Community-Led Disaster Resilience webinar attracts interest from across Australia and New Zealand

On March 12, 2025 Resilient Villages joined forces with the NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) and the Local Community Services Association (LCSA) to host the Community-Led Disaster Resilience webinar.

The event showcased the vital resilience work engaged in by grass-roots community associations and organisations who are based in the Blue Mountains, Lithgow, Nepean and Hawkesbury areas and are working on the frontlines of disaster recovery and risk reduction for the benefit of their communities.

175 people registered for the event from diverse locations such as Perth, Darwin, Adelaide, Newcastle, Wollongong, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Melbourne, Canberra and Wellington, New Zealand. The webinar also included attendees from Brisbane who had only just felt the impacts of Cyclone Alfred. The cross country interest in this event reflects the reality that climate change is affecting all parts of Australia and the World and as local communities are often the first responders during disasters their role is becoming increasingly acknowledged and valued.

The MC of the event was Resilient Villages Project Lead, Anne Crestani, with other speakers including Cara Varian, Chief Executive Officer of the NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) and Can Jasmut - Executive Officer of the Local Community Services Association (LCSA). Representatives from a number local community groups also gave presentation such as the Megalong Valley Community & Landowners Association (MVCLA), Association of Bell, Clarence and Dargan (ABCD Inc.), the Macdonald Valley Association (MVA), the Mount Irvine Progress Association. Brett Henderson from Charles Sturt University and Kris Newton, Executive Officer, Mountains Community Resource Network (MCRN) where also involved in the panel discussion.

Each speaker spoke of the highs, lows, systemic challenges and astonishing achievements of community-led organisations such as that of the Bush Telegraph app developed by the MVCLA, new community hall project spearheaded by ABCD Inc, Rainforest Conservancy project by the Mount Irvine Progress Association and Connected and Prepared project developed by the Macdonald Valley Association among many other innovative and purposeful initiatives.

To view a full list of webinar speakers click here.

To view the webinar recording click here.