The Australian disaster resilience workforce primarily comprises volunteers who go above and beyond to enhance the safety, resilience and sustainability of our communities. Last week was National Volunteer Week, a time to celebrate and acknowledge the efforts of all volunteers across Australia. Specifically for our sector, 18 May was Wear Orange Wednesday, a day dedicated to recognising the tens of thousands of State Emergency Service volunteers nationwide. Our SES volunteers are on hand whenever they’re needed and, by the nature of what they do, it is often in less-than-ideal weather and late at night. Emergency volunteers are the backbone of Australia’s disaster response, and we thank them all.
The future emergency management workforce, including volunteers, is an issue of strategic importance given last month’s Defence Strategic Review and the Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience investigations, the latter of which the Centre appeared before. The Centre’s research program acknowledges workforce as an important aspect of Australia’s disaster resilience and continues to build upon the successful Workforce 2030 research alongside our participant organisations. On the Workforce 20230 research, I’d encourage you to listen to the recent episode of the Me, Myself & Disaster podcast dedicated to this topic, featuring an in-depth discussion with our Node Research Manager Dr Blythe McLennan.
In other news, the recent Natural Hazards Research Forum, held in the first week of May at RMIT University in Melbourne, was an outstanding success. The event brought together 400 researchers and industry representatives to collaborate on the Centre’s research program. The Forum agenda showcased much of the new research we are investing in and enabled further development opportunities for our 31 postgraduate students, with a session dedicated to help them explore research impact, climate science and communications. Don’t forget that you can replay the Forum sessions via our YouTube channel and see the presentations and posters on our website. I have also recorded a short video recap – see below.
At the Forum, we launched the findings of our post-flood social research, recently completed in New South Wales and Queensland. This comprehensive research, as outlined in an engaging launch presentation by research leader A/Prof Mel Taylor (Macquarie University), provides evidence-based policy insights into community members’ experiences of floods and is already being used to aid decision makers. A similar post-flood project is now underway in Tasmania. You can learn more and download the research reports here. I encourage you to watch A/Prof Mel Taylor and NSW SES Deputy Commissioner Daniel Austin talk about the research here.
In other recent happenings, the Centre held an End-User Advisory Panel meeting in Canberra in May to discuss the drafted 2023-25 Biennial Research Plan, as well as showcasing our research to ACT and Australian Government stakeholders. Myself and our Board also attended the National Emergency Services Memorial Service on 12 May to honour those who have lost their lives in service of our communities.
The Disaster Challenge is now underway, building on our successful inaugural Challenge in 2022. I can’t wait to hear all the new and innovative ideas to solve our 2023 wicked problem: ‘In the midst of disruption, chaos and calamity, how can resources from across society be accessed and connected in new and innovative ways to improve disaster response and link those who have the resources and supports with those that are most in need?’. Entries close 25 May.
As I continue to travel across the country in the coming months, I look forward to engaging with you all and collaborating on research to enhance the safety, resilience and sustainability of our communities.