Recovery Uncovered is a new webinar series that explores disaster recovery from a community perspective. Through a fusion of lived experience, expert research and practical advice, each webinar session offers the opportunity to explore disaster recovery through the eyes of those who have lived it and gain valuable insights, evidence and tools to enhance recovery practice.
Join AIDR and the Australian Red Cross as we listen, learn and engage with disaster recovery mentors and advisors.
Webinar one: Introduction to Community Disaster Recovery
Build or strengthen your foundational knowledge to support communities in their recovery journey and help build disaster resilience going forward.
In this session, Anne Leadbeater and Dr Kate Brady provide an overview of fundamental elements in community disaster recovery. Drawing from personal insights and extensive research and practice, they touch on a range of topics such as community dynamics, understanding the impact of disasters on people and communities, recovery principles, community-led recovery, the role of recovery workers and mental health and wellbeing.
Guest Speakers:
Dr Kate Brady
Senior Research Fellow, University of New South Wales
Dr. Kate Brady has had a distinguished career in disaster recovery operations, programming and research. Kate is the Senior Research Fellow for the UNSW HowWeSurvive initiative, is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne and is the Technical Adviser to Australian Red Cross Emergency Services, where she established and led the disaster recovery program for 12 years.
Most of Kate’s work focuses on what people find helpful and unhelpful after disasters. Throughout her career, Kate has had significant influence on State and National emergency management policy and has an international profile in collective trauma, resilience and in disaster recovery programming and policy. Kate is a co-author on the Australian Disaster Recovery Framework, the Australian Community Recovery Handbook and was an advisor in the development of the National Disaster Mental Health Framework. In 2021, she became the host for ABC’s podcast ‘After the Disaster’.
Anne Leadbeater OAM
Director, Leadbeater Group
Anne has 25 years’ experience in community and economic development through her roles in local and state Government, emergency management and adult education. Anne worked on behalf of Murrindindi Shire Council to coordinate recovery efforts for the Kinglake Ranges following the 2009 Victorian Bushfires and has also worked with disaster-impacted communities across Australia and New Zealand. Anne’s extensive experience includes facilitation of state-wide consultation sessions with staff and stakeholders for the development of the Victorian Department of Land, Water and Planning Customer Charter, and design and delivery of a national tour of masterclasses on disaster recovery for the International Association for Public Participation Australasia (IAP2).
Anne specialises in working with large and small groups on strategic planning, policy development, disaster recovery and managing outrage. She holds a masters’ degree in Social Science and has authored published papers on drought policy, communicating in emergencies, and the role of community leadership in disaster recovery.
Erin Pelly (Facilitator)
National Manager - Recovery, Australian Red Cross
Erin Pelly is the National Recovery Manager at Australian Red Cross. Erin previously worked as the Recovery and Resilience Lead in Western Australia with the Australian Red Cross. Erin has over 10-years experience in community development and has worked in emergency services and disaster recovery for the last six years. Over this time she has worked with over 65 local government areas impacted by disasters. This includes providing recovery programming support for communities impacted by the 2019/20 Black Summer Bushfires, 2021 Wooroloo Bushfire, Tropical Cyclone Seroja and communities impacted by flooding in Queensland and New South Wales. Erin has a particular interest in inclusion and leading for wellbeing and program improvement as well as demonstrating the impact of recovery efforts. Erin is passionate about community led recovery and ensuring all community voices are included in recovery activities.