Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Joint Committee on Harmful Algal Blooms in South Australia, offering insight into how community-led disaster and economic resilience can play a central role in addressing the ongoing environmental and economic impacts of harmful algal blooms in the state.
Read ABV’s submission in full.
For more than 40 years, ABV has empowered communities across Australia, Asia, and the Pacific, to strengthen local economies, and build adaptive and sustainable communities. Drawing on our experience working alongside small businesses, First Nations leaders, and community groups, ABV’s submission highlights that community-led programs to strengthen resilient local economies today are essential to reducing the long-term effects of natural hazards like algal blooms tomorrow.
At the heart of our input is ABV’s Disaster and Economic Resilience Framework — an evidence-based approach that equips communities to lead their own preparedness, planning, and adaptation. Through facilitated cross-sector workshops, volunteer mentoring, and partnership brokering across corporate, government and philanthropic sectors, ABV unlocks the power of local knowledge, hyper-local solutions, and networks for sustainable impact.
Since the Black Summer bushfires, ABV has delivered over 175 community-led resilience projects across 16 disaster-affected local government areas, with tangible outcomes ranging from small business regeneration in Mallacoota and Orbost to tourism renewal in Braidwood and a co-designed cultural burning collaboration with Bateman’s Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council. These examples demonstrate how community-driven action builds local capacity to manage disruption, build critical networks, and preserve economic continuity.
In our submission, ABV urges the Committee to invest in community-led strategies that protect local industries—such as aquaculture, tourism, and small business economies. ABV recommends the committee consider:
As outlined in the Colvin Review (2024) and Glasser Review (2023), investment in prevention and resilience yields strong returns, with community-led models delivering a 13:1 economic benefit. These approaches not only reduce disaster impacts but also support mental health, housing stability, and social cohesion in affected regions.
At ABV, we’re committed to walking alongside communities—before, during, and after crises—to ensure they have the skills, relationships, and pathways to recover and thrive.
For more information about ABV’s submission or to partner in building resilient local economies, contact us.
