DR:FR Burnett Inland

A group of people gather around a central table, in a park, working together and chatting

When community members, local organisations and regional stakeholders collaborate and build their knowledge of climate risks in the local area, they become better leaders and are better equipped to facilitate community-driven innovation processes.

Over the next three years, FRRR and local lead partner Red Earth Community Foundation will work in collaboration with Minderoo Foundation, leveraging their networks, expertise and adaptable approach towards community resilience planning to support local partner communities in the Burnett Inland region to strengthen their resilience. This work is also supported by the Australian Government, through the National Emergency Management Agency, under the Preparing Australian Communities Program – Local Stream.

The focus is on community-led, resilience-building activities – with the agenda and solutions driven by local people, for local people across the Burnett Inland. Learn more below.

Building disaster readiness in Burnett Inland

The Disaster Resilient: Future Ready (DR:FR) Burnett Inland program leverages the evidence and experience we have gained from applying the DR:FR model in New South Wales and Victoria to activate community-led resilience building activities.

The aim of the program is to develop and lead initiatives that strengthen awareness, increase preparedness, and enhance the capacity of the local community to thrive and be resilient to the impacts of climate, disasters, and other disruptions. This includes building local knowledge of climate risks, catalysing leadership, fostering collaboration, and facilitating community-driven innovation processes to develop and activate strategic actions and strategies that:

  • Strengthen community capacity to positively adapt and evolve to change and disruption.
  • Increase disaster preparedness to better mitigate, avoid, withstand, and/or recover more effectively from the increasing effects of natural hazards such as bushfires and floods.
  • Improve community wellbeing and enhance resilience so communities can grow and flourish.

This program is for partner communities only, and not for public application.

The pace of the program will be based on the individual needs of each community and activities may include capacity building workshops, facilitated community conversations, community building and engagement events, co-design workshops, relationship and network building, and activation of priority initiatives.

Partnering communities will also have access to flexible funding for activities that enhance their capacity to thrive and be resilient to the impacts of climate, natural disasters, and other disruptions. A stream of activities will also be convened to support collaboration across regional agencies and organisations and the development of regional-level resilience building initiatives for collective impact across the region.

As activity gets underway, we will share updates here. If you have any questions in the meantime, contact FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, Nina O’Brien or Red Earth’s General Manager, Amanda Woodward.

More information

The first iteration of the Disaster Resilient: Future Ready model was piloted in three communities in New South Wales. In response to learnings from the pilot project and new research and practices in disaster recovery and community-led resilience, the model was reviewed and adapted for the Victorian iteration in 2021-2023 before also being introduced for this latest iteration; DR:FR Queensland.

If you are interested in learning more about the DR:FR initiative, including its background and model, visit www.frrr.org.au/drfr.

We also encourage you to explore this Critical Dimensions of Community-Led Resilience Building summary.