FUTURES EXPO SERIES
Resilient Towns Initiative
Prioritising communitycentred approaches to improve resilience to disaster
Pilot Program
While community-centred disaster approaches are widely considered the ‘ gold standard ’ in disaster recovery and preparedness , they are often very hard to achieve . This is largely due to the top-down approaches employed by implementing organisations .
This initiative tested an approach to action planning that believes people are creative and capable , and that outsiders are convenors , catalysts , and facilitators . The approach employs serendipity , opportunism , and community-driven starting points rather than pre-prescribed outcomes from outsiders . The chief aim is to ensure that activities are locally owned and locally driven .
From day one , the project engaged with existing organisations ( Anglicare , Red Cross , and Snowy Valleys Council ), local community groups , businesses , and youth groups to support long-term actions . The team hosted planning workshops with local communities across seven towns , beginning with the question , ‘ How can we make our communities safer ?’
Key capabilities
> Methodology : action planning to facilitate community-centred planning
> Innovation : embracing serendipity to identify / support community champions
> Skills : enabling a framework that supports local decisionmaking and action
Differentiators
> Bottom-up community-centred approach
Key customers
> State government agencies > Local organisations > Community members
Key partnerships
> NSW Reconstruction Agency > Australian Red Cross > Anglicare
Sustainable development goals
> Sustainable cities and communities
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