Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience

About AIDR

Vision
A future where hazards don’t become disasters

AIDR’s mission
AIDR is the national institute for disaster risk reduction and resilience.

AIDR creates, curates and mobilises knowledge, promotes shared language and responsibility, and builds sector capability and collaboration. AIDR works to support a strong, connected Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) knowledge system that underpins informed decision making and action before, during and after disasters.

Our purpose
AIDR acts as a DRR knowledge broker by curating and mobilising knowledge, building shared understanding and capability, and connecting people and systems to support informed decision making across social, economic, built, natural, cultural, political and human domains.

Through national conversations, networks, and thought leadership, AIDR supports system-level change in policy and practice.

The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience is based in Melbourne/Naarm, Australia.

Our Approach (2025-2027)

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AIDR's Executive Director

John has been Executive Director of AIDR since December 2024. He has qualifications in Geography, Nursing and Environmental Science.

He has worked in disaster management since 1997, in a range of roles including the State Recovery Manager for Victoria in the early 2000s, and more recently the National Resilience Adviser for the Australia Red Cross. He has been awarded the National Emergency Medal

He also is an Honorary Enterprise Professor of the University of Melbourne and has published extensively with the Beyond Disasters Research Team

He has a keen interest and eye for patterns and connections in disasters, both at a practice and a policy level. He has strong interests in bereavement in the public realm and how music represents the disaster experience.

Our Partnerships

AIDR is managed by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Council (AFAC) on behalf of the National Emergency Management Agency. AIDR delivers a range of products and services on behalf of the Australian Government, as well as State and Territory agencies, and other partners, to reduce disaster risk and support a disaster resilient Australia. These activities contribute to achieving the priorities of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework, through its Second National Action Plan.

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

The NEMA develops, leads and coordinates Australia’s connected and collaborative approach to emergency management. Their purpose is to enable more secure, stronger and resilient communities before, during and after emergencies. NEMA is the majority funder of AIDR’s activities.

Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Council (AFAC)

AFAC, as the national council for fire and emergency services, brings together fire, emergency service and land management member agencies across Australia and New Zealand, representing a paid and volunteer workforce of more than 288,000 people. AFAC also delivers services to, and on behalf of, emergency management organisations in Australia and New Zealand. AFAC also works in partnership with the Commonwealth Government and other domestic and international organisations supporting response, risk reduction and community resilience.

Australian Red Cross

Australian Red Cross helps build communities that are strong, resilient and able to anticipate, respond and recover well from disasters and climate change related emergencies. Red Cross belongs to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and together with 191 other National Societies in countries around the world, and are part of the world’s largest humanitarian network; 16 million volunteers working alongside staff to help those impacted by crisis, disaster and conflict.

AIDR partners with Red Cross to enable its work to be informed by humanitarian principles and best practice in preparedness, response and recovery, from Australia and internationally.

Gender and Disaster Australia

Gender and Disaster Australia (GAD Australia) are the national organisation working at the intersection of gender and disaster.  They undertake and analyse research, provide advice and guidance, and develop evidence-based training and resources to address the harmful impacts of gendered expectations before, during, and after disasters. 

AIDR partners with GAD Australia to work together to advance gender equity in a disaster context, to reduce the gendered harm that occurs in a disaster context, for women, men and LGBTIQA+ people

Aboriginal artwork and reconciliation

In 2024, AIDR collaborated with Taungurung artist, Maddi Moser, who created ‘Sharing Connection’, a visual Acknowledgement of Country. This beautiful artwork represents AIDR's ongoing respect for Indigenous knowledge and wisdom, and commitment to curate and share a variety of knowledges, to inspire people to reduce disaster risk and build connection and resilience.

AIDR recognises the importance of reconciliation in creating stronger, safer, more inclusive and resilient communities. Through AFAC’s partnership with Reconciliation Australia, and embodied in our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan 2024-26, we hope to make a meaningful contribution to honouring the histories, cultures and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Annual Reports

Annual Report 24/25 (PDF 11.60MB)

Annual Report 23/24 (PDF 5MB)

Annual Report 22/23 (PDF 7.27MB)

Annual Report 21/22 (PDF 11.82MB)

Annual Report 20/21 (PDF 8.40MB)

Year in Review 18/19 (PDF 5.66 MB)

Annual Report 17/18 (PDF 7.31 MB)

Annual Report 16/17 (PDF 3.59 MB)

Policy Submissions

From time to time, the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience prepares policy submissions for inquiries or policy development processes. These submissions reflect the best available knowledge and practice and are intended to help decision makers make informed decisions. These submissions contribute to Outcome 4 of the Second National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction, More decision makers are informed, empowered and capable of reducing risk and building resilience and specifically to National Action 9 Incorporate a range of community values into decision-making processes that acknowledge the broader benefits achievable through inclusive disaster risk reduction and National Action 10 Enable and equip decision-makers to make adaptive and agile decisions when faced with imperfect information, and in a changing risk environment.

2017 Senate Select Committee into Resilience of Electricity Infrastructure in a Warming World

AIDR provided a submission that focussed the need for power safe and effective functioning of communities, businesses and governments.

Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience Submission 2017-02.pdf

2020 Royal Commission in to the National Natural Disaster Arrangements.

AIDR provided a submission that focussed on improving resilience, improving resilience through recovery, research to improve resilience, enhancing young people’s engagement in disaster resilience, adapting to climate change, and standards, rulemaking, reporting and data sharing.

AIDR Submission_Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Arrangements_v1.0.pdf

2023 Alternative Commonwealth Capabilities for Crisis Response Review

AIDR provided a submission to the National Resilience Taskforce led review, which focused on enhancing community resilience outcomes in the immediate, intermediate, and long term to enhance Australia’s national crisis response workforce. AIDR also provided an environmental scan of research and literature related to incentivising and retaining the volunteer workforce.

AIDR submission Commonwealth Capabilities for Crisis Response_Sept2023.pdf

2023 Independent Review of Commonwealth Disaster Funding

AIDR’s submission, drawing upon stakeholder engagement work for the Second National Action plan, focused on the need for alignment of funding to the priroties for the Second National Action plan, innovative funding approaches, system wide approaches, and systemic funding support for non government organisations and local councils

Response to Independent Review of Commonwealth Disaster Funding final July 2023.pdf

2023 National Housing and Homelessness Plan Consultation

AIDR provided a submission based on the issues paper developed by the Federal Department of Housing, which recognised the impact of disasters on housing status. The AIDR submission focused on the post disaster housing process, the need for improved housing standards, especially for extreme heat, and support for the housing and homelessness sector.

national-housing-and-homelessness-plan-issues-paper_2.pdf

2023 National Climate Risk Assessment Methodology

AIDR provided an online submission in response to questions posed that focused on the need to integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, and take a systemic risk approach to assessing climate risk.

NCRA Online Submission .docx

2023 National Disaster Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework Consultation

AIDR provided feedback on relevant Handbooks and activities such as Possibility Lab that contributed to strengthening disaster mental health and wellbeing outcomes.

National Disaster Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework - Post Consultation Survey.docx

2023 Senate Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience

AIDR’s submission focused on the need for an increased level of national focus, resourcing and support for disaster risk reduction and resilience building initiatives across Australia, to strengthen the work being undertaken by many organisations across the system, to reduce the demand on response workforces in future disasters, and to support stronger outcomes for the DRR workforce and for communities themselves.

AIDRSenateSubmission.pdf

2025 Economic Reform Roundtable

AIDR’s submission focused on the systemic nature of disaster risk and consequence that can have significant impacts on budget sustainability and economic productivity and resilience.

2025 Economic Roundtable Submission .docx

2026 HumanAbility Training Inquiry

AIDR’s submission called for emergency and disaster preparedness to be be recognised as a foundational, nationally consistent and assessable capability across relevant qualifications, units of competency and workforce development pathways.

AIDR Contribution to HumanAbility Consultation 2026.pdf

Our Service Areas

Last Updated: November 2026