Stage one of the implementation of the Queensland Neighbourhood Centres Strategy for Bushfire Resilience 2021-2023 has just been completed, and Neighbourhood and Community Centres and their communities are far more disaster-resilient thanks to their collective actions over the past year.

An amazing 85% of applicable Neighbourhood Centres participated in the strategy. These 21 Centres kicked goals toward the following bushfire resilience strategies:

Strategy A: Raise awareness among Disaster Management representatives of the capacity of NCCs to respond to the needs of Bushfire affected communities.

Strategy B: Continue to build relationships with Local Disaster Management Groups (LDMGs) and explore collaborative ways to enhance community resilience to bushfire.

Strategy C: Develop a process for managing and supporting volunteers.

Strategy D: Develop a business continuity plan template for Neighbourhood Centres.

Strategy E: Enhance collaboration and resource sharing among Neighbourhood Centres.

Some key project achievements by Neighbourhood Centres and NCQ included:

  • Developed and presented key messaging of the role and value of Neighbourhood Centres in bushfire and disaster resilience
  • Strengthened new and existing relationships with LDMGs (including a range of levels), other local/state/national organisations and between Neighbourhood Centres
  • Developed and promoted Centre’s bushfire and disaster related stories of impact
  • 14 Centres hosted community disaster preparedness sessions with over 300 people, many of whom are marginalised or disadvantaged
  • Distribution of items of need to vulnerable people, particularly through discussions with people in homelessness Eg. wind up torch/radio/chargers, ponchos, plastic sheets, QFES preparation kits
  • Centres shared resources for use by other Centres
  • Hosted 6 online workshops for Centres with the Australian Red Cross, CSIA and GIVIT and prepared 3 future workshops.
  • Developed a guide for Centres seeking spontaneous volunteers
  • Development of business continuity planning

In summary of this project, as one Centre stated, “this has been a valuable project that has provided Neighbourhood Centres with a base from which they can grow from”.

This implementation project was jointly funded under the Commonwealth and State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

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Published: 28 June, 2022

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