Resilient Australia Awards 2024 Winners
South Australian Winners - 2024 resilient Australia Awards
The Resilient Australia Awards celebrate and promote initiatives that build whole of community resilience to disasters and emergencies around Australia, as well as images capturing resilience in action. The awards recognise collaboration and innovative thinking across all sectors.
The Resilient Australia Awards is proudly sponsored by the Australian Government in partnership with the states and territories and managed by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR).
The awards recognise outstanding contributions in each state and territory across seven categories: business, community, government, local government, mental health and wellbeing, school, and photography.
The awards recognise a wide range of initiatives with past projects centred on risk assessment and mitigation, mental health and wellbeing, education, training and research, and community engagement, as well as response and recovery.
State and territory winners are considered for national awards, along with projects entered directly to the national awards – projects selected as national finalists benefit from national exposure through a range of communication channels.
In 2024 South Australian State level winners were presented at a ceremony, hosted by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC Governor of South Australia.
Government Award, WINNER
Artlab Australia, History Trust of SA and SAFECOM
Strengthening Disaster Resilience Training for South Australian Community Museums
Community museums are custodians of unique knowledge and heritage, weaving the stories of their communities. They are seen as necessary keeping places of stories, memories and objects integral to the health and wellbeing of their local communities. Museums across the state offer their communities places to reflect and remember, they offer new audiences and community members a way into the community through its history. Museums help build resilience.
The care and upkeep of collections is both expensive and labour intensive and can be stressful for community and volunteer groups in the event of a disaster. This groundbreaking initiative represented a pioneering effort in South Australia to enhance disaster resilience within community museums across both metropolitan and regional areas. By equipping these museums and their volunteers with essential skills such as disaster preparedness, risk assessments, and emergency protocols, the initiative ensured a robust disaster response through comprehensive training and resource provision.
Furthermore, the project fostered collaboration between emergency management and emergency services stakeholders and cultural heritage organisations, another first in South Australia. This collaboration, through a one-day forum and establishment of a network, has and will continue to enhance partnerships across the sectors, fortifying the response to protect South Australia’s unique heritage.
Government Award Winner - ArtLAB Australia, History Trust of SA and SAFECOM
Government Award, HIGHLY COMMENDED
Department for Housing and Urban Development – Planning and Land Use Services
River Murray Flood Resilience Code Amendment
In December 2022 and January 2023, there was significant flooding along the River Murray through the Riverland and Murraylands. Over 3000 properties were damaged with many houses or other buildings requiring complete rebuild or significant repair. The flood was the second largest on record only behind the catastrophic 1956 flood event and the first of such a magnitude since 1974. As a result, there was widespread evidence of buildings not being designed to be resilient to such an event.
There was therefore a need for the State Government, working closely with affected Councils and other key stakeholders to urgently review planning policies along the river to ensure lessons learnt from the flood were captured in updated and strengthened policies quickly put in place to ensure more resilient development is rebuilt to withstand future similar events.
In May 2023, the Chief Executive of the Department for Trade and Investment (with approval of the Minister for Planning) initiated the River Murray Flood Resilience Code Amendment. By the end of June 2023, the draft Code Amendment was made operational, following detailed and collaborative work by the Planning and Land Use Services division of DTI working closely with a working group comprising Council and other state agency staff and broader industry representatives.
A key feature of the Code Amendment is considered to be a nation leading example of planning information being made easily accessible through technology, with future flood events being modelled and higher risk settlements areas spatially mapped with minimum finished floor levels for rebuilding being assigned to each risk area.
Local Government Award, WINNER
City of Campbelltown
Cool Spaces for Summer 2023/2024 Program
Campbelltown City Council’s Cool Spaces for Summer 2023/2024 (Cool Spaces Trial) was a program to trial the provision of climate safe spaces for our community during extreme heatwaves occurring in the Summer of 2023/2024.
In Eastern Adelaide, climate change has meant an increase in extreme weather events and heatwaves. While heat can be dangerous for everyone, some of our community members are more vulnerable than others, including older people, young children, those with underlying chronic health issues or a disability and low income earners. The project was initiated to ensure all of our community members, especially vulnerable groups, had accessible options to stay safe in the heat.
In 2023, Council initiated a Cool Refuges Investigation Project (Investigation) to understand community needs and preferences and which informed the development of the subsequent Cool Spaces Trial. The Investigation focused on understanding of community adaptation preferences, whether there is a need for cool spaces, and whether current public facilities meet those needs. The purpose of the Cool Spaces Trial was to trial the implementation of ‘cool spaces’ in two facilities in the Campbelltown area during extreme heatwaves occurring in February/March 2024 to better understand community preferences, logistics and resources required.
The result was a successful Cool Spaces Trial, with over 300 residents accessing the cool spaces to escape an extreme heatwave in March 2024. Targeted promotion, catering, 'Healthy in the Heat' education, programmed activities and transport to and from the cool spaces were provided as part of the program. Council received really positive feedback from both the Campbelltown and general community about the trial, and actively promoted and shared learnings with the intention that this would inform the development of a future cool spaces emergency response program that will benefit the wider Australian community.
Local Government Award Winner - City of Campbelltown
Local Government Award, HIGHLY COMMENDED
City of Onkaparinga
Coastal Adaptation Planning for Climate Resilient Coastal Communities
Our Plan is built on a foundation of evidence and an adaptive management approach to enhance community and stakeholder confidence, understanding and awareness of coastal hazards, fostering proactive preparedness. Locally led initiatives and strategies ensure resilience efforts are inclusive, representative and benefit our communities into the future.
The purpose of the Plan is to provide evidence-based actions to reduce risk and enhance community resilience to 2030, informed by research to 2100 in recognition of the long-term nature of coastal change.
Integration into decision-making processes at all governance levels establishes a framework for sustainable, long-term resilience beyond immediate responses. Actions range from physical works to citizen science projects, advocacy and coordinating efforts with the community, state agencies and other partners.
Through strategic partnerships and collaboration, Onkaparinga generates valuable knowledge and insights that contribute to Australia's broader capacity to prepare for, mitigate and recover from climate emergencies. By influencing leaders to prioritize resilience in decision-making, the Plan fosters a culture where resilience benefits are recognized and valued, driving increased buy-in and investment.
Business Award, HIGHLY COMMENDED
Resilient Ready
Translating government data into micro-learning modules and small business insurance talks.
In 2022, the South Australian Office for Small and Family Business (within the Department for Industry, Innovation and Science) published a ‘Small Business Statewide Engagement: Summary of Insights report.
These findings highlight key areas of concern relating to the gap of risk reduction and resilience related knowledge and behaviours of the people behind the small businesses.
This project translated the findings into a Business Community Resilience (BCR) Toolkit program where 89 local business people benefited from online micro-learning modules, and could attend local workshops to connect and discuss their concerns.
Data findings reports have provided future areas of capability building directly relevant to the business communities of Upper Spencer Gulf and Limestone Coast – which the local DIIS representatives, business chambers and associations or Councils can focus on to strengthen the local community.
In addition, Small Business Insurance Talks were delivered across the South Australian state inviting all small business people to share their current understanding, and future needs, to ensure their insurance had relevant and applicable insurance.
Launched by the South Australian Small and Family Business Minister, the resulting White Paper provides realistic recommendations that have been presented to the Insurance Council of Australia and National Insurance Brokers Association to drive positive systemic change.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Award, WINNER
Growing With Gratitude, Bushfire Kids Connect and Maker Empire
Naturally Brave
Mental Health and Wellbeing Award Winners - Growing with Gratitude, Bushfire Kids Connect and Makers Empire
The Naturally Brave project is a forward-thinking initiative in disaster risk reduction, leveraging advanced 3D technology to engage and empower youth. Spearheaded by GWG, Bushfire Kids Connect, and Makers Empire, this collaborative effort aims to in-still disaster ready skills in young individuals, particularly those in communities at risk of natural disasters. The project emphasises youth participation in its design and execution, fostering shared responsibility and a deeper understanding of disaster risks.
Central to Naturally Brave is the use of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) to prepare young people for disaster resilience. The project includes an innovative online module for schools, co-created by students, featuring activities and lessons on disaster preparedness. This approach not only aids those affected by disasters but also nurtures empathy and readiness among others.
A key objective is to enhance the volunteering culture among the youth, encouraging them to become active change agents in their communities. This aligns with the project's goal of cultivating future community leaders equipped to tackle disaster resilience challenges in Western Australia.
Naturally Brave emphasises 'student voice' and utilises 3D technology and STEM to enable students to identify and address disaster risks in their localities. By engaging students in creating actionable disaster risk reduction plans, the project aims to develop positive, resilient, and community-minded young individuals.
Photography Award Winner
Nicole Westbury
Reflections: Riverland revival
Photography Award Winner - Nicole Westbury
The natural environment can teach us so much about resilience and adaptation, but we must stop and listen to understand her lessons. The pole (right) shows high-water levels dating back to 1870. It reminds us that flooding is part of the rivers natural cycle, upon which many native animals, trees and plants depend on.