“For me being in the Mountains, resilience is all about community connections and working together to help each other out.. I believe if we stay together we can get through these floods and fires and whatever else is to come.”
Paul Glass, Kamilaroi Man and Lawson resident
Resilient Villages is a three-year pilot project which has been funded by the Federal Government’s Preparing Australian Communities Local Stream grant program, following the devastation of the 2019-20 bushfires.
The RV pilot project is one of a number of grant-funded projects in the Blue Mountains that have been underway since bushfires swept through the region in 2013, that aim to increase the resilience of our communities - street by street, one village at a time.
About
“Resilience to me means being able to bounce back, it means having a sense of optimism and trying to know that things will turn out ok in the end.”
Pru Jobling, resident of the Megalong Valley for over 28 years
For the community, by the community..
One defining feature of the Resilient Villages project is that its vision is to see communities lead the engagement and consultation process at the grass-roots level.
The RV team understand that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to managing the complex processes of response, recovery, and resilience cycles.
As each community has its own, unique set of geographical, cultural and historical features that inform its response to, and recovery from disasters, we believe that these processes and features must be managed by the people that understand them the best - the community themselves.
Rather than enacting a top-down approach where decisions are made outside the community or are made by government or other formal authorities, we believe that community-led resilience building starts and continues with listening and collaborating on the priorities of community members.
“I think interestingly, it’s in the times of stress that the community really comes together and sometimes those things have to happen for you to realise that you can rely on your neighbours and friends to help you through.”
Simon Anderson, resident of the Megalong Valley
How the Resilient Villages project can support your community
The RV Team has specialist skills and many years of experience in:
planning for a resilient future
sharing inspiring stories & great ideas
community consultation & workshop facilitation
establishing & strengthening community communications
assisting with the coordination of community events
linking community groups with specialists
strengthening grant writing skills
connecting communities
broadening social & professional networks
(P-CEP) Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness training
We look forward to listening and learning from you, while assisting you in the important and meaningful process of strengthening resilience in your community.
If you have a question or a project that you’d like to discuss with us, please contact Joanna Brown, Resilience Coordinator via the button below: