and disaster resilience approaches have typically overlooked the unique strengths and needs of First Nations peoples.
In recognition of this, the First Nations Recovery Group (FNRG) was established by Australian Red Cross to empower First Nations people to lead community resilience and recovery in Australia, and to help inform the disaster management sector on best practice principles and application for working with First Nations communities.
The FNRG developed a culturally appropriate First Nations Recovery Framework building on best-practice resilience approaches. This includes recognising the existing work in communities, taking a strengths-based and community-led approach, and 'handing over' activities to community to ensure true community control and ownership.
With generous support from donors the FNRG has walked alongside First Nations communities throughout COVID-19, the 2019-20 bushfires, the 2022 floods and other emergencies and disasters. Embedded in communities, FNRG staff work closely with Elders and leaders, including youth and emerging leaders. By taking adaptative and collaborative approaches, the FNRG has delivered culturally appropriate and successful resilience and recovery programs and services with a range of First Nations communities across Australia.
‘As First Nations people…to (have) something to celebrate, something to acknowledge our culture, that was really awesome. That was a good healing source as well for the whole community. There were Elders out that I hadn't seen for a long time, and kids. …I think that was really, really helpful for the whole community. Not just the Aboriginal community either. … I think it's good for closing the gap and reconciliation and cultural appreciation. It was awesome for the whole community.’
GIVIT Far North Queensland Flood Appeal – Wujal Wujal Flood Recovery Project
GIVIT
Queensland
GIVIT is a donation management e-solution which strengthens community disaster resilience. By using a digital platform to inform and facilitate community-led disaster recovery, GIVIT aims to help communities better prepare, respond and recover from a disaster by ensuring donations do no harm during an emergency and are instead directed to fill genuine need. GIVIT was funded by the Queensland Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts Community Recovery Branch to prioritise the recovery of the discreet Indigenous community of Wujal Wujal which was catastrophically impacted by widespread flooding caused by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper in late 2023. The aim was to expedite community members recovery to allow them to return to Country as soon as possible. GIVIT worked closely with the Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council and charity partners Cape York Partnership and Cooktown District Community Centre on the flood recovery project to support the population while they were displaced and to re-furnish 96 social houses in this community. GIVIT delivered post-disaster growth and improved living conditions in Wujal Wujal beyond pre-disaster standards. GIVIT’s provision of approximately 8,870 individual goods and services has supported the recovery plan and contributed to the community being able to return to Country within six months.
Fire to Flourish: A holistic community-led model of disaster resilience
Fire To Flourish
Victoria
Everyday Australians are the first and last responders when disaster strikes. But despite the billions of dollars spent on disaster recovery, communities continue to receive inadequate financial and other forms of support to address their long-term recovery needs and resilience building priorities.
Led by Monash University and philanthropically funded, Fire to Flourish is partnering with bushfire-affected communities to address this gap by piloting a new model of holistic support for inclusive, community-led action.
Our partner communities in NSW (Clarence Valley, Tenterfield and Eurobodalla) and Victoria (East Gippsland) were severely affected by the 2019/20 bushfires.
Our innovative approach is not one-size-fits-all. We address the gap between hyper-local needs and government-led responses by supporting communities to create tailored solutions for their unique contexts and priorities.
Key areas of innovation include processes that give community decision-making power over flexible grant funding, community governance processes that grow capabilities and strengthen networks, and Aboriginal leadership that catalyses transformative connections between people, place and culture. Grants allocated through these processes are resourcing diverse community-led projects that strengthen community disaster resilience.
Our program principles guide us to be community-led, foreground Aboriginal wisdom, enhance inclusion and equity, and be strengths-based and trauma-informed. These principles have inspired partner communities to focus on stopping cycles of entrenched disadvantage through their disaster resilience solutions.
Our program is delivered through partnerships with communities, philanthropic funders, community foundations, local organisations and service providers. We enjoy a broad network of collaborators that are critical for enhancing impact locally and nationally.
Community feedback and emerging research evidence confirms that F2F is having a positive impact in partner communities: strengthening social capital, stimulating economic activity, addressing Indigenous and community wellbeing priorities, strengthening community infrastructure, and leading to increased resilience and reduced disaster risk. We are proving that our model works, and that it is scalable.
Resilient Australia National Government Award
State and territory winners in the Government category will be considered for the Resilient Australia National Government Award.
Finalists
ACT Social Recovery Framework - Promoting and supporting stronger, thriving and connected communities
Community Services Directorate
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT Social Recovery Framework presents a new approach to social recovery. An approach that is responsive, future focused, community centred, promotes self-agency and self-determination and can strengthen individual and community wellbeing and resilience.
Social recovery is about meeting people’s health and wellbeing, safety and security, and connection needs following disaster. It is the fundamental building block to re-establishing strong, thriving and resilient people, families and communities in the terrible and confusing aftermath of disaster.
The Framework recognises, and plans for, the concurrent and compounding impact disasters are, and will continue to have, on people and communities. Extreme heat, flooding and bushfires, along with other natural and human-induced hazards, are increasingly impacting the wellbeing and functioning of the Canberra community, environment and the economy. Disasters compound existing social challenges including housing, cost of living, food security, poverty and poor health, which in turn increases the impact of disaster on people.
The new ACT Social Recovery Framework provides the strategic direction required to meet current and future social recovery needs of Canberrans including communications, partnerships, governance, resourcing, workforce and data. It also details and guides the operational approaches required to determine what social recovery services are needs by whom, how they need to be delivered and for how long. Central to this is supporting the right of people and communities to exercise self-agency and determination to identify their own solutions to meet their needs.
The Framework provides a consistent, whole-of-society and future-focused approach to guide social recovery
efforts in the ACT. Importantly, the new Framework will strengthen ACT emergency management arrangements, and ensure social recovery efforts support people throughout their recovery journey from immediate relief to long term recovery to enable them to regain a sense of sustained wellbeing and the ability to thrive.
Australia's first State Disaster Mitigation Plan
NSW Reconstruction Authority
New South Wales
The State Disaster Mitigation Plan (SDMP) is the first state based plan of its kind in Australia and outlines NSW’s action plan to reduce the risk of natural hazards. It was endorsed by NSW Cabinet in December 2023.
The SDMP describes how the cost of damage from disasters caused by natural hazards is anticipated to reach $9.1 billion per year by 2060 in NSW, as more frequent and severe events impact homes, businesses, and government infrastructure. We also know that historically 97% of national disaster-related investment has been spent on response and recovery rather than reducing risk.
The SDMP marks a significant shift in disaster management. It refocuses government policy and investment in on risk reduction, including in the highest risk areas in NSW.
The SDMP presents a comprehensive risk reduction ‘toolkit’. This toolkit captures the range of tools available to reduce exposure and vulnerability to disaster risk, including community preparedness, evacuation infrastructure and strategic planning controls.
The SDMP identifies 37 actions to address gaps in strategic policy and programs required to enable the application of place-based disaster risk reduction. They include:
- Further investigation of mitigation infrastructure options like sand management to prepare for future coastal erosion.
- Coordinating spatial hazard, vulnerability and exposure data process, and decision support tools, including world leading evacuation modelling.
- Developing a Statewide plan for where it may make sense to move people away from high risk areas, before a disaster occurs.
The SDMP establishes the need for place-based Disaster Adaptation Plans to be developed collaboratively with all levels of government, industry and community to identify appropriate and prioritised risk reduction options.
We know that disasters will continue to occur. The SDMP lays out a critical roadmap of state policy actions to reduce risk where we can and adapt where we can’t.
Collaboration, sharing, building and enhancing social recovery across Australia
Social Recovery Reference Group
New South Wales
In 2024, the Social Recovery Reference Group (SRRG) celebrates 40 years of collective effort in fostering collaboration, building capacity, and advancing social recovery outcomes nationwide. This group values the expertise we all bring and places a high value on collaboration and capacity-building. Since January 2022, we have strategically targeted interventions to increase the effectiveness of social recovery efforts across all levels of government, NGOs, research organisations and communities throughout Australia. We acknowledges that social capital is a critical part of building resilience. This submission focuses on two key initiatives at the local level supporting the community-based recovery workforce and at the executive leadership level addressing complex national challenges. As the current chair, Tasmania is nominating the SRRG on behalf of all states and territories.
The Possibility Lab Community of Practice is the first of its kind and unique in Australia. We have developed an online network to support the community-based local recovery workforce with tools, tips, strategies and access to a network of professionals. People in these positions are typically placed in local government, newly appointed and may have minimal experience in social recovery. The Possibility Lab facilitates collaboration and knowledge-sharing, which is crucial to accelerate the capacity of those developing strategies and programs in pressurised, time limited roles.
At the executive leadership level the SRRG has been pivotal in leading resilience building efforts (in alignment with the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (2011)), by addressing pressing and complex issues such as post-disaster temporary housing. Harnessing the depth of collective expertise and influence, we have undertaken initiatives aimed at improving the temporary housing solutions post disasters, recognising this as a critical concern to recovering communities.
Through collaborative endeavours from local support networks and advocacy at the highest levels, the SRRG remains committed to advancing social recovery and building national resilience.
Disaster resilience in the agriculture sector: Planning with purpose.
Department Of Agriculture And Fisheries Queensland
Queensland
Farming in Australia is a continuous challenge for many farmers, particularly in Queensland, our most disaster-prone state. The Farm Business Resilience Program (FBRP), a joint initiative of the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Queensland Government’s Drought and Climate Adaptation Program, helps farmers better manage weather, climate and other disaster risks through development and extension of business resilience planning processes. The best advisers and extension officers from government, non-government agencies and industry leaders work with farmers, across six agriculture commodity-based projects delivering customised business risk management planning services. The program delivers holistic risk management approaches that consider drought, flood and other disaster impacts, within the context of the overall environmental, economic and social sustainability aspects of the farm business.
Program evaluation demonstrates that farmers are engaging in large numbers with program activities. Most importantly, farmers are developing specific plans to manage drought, disaster and other risks proactively, by adopting new technologies and practices and installing new infrastructure, which reduces risk and improves business resilience. Over the last three years of program delivery in Queensland, more than 1,890 individual producers have fully engaged in the program, developing and updating more than 935 business resilience plans. More than 4,600 engagement sessions have been held across the state in the grazing, cropping and horticulture industries, with more than 16,000 participants involved in those sessions. Practice changes at the personal, family and business levels has been high, with 1640 examples recorded in the program to date.
Queensland farmers are actively sharing their stories of involvement in the program demonstrating their improved ability to manage disaster and other risks that continue to challenge their farming businesses. Farmer capacity to survive and thrive in a riskier business environment impacted by a changing climate is being significantly enhanced through the delivery of the FBRP.
Local Indigenous Cultural Recovery Advisors (LICRAs)
Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet
Northern Territory
The Local Indigenous Cultural Recovery Advisor (LICRA) positions were implemented by the Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet (CM&C) following a review of the December 2022 Timber Creek Flood Event. The core function of LICRAs is to support emergency recovery functions and ensure all work is undertaken in a culturally safe and respectful manner. Formalising these positions and ensuring they were paid at an appropriate level was essential in recognising and renumerating community members as subject matter experts, ensuring a value was placed on community’s cultural knowledge and authority in emergency recovery activities.
LICRAs were first employed during the Northern Region Flood Event 2023 undertaking a range of activities including marking cultural sites, supporting repatriation, liaising with government agencies and delivering key community messaging. Throughout the emergency event the value of the relationship developed between the broader emergency recovery stakeholders and community members cannot be overstated and was led by the work of the LICRAs.
The work of the LICRAs was well-received by functional groups and contractors participating in the emergency recovery. Details of the positions, examples of the work they undertook, and the benefits as well as challenges of the positions were shared at the Northern Territory Emergency Management Symposium in October 2023, and discussed by emergency management leaders across the NT Government. The LICRA position was also presented to leaders in emergency management activities at the Australian New Zealand Emergency Management Committee for members to consider potential implementation in their respective jurisdictions.
The value of LICRAs in enhancing the emergency recovery process was noted by the Local Recovery Coordinators and broader recovery team, resulting in their continued engagement in subsequent emergency management recovery events (Borroloola 2024) and recognition on the national stage as winners of the Outstanding Leadership Awards Courageous Team Award in 2024.
Strengthening Disaster Resilience Training for South Australian Community Museums
SAFECOM
South Australia
Community museums are custodians of unique knowledge and heritage, weaving the stories of their communities. They are seen as necessary keeping places of stories, memories and objects integral to the health and wellbeing of their local communities. Museums across the state offer their communities places to reflect and remember, they offer new audiences and community members a way into the community through its history. Museums help build resilience. The care and upkeep of collections is both expensive and labour intensive and can be stressful for community and volunteer groups in the event of a disaster. This groundbreaking initiative represented a pioneering effort in South Australia to enhance disaster resilience within community museums across both metropolitan and regional areas. By equipping these museums and their volunteers with essential skills such as disaster preparedness, risk assessments, and emergency protocols, the initiative ensured a robust disaster response through comprehensive training and resource provision. Furthermore, the project fostered collaboration between emergency management and emergency services stakeholders and cultural heritage organisations, another first in South Australia. This collaboration, through a one-day forum and establishment of a network, has and will continue to enhance partnerships across the sectors, fortifying the response to protect South Australia’s unique heritage. This work highlights the crucial role of cultural heritage in disaster risk reduction and resilience building. By safeguarding artifacts, documents, and community narratives, community museums enhance community resilience and contribute to disaster risk reduction efforts. This initiative demonstrates the essential contribution of community museums to disaster resilience and community well-being, fostering a more resilient and interconnected society by valuing cultural heritage.
Victoria's Resilient Coast - Adapting for 2100+
Victorian Government - DEECA
Victoria
Victoria’s Resilient Coast – Adapting for 2100+ is supporting communities to adapt to the impacts of coastal hazards and climate change.
Led by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), the program has been co-developed with over 100 representatives from across 48 agencies and interest groups with coastal management roles in Victoria.
The program provides a statewide framework, guidelines, and funding support for land managers to progress strategic coastal hazard risk management and adaptation planning.
The collaborative co-development and implementation includes a partnership approach with the six Registered Aboriginal Party organisations along the coast, all coastal Councils, Catchment Management Authorities, large Committees of Management, Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water, Ports authorities, other government agencies, industry, academic and interest groups.
From 2022 to 2024 the program has delivered:
- Victoria’s Resilient Coast framework and guidelines
- Supporting resources:
- Coastal hazards extended guidelines
- Adaptation actions compendium
- An economic approach to inform adaptation
- Adaptation pathways template guide
- Blue Carbon and Sea Country opportunities report
- Grants program:
- $2.8M in Victorian Government grants
- $2.1M in co-contributions from implementation partners.
- Victoria’s Resilient Coast community of practice (bi-monthly sessions, 200+ members) to share knowledge and build capacity.
- Implementation at place with 25+ projects underway, including regional planning, local area planning, estuary, ecosystem and landscape adaptation.
With statewide economic risk from coastal hazards estimated to be over $442 billion by 2100, all Victorian communities will benefit from the risk reduction planning and actions supported by Victoria’s Resilient Coast program.
The foundational co-development approach was an innovative model for DEECA, involving collaborative input for all stages. The approach created a strong statewide network of partners and adaptation champions who are now working with their communities to mitigate risk and build resilience to coastal hazards.
Resilient Australia National Local Government Award
State and territory winners in the local government category will be considered for the Resilient Australia National Local Government Award.
Finalists
Cool Spaces for Summer 2023/2024 Program
City of Campbelltown
South Australia
Campbelltown City Council’s Cool Spaces for Summer 2023/2024 (Cool Spaces Trial) was a program to trial the provision of climate safe spaces for our community during extreme heatwaves occurring in the Summer of 2023/2024.
In Eastern Adelaide, climate change has meant an increase in extreme weather events and heatwaves. While heat can be dangerous for everyone, some of our community members are more vulnerable than others, including older people, young children, those with underlying chronic health issues or a disability and low income earners. The project was initiated to ensure all of our community members, especially vulnerable groups, had accessible options to stay safe in the heat.
In 2023, Council initiated a Cool Refuges Investigation Project (Investigation) to understand community needs and preferences and which informed the development of the subsequent Cool Spaces Trial. The Investigation focused on understanding of community adaptation preferences, whether there is a need for cool spaces, and whether current public facilities meet those needs. The purpose of the Cool Spaces Trial was to trial the implementation of ‘cool spaces’ in two facilities in the Campbelltown area during extreme heatwaves occurring in February/March 2024 to better understand community preferences, logistics and resources required.
The result was a successful Cool Spaces Trial, with over 300 residents accessing the cool spaces to escape an extreme heatwave in March 2024. Targeted promotion, catering, 'Healthy in the Heat' education, programmed activities and transport to and from the cool spaces were provided as part of the program. Council received really positive feedback from both the Campbelltown and general community about the trial, and actively promoted and shared learnings with the intention that this would inform the development of a future cool spaces emergency response program that will benefit the wider Australian community.
Devastating Floodwaters Unite a Community - Latrobe Council Flood Mitigation Project
Latrobe Council
Tasmania
Latrobe Council is rightly proud of the flood mitigation project undertaken since the devastating floods of June 2016. Such a project does not come easily and there have been many committed people and organisations that have rallied together to initiate, action, and finalise the delivery of a comprehensive flood mitigation project to build resilience against future events. The flood caused great financial loss and resulted in many thousands of hours of restoration, repair, and rebuilding work that interrupted the lives and intentions of residents, business owners, developers, and Council. Much needed comfort is now provided by this project offering a quality of life and sense of security that had not been enjoyed since the flooding. Preparation of this submission for the award has helped to remind those involved why we do what we do and that there are much more important outcomes than just the physical completion of the most extensive and expensive projects undertaken in the known history of the Latrobe Council.
The Adaptation Game - building climate resilience in Merri-bek
Merri-bek City Council
Victoria
The Adaptation Game (TAG) is a replicable, transferable and inclusive story-telling experience that scales climate change and disaster preparedness down from overwhelming global fears to local risks. Recognising the need for innovative solutions to the climate challenge, Merri-bek City Council partnered with researchers and community to prototype TAG, which has since been localised with nine other Victorian councils, with interest spreading across Australia and internationally.
TAG was designed in Merri-bek to answer the question: “Can you use transmedia storytelling practices to create tools for local councils to respond to climate change and build resilience?”. To answer this question, the core team of Merri-bek Council, Deakin University, Goodmorningbeautiful films and Amble Games Studio, worked with community partners to design a process that ultimately resulted in TAG. TAG has "game" in the name, but it's more of a platform for a community conversation.
TAG brings climate science and story worlds together in a way that provides a fictional experience of ‘living through’ three natural disasters in their local area. The game humanises the concept of disaster planning and climate change into players’ lives in a meaningful, practical, actionable way.
Beyond the game, facilitation by local people championed by the Merri-bek Council enables players to access support and take action through connecting them to local community groups and programs.
This engagement has demonstrably helped players to feel less fearful, and instead feel empowered and knowledgeable enough to take action in their own lives. Players have since joined community climate groups, started a neighbourhood WhatsApp group, and generally reported a better understanding of personal and communal resilience.
“I can feel empowered on a local level to help protect my community. Before I just felt overwhelmed by the inadequate measures being taken on a global scale.” - Anonymous TAG participant.
Get Ready Workshop - Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Townsville City Council
Queensland
Townsville City Council (TCC) in partnership with Townsville-based members of the State Emergency Service (SES) and Deaf Connect, hosted a disaster preparedness workshop. This workshop was targeted at the deaf and hard of hearing community within Townsville and was the first of its kind.
As disaster management practitioners, we have the shared responsibility to assist vulnerable individuals in reducing their risks and building resilience. Acting on feedback from the first Get Ready Workshop, this event was tailored to the deaf and hard of hearing community. Each presenter or guest speaker was paired with an AUSLAN interpreter, including the legendary Mikey Webb, when delivering the content.
The workshop featured practical demonstrations and presentations from emergency management experts, providing participants with the knowledge and tools they need to feel prepared, connected, and supported before, during, and after a severe weather event. The event was well attended with over 30 participants, all providing positive feedback. Participants appreciated the opportunity to engage in an inclusive environment where they felt comfortable asking questions and interacting with experts, which they might not have felt comfortable doing at a general community event. The primary benefit of the workshop is that participants are now equipped with the knowledge to educate others within the deaf community and their broader networks.
Feedback provided by Deaf Connect following Tropical Cyclone Kirrily, which impacted Townsville in January 2024, highlighted the success of the event. Those who attended the workshop felt more prepared and had emergency plans in place, unlike those who did not. Following the positive response and success of this workshop, additional workshops are currently being planned for other vulnerable groups within the community. Our goal is to ensure everyone has access to the resources and support they need to stay safe during emergencies.
Building Back Northern Rivers Guideline
Cred Consulting
Queensland
Between late February and early April 2022, the Northern Rivers region encountered some of the worst flooding it has ever seen. The unprecedented scale and severity of the floods damaged or destroyed 8,364 buildings and significantly impacted local infrastructure across the region. It can be difficult to navigate planning and development approval processes at the best of times – let alone after a disaster and traumatic event like the 2022 floods.
The Building Back Northern Rivers Guideline was developed to assist the different members of the Northern Rivers community who are faced with post-flood recovery and rebuilding. It contains information about the different types of approvals people might encounter, and where they can get the advice and expertise needed to make informed decisions about their property to get them back on their feet. The Guideline was developed through a co-design process led by Cred Consulting with representatives from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment and the seven local councils of the Northern Rivers region - Ballina Shire Council, Byron Shire Council, Clarence Valley Council, Kyogle Council, Lismore City Council, Richmond Valley Council, and Tweed Shire Council.
Since the Guideline’s development it has been adapted and used by Forbes Shire Council, another NSW community recently impacted by flood impacts. This demonstrates the practicality, replicatablity and value of the resource.
This is an excellent example of what can be achieved by working together around common challenges, the importance of being responsive to community needs and providing timely and clear action after disaster events – which is at the essence of good climate change and resilience planning.
Higher-Risk Sub-Group embedding disability inclusion and awareness into disaster management
Southern Downs Regional Council
Queensland
Our project title is “Higher-Risk Sub-Group Embedding disability inclusion and awareness into disaster management” and is being proposed by James Wong from Southern Downs Regional Council, alongside his sub-group members from Souher Down Regional Council, Carbal Medical Services, Bushkids, New Day Recovery Coaching, Focused on Care, Granite Belt Support Services, and the Queensland Police Service.
The program has been to create an official disability-focused sub-group of the local disaster management group, co-chaired by a lived experience community member with position filled by service providers, commuitby members and any other disaster secgor agencies willing and interested to play an active part.
In the relatively short timeframe it has been operational the HRSG has already started on several key actions at both local, district and proposed state-level.
The group model could be easily replicated across other jurisdicitons, an dhopes to set an example on how disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction practices can be embedded in disaster management.
Resilient Australia National Mental Health and Wellbeing Award
State and territory winners in the mental health and wellbeing category will be considered for the Resilient Australia National Mental Health and Wellbeing Award.
Finalists
Naturally Brave by Growing with Gratitude, Bushfire Kids Connect and Makers Empire
Growing With Gratitude
South Australia
The Naturally Brave project is a forward-thinking initiative in disaster risk reduction, leveraging advanced 3D technology to engage and empower youth. Spearheaded by GWG, Bushfire Kids Connect, and Makers Empire, this collaborative effort aims to in-still disaster ready skills in young individuals, particularly those in communities at risk of natural disasters. The project emphasises youth participation in its design and execution, fostering shared responsibility and a deeper understanding of disaster risks.
Central to Naturally Brave is the use of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) to prepare young people for disaster resilience. The project includes an innovative online module for schools, co-created by students, featuring activities and lessons on disaster preparedness. This approach not only aids those affected by disasters but also nurtures empathy and readiness among others.
A key objective is to enhance the volunteering culture among the youth, encouraging them to become active change agents in their communities. This aligns with the project's goal of cultivating future community leaders equipped to tackle disaster resilience challenges in Western Australia.
Naturally Brave emphasises 'student voice' and utilises 3D technology and STEM to enable students to identify and address disaster risks in their localities. By engaging students in creating actionable disaster risk reduction plans, the project aims to develop positive, resilient, and community-minded young individuals.
In summary, Naturally Brave stands as an innovative approach to disaster risk reduction, focusing on youth empowerment and education. It represents a strategic effort to promote long-term cultural change towards greater community resilience through connectedness and preparedness.
Carinbundi Emergency and Disaster Readiness Training Program
Burnett Respite Services Ltd T/a Carinbundi
Queensland
Burnett Respite Services Limited, trading as Carinbundi, is an accredited NDIS Registered Provider of support services for people living with disability in the Bundaberg area.
It is our vision that vulnerable people, including people living with disabilities live fulfilling lives with dignity, freedom, safety in a community that encourages, supports and values their independence and inclusion.
As we are located in an area exposed a range of disasters including weather events, floods and bushfires, we have been ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our clients and preparing for disasters and emergencies since our establishment in 1994.
The NDIS Core Practice Standards require registered providers to address the planning required to prepare, prevent, manage and respond to emergency situations whilst mitigating risks to and ensuring continuity of supports that are critical to the health, safety and wellbeing of NDIS participants. We have an Emergency and Disaster Management Procedures Policy (first issued 2011), Emergency and Disaster Management Plan, Carinbundi Business Impact Analysis and Carinbundi Recovery Plan in place.
In collaboration with the Bundaberg Regional Council Disaster Resilience Officer, Carinbundi has developed a 4-5 week program specifically targeted to the needs of adults with disabilities. This program provides participants with the opportunity to consider their individual needs and provides exposure to local emergency and other disaster response services and personnel, and to give clients with the skills and confidence to manage their support needs in an emergency or disaster, and act with their support network before, during and after it.
At our two most recent NDIS Compliance Audits (2022 and 2024) our Emergency and Disaster Management planning response to NDIS practice standard has been described by national Auditors as ‘impressive’, ‘nailed it’, ‘best system I have seen – you’ve created a new benchmark for other services to aspire to’.
Community Resilience Building in East Gippsland
Mackillop Seasons
New South Wales
This project aimed to enhance community resilience in East Gippsland by empowering local professionals and community members to effectively respond to natural disasters, particularly bushfires. Through the Black Summer Funding MacKillop Seasons deployed a Community Resilience Officer (CRO) to provide on-the-ground support, focusing on building local capacity through the suite of Seasons programs: culturally sensitive mental health and evidence-based disaster programs for children and adults.
Key objectives included identifying and addressing the needs of vulnerable groups, increasing social connections, supporting mental health recovery, and building long-term disaster resilience. The project achieved significant outcomes, including improved disaster response capacity through training local professionals and community members. It fostered social connectedness through knowledge-sharing events and monthly Community of Practice sessions.
Special attention was given to supporting Aboriginal communities and vulnerable groups, with tailored programs such as Seasons for Healing. The project also promoted preparedness and resilience for future disasters, providing workshops and programs to help individuals cope with ongoing changes and losses, mental health support and early intervention strategies.
Furthermore, the project demonstrated economic viability and sustainability by providing cost-effective mental health solutions. By training program facilitators, the project expanded its reach, allowing for broader support within the community at a lower cost compared to individual counselling services. Overall, the project succeeded in enhancing disaster resilience through community empowerment, education, and support networks.
Climate Ready North Coast: Elevating the community sector for health resilience
Healthy North Coast
New South Wales
The North Coast of NSW is an identified disaster ‘hotspot’. Having experienced multiple major and catastrophic disasters in recent years, the region provides a unique testing ground for community resilience initiatives. Recognising that the community service sector plays a significant role emergency management and building community resilience, Healthy North Coast (HNC) has developed an approach that empowers and strengthens this vital sector.
HNC’s 2024 Community Wellbeing and Resilience (CWR) Program, builds upon the learnings from grant programs over the past four years, with over $5 million dollars of grant funds administered across the region. The CWR grant program funded through Commonwealth and NSW Government grants, aims to resource community-led, place-based initiatives that support disaster recovery and build community’s ability to face future cascading challenges.
The grant program has evolved to a Participatory Grantmaking approach, collaboratively developed with local community services. The grant program is seeking to strengthen partnerships and community connectedness, enabling a responsive approach to local needs and contexts. Participatory Grantmaking for community resilience encourages collaboration, knowledge and resource sharing, innovation, and taps into local insights and the creativity of diverse stakeholders.
We are already seeing the results of a connected, engaged and vibrant community sector. The 2024 Grantmaking round focuses on demonstrated outcomes and impact. With grant specifications such as: programs that increase local knowledge and leadership; build social capital, belonging and connection; and provide practical place-based solutions to address community needs.
This program is an evolving story, recognising that meaningful community work requires an ongoing dialogue, and demonstrable iteration. It builds upon the evidence for place-based, long-term resilience and systems enablers, providing a framework for innovative, coordinated, and sustainable action to adapt to future challenges.
Resilient Australia National School Award
State and territory winners in the school category will be considered for the Resilient Australia National School Award.
Finalist
Wellbeing win for Lismore South students!
Lismore South Public-School NSW Education
New South Wales
The 2022 floods in the Northern Rivers region of NSW significantly compromised community safety and wellbeing, highlighting the need for a proactive response to support children and young people on their journey to recovery. Lismore South Public School was significantly impacted, losing our school building in the floods and ¾ of our families also losing their homes. We realised the essential need to support our children and their families and offered the Stormbirds small group program to every student in the school with far reaching results.
Stormbirds is an evidence-informed small group education program explicitly designed to aid the recovery of children and young people in the aftermath of natural disasters. Typically offered 3-12 months following such events, the program empowers children and young people to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to understand and effectively respond to these experiences.
The program offers a safe learning environment, enabling children and young people to acknowledge their experiences, understand the normalcy of their emotional reactions, develop coping skills, make positive choices, set goals, and make decisions. The program also helps them build a peer support network, fostering a sense of belonging, and contributes to the restoration of self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-respect.
Stormbirds was central to our school’s recovery. The Stormbirds groups created connection and enabled a continuing bond between staff, students, and families as we navigated the uncertain future together after such a traumatic weather event in our community.
Resilient Australia National Photography Award
The People’s Choice photography winner in each state and territory will be considered for the Resilient Australia National Photography Award.
Finalists
Generations in Resilience
Marta Yebra
Australian Capital Territory
In "Generations in Resilience," I capture the timeless bond between a daughter and her 88-year-old father, transcending age and adversity. Through the intimate portrayal of their intertwined hands, I explore the profound resilience that emerges from familial love and support, particularly in the face of disasters and emergencies.
Fascinated by the power of human connection and the narratives embedded within everyday moments, I sought to convey the enduring strength and unwavering commitment that defines their relationship. The black-and-white aesthetic strips away distractions, focusing attention solely on their hands and the emotions they evoke. Through its simplicity, I aim to evoke a sense of timelessness and universality, inviting viewers to project their own experiences onto the image.
This image also serves as a reminder of the need to prioritise and care for our most vulnerable populations who may be disproportionately affected during times of disaster and emergencies. Through this artwork, I hope to inspire reflection on our collective responsibility to ensure the resilience and well-being of all members of our community.
"Cool Night Burning" Prescribed burning of an asset protection zone
Rolf Poole
New South Wales
This is a demonstration of living with fire and utilising prescribed burning methods to achieve a low intensity cool burn prescription, on the urban bushland interface.
Burning at night is advantageous to meet various objectives, when humidity is high, temperatures are low and when volunteers are available during the middle of the working week.
Characteristics of low intensity is low flame height, low scorch height, and a patchy mosaic burn pattern. The Australian bush has adapted to cool burning as a resilience tool.
Cool, patchy, mosaic burning can meet both asset protection and environmental objectives.
Carinbundi Clients Complete Emergency and Disaster Management Training
Tina Marshall
Queensland
People living with a disability can be among the most vulnerable in our community when disaster strikes - they are twice as likely to be injured or be socially isolated during a disaster.
While there have been resources prepared to help reduce the risk of danger for people with living disabilities during an emergency or disaster, the ability and capacity for people to fully utilise these resources is varied.
Carinbundi has identified a need for a more personal and direct approach to supporting people with disabilities to develop confidence and capability to act and feel safe should there be an emergency or disaster.
Carinbundi developed an Emergency and Disaster Management Preparedness Training Program specifically targeted to the needs of adults with disabilities, providing participants with the opportunity to consider, discuss and review their individual plans, as well as providing exposure to local emergency and other disaster response services and personnel, to broaden their knowledge, and expand their Circle of Trust.
Delivered at workshops with the involvement of local emergency services, including Bundaberg Regional Council, Qld Police Service, Qld Fire Department, Ambulance Services and the SES, clients attended weekly sessions, to talk about disaster preparedness and safety, and their own needs and plans. Sessions include talks and hands on presentations by disaster and emergency service professionals, with topics including how to be safe in a storm, who to call in an emergency and what to take and where to go if you need to evacuate.
This is a photo taken at the last workshop, where clients proudly received a certificate and their own Emergency Kit after successfully completing the 5-week program.
Resilience is understanding that everyone has different needs and needs to receive information in different ways.
Reflections: Riverland revival
Nicole Westbury
South Australia
The natural environment can teach us so much about resilience and adaptation, but we must stop and listen to understand her lessons. The pole (right) shows high-water levels dating back to 1870. It reminds us that flooding is part of the rivers natural cycle, upon which many native animals, trees and plants depend on.
We work together as one
Nikki Woods
Western Australia
In this powerful image, the essence of resilience in emergency services unfolds before our eyes. Amidst the chaos of a road crash rescue, an ambulance, a police car, a fire truck, and the rescue helicopter stand as symbols of hope and dedication. Against the backdrop of adversity, the crews of these appliances exemplify unwavering commitment to saving lives. It captures the resilience of the human spirit. The survivor, once a victim of circumstance, now stands tall, embodying the triumph of the human will. Her return and making contact with the brigade to express gratitude epitomises the profound impact of resilience in the face of adversity. This photo is a testament to the courage and resilience of both the rescuers and the rescued, showcasing the unbreakable spirit of emergency services and the power of humanity when we work together.