How can we better support and sustain Australia's emergency management volunteers in the face of increasing disasters?
Attendees joined the November Hazardous Webinar from 11:00am–12:00pm AEDT on 19 November 2025 to help launch of the Emergency Management Sustainable Volunteering Blueprint, a national framework designed to strengthen and sustain Australia’s volunteer capacity in disaster response and recovery.
The Blueprint brings together insights from research, practice and national policy to address one of the most pressing challenges in emergency management, ensuring our volunteer workforce remains strong, supported and ready for the future.
Panel:
- Prof Roger Jones (Victoria University and Natural Hazards Research Australia)
- Celeste Young (Victoria University and Natural Hazards Research Australia)
- Alison McLeod (AFAC Volunteer Management Technical Group)
- Danielle Meggos (NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet)
The Emergency Management Sustainable Volunteer Blueprint was developed as part of the Emergency management volunteering: more than just words project. This was conceived with a clear goal in mind – to move the emergency management sector beyond discussing challenges for emergency management volunteering and the need for change within the sector into practical, tangible action that addresses long-standing challenges.
This webinar showcased how the Blueprint was developed, how it is already being implemented by organisations across the sector and how it aligns with national initiatives to support Australia’s volunteer emergency workforce.
Following the presentations, a panel discussion explored the opportunities and challenges of sustaining volunteer capacity across different parts of the emergency management system - from research to practice to national coordination.
Watch the webinar replay below.