We aren't ready.
We aren't ready enough for another massive fire or flood event.
Many Australians echo this sentiment.
During the 2019-2020 fires, 80% of the country was affected by smoke, drastically reducing air quality.
Living in a city doesn't exclude you from risk.
Four hundred fifty people (according to the CSIRO) are estimated to have died of smoke inhalation and effects after the fires, and we won't know the long-term impacts of this for many years to come.
This isn't someone else's problem.
But there is hope.
Our consultations with the community show how many grassroots projects are standing up to solve complex issues with localised energy grids, food banks, portable solar stations, and so much more.
Funding for recovery seems limited to 3-year cycles, which is not long enough to support these incredible grassroots projects, so despite the ingenuity and persistence of community groups, they are at risk of folding.
We must not ignore or under fund these projects.
They are critical for maintaining and building social cohesion and in the next weather event.
Their importance cannot be overstated.
The time for resourcing these initiatives is now.
#HowWeSurvive
What an incredible journey through East Gippsland Shire!
ABV team George Barrett and Neil Smith travelled an area of 20,940 kilometres with Assoc. Professor Maxine Kelly from Deakin University to meet with community stakeholders as part of our Victoria program's engagement.
Being community-led means before we can work in a community, we first need to understand the landscape, ask what is needed, and then sit and listen. Once we have a deep understanding, we can bring our resources where they will work best.
It was great to see some familiar faces of people we had previously connected with while working in Victoria. Authentic relationships are how we build trust, which is essential for our support to work.
The team met with representatives from Swifts Creek Community Centre, Wairewa Hall, Gippsland Shire Council, Future of Orbost & District, Benambra Community Neighbourhood House, Omeo and Lakes Entrance.
Each town we visited presented its unique set of challenges and strengths, but what was truly inspiring was the shared spirit of resilience and innovation. This unity in diversity is a powerful reminder of the incredible potential within our regional communities.
Our team feel privileged to have witnessed this firsthand and are excited about the future of these communities.
Neil and George are pictured at the community BBQ with Louise Oswald from the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Maxine Kelly from Deakin University (Resilient Regions Program Partner).
Key program highlights and impact numbers from our NSW Program which has ended after 22 months of supporting the communities in the Snowy Valleys and the South Coast of NSW.
ABV is exploring how to continue supporting NSW communities. We have helped community organisations with business plans, sustainability scoping and disaster preparedness.
Expanding on the success of this program in New South Wales, we are now turning our attention to the East Gippsland region of Victoria to determine where our business support would be most beneficial. The community of East Gippsland was heavily impacted by the 2020 fires and continues to endure the ongoing effects of the disaster.
The Program was jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments through the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF)
We are thrilled to announce our Resilient Regions program.
Collaborating with Deakin University we are engaging in Victoria’s Gippsland region to help prepare the community for future severe weather events.
Jointly funded by the Victorian Government under the flagship Disaster Ready Fund, the program reduces risk exposure for businesses and builds community resilience.
Over three years, we will facilitate workshops and community meetings and bring 150+ skilled volunteers alongside to build capacity of small business and community organisations.
Deakin University is working with us to build a research piece on the collaboration between communities and the business sector.
Our team is already on the ground engaging with agencies and community organisations to scope out where our skilled volunteers and networks can provide extra support.
Victorian Country Hour - ABC listen (at 7 minutes)
ABV Resilient Regions – Capable Communities implementation team L – R: Oscar Mussons (Program Director, Australia), Natascha Wernick (Program Facilitator), Moneesha Reynolds (Marketing Manager), George Barrett (Senior Program Manager, Gippsland), Martin Sharp (Skilled Business Volunteer), Neil Smith (Program Coordinator, Gippsland) Yujin Lee (Program Officer - not pictured)
The ABV Capable Communities Program has ended after 22 months of supporting the communities in the Snowy Valley and the South Coast of NSW.
To honour the dedication of our community partners, collect feedback, and hand over the community projects to the funder, Reconstruction Authority, the team at ABV hit the road for a six-day roadshow to meet with those we've worked with for one last time.
Over the last 22 months, our skilled business volunteers and expert staff have supported community organisations with business plans, sustainability scoping and disaster preparedness.
Image: ABV Team, Nat and George with Reconstruction Authority rep Bryan Smith.
These are areas that were heavily affected by the 2019/2020 bushfires; the trauma of that time is still held by the residents today.
The first day of the roadshow was spent in Tumbarumba, on the southwest slopes of the Snowy Mountains. In this community, our team worked with the Chamber of Commerce to build its business capacity and assigned volunteers to support several businesses and not-for-profits.
The second stop was Aruluen. It was a chilly -2 morning under the dramatic ranges that hold the valley. Four years after the fires, you can still see the scars on the mountains where it surrounded the town. Our volunteers assisted the Araluen Federal Hall Association develop a marketing plan after their rebuild. The hall has become a community hub, hosting movie nights, markets, birthdays, and selling local jams and spreads to fund back into the hall.
Representatives from the Braidwood Business Chamber also attended. ABV led two tourism development workshops to support the communities in creating a tourism corridor between Canberra and the South Coast, positioning Braidwood as a destination rather than just a rest stop on the way through.
The roadshow then hit the South Coast, to connect back in with a few community organisations we've supported, including the Moruya Compost Club, Repurpose for Resilience, and the South Coast Health and Sustainability Alliance (SHASA).
SHASA is currently focusing on adding solar panels to the new Eurobodalla hospital, for which ABV volunteers helped with the feasibility study. These panels would act as a shade for the carpark and power what will be one of the council's largest energy expenses.
The Compost Club was matched with two long-serving volunteers, who acted as their "business brain" to promote sustainable food practices to the community more widely. The team was lucky to visit the composting site and see the operation (and the worms) in action.
The team then visited Repurpose for Resilience, a solar panel recycler and innovator. We were enthusiastically shown solar innovations, including an outdoor table made from a panel. Although our volunteer match wasn't successful, we reconnected to take feedback. We saw the progression of their projects, including a solar truck and a portable power station. Accessible energy is essential in times of disaster when power goes down and services are shut off.
The team took a final site visit to Wallaga Lakes Aboriginal Community, where we worked with engineering firm Arup to help develop another access road to provide a safe way in and out during disasters. Merriman's Local Aboriginal Land Council identified this project as essential, as the community was left to fend for themselves in the fires. We had the privilege of seeing the planned road and other sites inside the reserve.
Our final day was in the seaside community of Eden, where we were lucky enough to have the Mayor and a councillor join the discussion inside the historic log cabin. We led a disaster preparedness workshop in Eden in March 2023, which the community still use today.
Listening to the communities passionately discuss their ongoing priorities had challenging moments but was important in a safe space for sharing. The Reconstruction Authority team attended each of these gatherings to hear what the community had been working on, and it also provided a chance to raise questions.
The ABV team's sadness to be leaving is mixed with anticipation for future collaborations. The roadshow not only marked the end of a chapter but also highlighted the importance of meeting face-to-face and solidifying bonds. ABV believes in the transformative power of community-centred resilience initiatives.
Funding note: The Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
View all Roadshow Photos here.
For this year’s World Environment Day, the theme is Generation Restoration. Restoration means building fire, flood, and drought resilience. Today, ABV is reminded of the incredible lessons we learned at the Cultural Burning Conference facilitated with the Bateman's Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council in 2023.
You may have heard the term "cultural burning", but wondered how this practice is different to other methods. Keep reading to find out.
Hazard reduction burning involves deliberately starting fires under controlled conditions to clear out low-lying flammable material, sometimes called "prescribed" burning. It is not the same as "back burning", which is done as a last resort to try to slow down an approaching wildfire by stripping the ground of vegetation. Currently fire management agencies use a combination of the techniques.
Cultural burning is creating healthy country to encourage endemic (found in the specific area) species and country that holds fire resilience which can be understood through relationship to the land and reading indicators.
At the conference, delegates witnessed the calmness of the process. Everyone was walking and talking around the fire with no sense of danger, which shocked some of the agencies who have seen burning in action before.
Cultural burning takes a holistic approach, intertwining spiritual, social, and environmental aspects. The difference with a cultural burn is that the fire burns "low and slow", preserving the integrity of the soil and preventing regrowth for longer than typical backburning methods. The heat point doesn't damage the earth and promotes the growth of the natives of the area that are used for medicine and are fed on by the wildlife.
Above: Adam Nye, Walbunja Ranger teaching the group about medicinal plants and bush tucker.
When a fire is too rapid and hot, invasive species grow back as other seeds are destroyed. The bush that grows back is dense and at a high risk of igniting in hot conditions. We watched as insects and lizards slowly moved away from the fire, demonstrating that the circular shape of the fire allows time and space for wildlife to escape instead of running towards the fire in confusion.
The Walbunja Rangers shared with us that their connection to country underpins all their practice of putting fire down. Observing migratory/behavioural patterns of wildlife, foliage density, species types which then provide a guide for when to burn. The "when" is perhaps what we have gotten most wrong with other hazard reduction methods. Often, we have been too late leading to disasters like 2007’s Black Saturday and the 2019-2020 Black Summer.
Above: Rangers Andrew White and Adam Nye bending the stems of the low-lying plants to prevent the fire jumping up to the canopy leaves.
Cultural burning has been a practice for over 60,000 years that First Nations people have used to protect and regenerate the land, yet it is not incorporated into mainstream prevention methods.
There is currently no cultural fire land management legislative and policy conventions across National Parks, Crown Lands, State Parks, Forestry Corp, Council land and private land.
Please share this article to help educate and raise awareness about this practice.
Visit https://www.walbunjarangers.com.au/ for more information.
#GenerationRestoration #WorldEnvironmentDay
The new Kiah Community Hall was officially opened this week, marking a fresh chapter for the community.
It has been a four-year journey to open this beautiful new hall, which took the dedication of the Bega Valley Shire Council, the hall committee, and partners such as ABV and Arup. The original Kiah Hall and the Kiah Catholic Church were destroyed in the 2020 black summer bushfires.
MP Kirsty McBain, who cut the ribbon at the opening, said, "Country halls are the heart and soul of communities, a gathering place of connection especially in times of trauma."
In seeing the stunning, finished result, we want to recognise the tireless efforts of the committee and the volunteers behind bringing this hall to fruition.
It's important to remember that a lot of work goes on behind the scenes in projects like this. In 2021, the former Bega MP Andrew Constance and Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick secured funding for the hall rebuild under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund.
However, this rebuild would require additional funding. The committee pooled resources from the generous donations to the Hall fund and Hall's insurance money to purchase the Church ground from the Pambula Catholic Parish. The Church ground proved a much better location to build the new hall.
The Kiah Hall project had hit a roadblock: A road safety concept plan was required to get building approval for the hall. There is a dangerous turn-off from the Princes Highway onto Kiah Hall Road. Because of this, the building development application required approval for an intersection road safety concept plan from Transport NSW.
A key problem: no funding was factored in for the road safety plan, so the project stalled again.
At the time, Arup engineers and ABV were already working on road remediation plans in Kiah to repair roads the fire had destroyed. While in the area, the need for a road safety concept plan for Kiah Hall arose.
In October 2022, Australian Business Volunteers facilitated a powerful collaboration between the Council's Kiah Hall Project Management lead team, Gemma Gill, Mark Baker, Clare McMahon and members of the Arup team, Ed Rowe, Glenda Yiu, Brad Massey, and Alex Duffy.
Arup's expertise was pro-bono to avoid additional costs not covered by the funding. An intersection road safety plan is a significant cost, and the entire Arup project is estimated at 60-80k of donated expertise.
Because of this delay with the road safety requirements, they risked having to return the funding if they didn't meet their March 2023 deadline. Fortunately, they were granted an extension to June 2024.
Once Arup got involved, it took them less than three months to complete the road safety concept plans. Without this road safety plan, the hall wouldn't have been able to be constructed. Transport NSW approved the hall development within a month of receiving Arup's plans.
Senior Program Manager George Barrett attended the ribbon-cutting, with Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick, State MP Dr. Michael Holland, MP Kristy McBain and Committee Member John Thorpe, standing in for the sadly missed Clare McMahon.
Image source: 2ec News - Jame Fennessy
The Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
As our Capable Communities program draws to a close, our ABV team is hitting the road to celebrate, thank and reflect with the communities we’ve walked alongside since 2022.
ABV is proud to have been on this journey with communities across the shires of Snowy Valley, Bega Valley, Eurobodalla and Queanbeyan-Palerang to create lasting short- and long-term solutions to building the resilience necessary to withstand the environmental challenges to come.
An overview of the program:
Since October 2022, we have facilitated almost 1,000 hours (about 1 and a half months) of pro bono work over 25 ABV projects with 25 ABV Skilled Business Professionals (volunteers), 6 Arup pro bono projects with 26 infrastructure engineers and technical specialists as well as 14 industry expert volunteers across 3 ABV economic resilience and cultural fire projects.
Among the projects completed since 2022, several stand out as significant highlights in our efforts to support disaster preparedness and economic resilience in regional communities. The co-facilitated Cultural Burning Conference with the Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council (BBLALC) emerged as a pivotal event to foster collaboration among Local Aboriginal Land Councils, emergency services, and government agencies on cultural burning practices.
The economic resilience workshops, conducted in partnership with the Tumbarumba Chamber of Commerce and the Braidwood and Villages Business Chamber, helped strengthen local businesses, preparing them for the unpredictable and volatile economic circumstances that come with increased climate disasters. Hazard mapping exercises developed in Eden and Tumbarumba, in collaboration with Disaster Relief Australia (DRA), resulted in the formation of working groups and community-led initiatives to bolster disaster response capabilities.
These projects, alongside collaborations such as brokering relationships and partnerships, for example, between the BBLALC and the Braidwood community, exemplify our dedication to fostering resilient networks and partnerships across sectors.
Capable Communities Roadshow event information (17 -21 June):
During the week of 17-21 June, the ABV team of Oscar, George, Natascha, and Moneesha will be holding a series of meetings across the region with the NSW Reconstruction Authority.
These sessions aim to further develop the community stakeholders' disaster and economic resilience projects. As ABV continues to advocate for communities to lead their resilience-building activities and shape improved public policy and resources to facilitate a community-led model. These meetings will also include an evaluation component to assess how our program outcomes were achieved.
This project is being facilitated by Australian Business Volunteers and is funded by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) which is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
ABV was brought in to work alongside the Braidwood Villages Business Chamber to do what we do best: bringing in experts and strengthening the chamber's networks. After regular meetings and consultations, a tourism corridor project was discussed. This project is the brainchild of ABV’s volunteer, Professor Brian Roberts, who has replicated this successful model in several developing countries for the United Nations.
The purpose of the Tourism Corridor is to facilitate the recovery of businesses in disaster-affected areas by boosting tourism. Tourism corridors link groups of tourism assets together such as wineries and biking trails, motivating visitors to explore the area. This drives up trade for local businesses, which is crucial to building back post fires.
Within those networks, ABV has brought in tourism leaders from Canberra, New Zealand, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council and the South Coast. Since August 2023, we've been working on the Braidwood Regional Brand, defining the region's strongest offerings. We recently organised a workshop inviting the wider community to pitch new tourism ideas. Despite the Braidwood Villages Business Chamber being able to select only five pitches, we had over 20 fantastic entrants. This workshop is a testament to the progress the chamber is making towards a stronger economy, becoming stronger against future natural hazards.
Image: Adam Nye and Andrew White presenting their pitch from the Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council.
We express our heartfelt gratitude to the stakeholders who have played a pivotal role in this project's success, including Braidwood Villages Business Chamber, Enterprise Plus, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council Tourism, University of Canberra, Braidwood Community Association, Braidwood Visitor Information Centre, Bulah Delah Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Development West Coast (NZ), our volunteer Professor Brian Roberts, and our facilitator, Natascha Wernick.
Your contributions have been instrumental in our journey towards a stronger tourism corridor.
The Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments
#communityresilience #community #capacitybuilding #economicresilience #businessresilience #disasterpreparedness
Our partner, Arup, has been providing technical expertise to our programs in Australia for almost 4 years, and we are beyond grateful for all the knowledge and experience their team brings.
We grow more substantial businesses and local economies to build disaster resilience, and Arup's contribution of highly specialised skills has been invaluable to the communities we serve. This partnership is a commitment to leveraging specialist expertise and delivering it where it's most needed.
Their estimated contribution of more than $100,000 worth of services to our programs is a testament to their dedication to helping communities rebuild and prosper after natural disasters.
The team of Arup specialists, including quantity surveyors, hydrologists, engineers, and environmental scientists, are dedicated to providing their expertise to help communities.
We want to extend a special thank you to Michelle Cheah, Melanie Grills, Trish Sunga, Edward Rowe, Madison Downey, Frankie Coen, Justin Peachey, Michael James, Angel Z., Gaenor Gibbs-Harris, Annabel Kerr, Joshua Atkinson, Vincent Chan Kun Wa and Christopher Serrano for their dedication and expertise. The impact of ABV's mission is amplified due to their contributions.
Image 1 (Header): Michelle Cheah (Arup’s Australasia Community Engagement Manager/Social Impact Leader) at the Cultural Burning Conference 2023 participating in the group brainstorm.
Image: Melanie Grills (Arup’s Associate Principal of First Nations Programs & Projects) and Oscar Mussons (ABV’s Program Director of Australia Programs) signing in participants at the Cultural Burning Conference 2023.
Image 3: Edward Rowe (Arup’s Resilience and Adaptation Lead for NSW/ACT and the Pacific) supported the Cobargo Visioning Workshops with ABV which brought together Cobargo’s community to share ideas and create disaster action plans.
Image 4: Christopher Serrano (Arup Senior Environmental Consultant), Madison Downey (Arup Environmental Scientist), Thanda Bennett and George Barrett (ABV Australia Programs Team) Amanda Foster (Merrimans Local Aboriginal Land Council) meeting.
The Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments
