Search
Search

AIDR celebrates 10th anniversary

As AIDR celebrates its 10th anniversary, the team reflects on a decade of growth, strengthening capability across the emergency management sector, and the significance of contributing to a more resilient Australia.

AIDR was established by the Australian Government in 2016 through a partnership between AFAC, the Australian Red Cross, and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre to enhance disaster resilience across Australian communities through innovative thought leadership, professional development, and knowledge sharing. 

In 2025, AIDR’s focus remains on developing, maintaining and sharing disaster resilience knowledge and practice to support a more disaster resilient Australia. AIDR’s program spans websites, publications, and professional development events. These activities target a range of organisations and individuals involved in reducing risk and building resilience. 

AIDR’s journey began in 1956 when Australia developed its national scale capability in emergency management and disaster risk reduction through the Australian Civil Defence School at Mount Macedon, Victoria. Over time, the college evolved into the Australian Emergency Management Institute (AEMI) under the auspice of Emergency Management Australia. AIDR was created in 2015 following the closure of AEMI. 

Over the intervening 10 years, AIDR has successfully delivered on building capability for the emergency management sector. Moving into the next stage of AIDR’s future, AFAC continues to manage this important contribution to reducing disaster risk on behalf of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). 

Source: AIDR

Timeline

2015:   

  • AIDR’s official launch in Brisbane.   
  • The inaugural masterclass with former Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh.   

2016:  

  • The first Resilient Australia Award ceremony at the Melbourne Museum  

2017:  

  • The development of the AIDR Knowledge Hub.  

2018:  

  • The AIDR Knowledge Hub is officially published.   
  • The first Australian Disaster Resilience Conference (ADRC).    
  • Partnered with Emergency Management Agency (now NEMA) to disseminate the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework.   
  • The Community Recovery Handbook is published.   

2019:  

  • Lesson Management Handbook is published.   
  • The first Lessons Management Forum was held.  

2020:  

  • The AIDR Knowledge Week was held online (ADRC pivoted to a fully online format during the COVID pandemic). 
  • The Emergency Media and Public Affairs Award winning Recovery Matters webinar series is launched.   

2021:  

  • The flagship Systemic Risk Handbook is published and presented at the United Nations Global Platform.   
  • The ‘Our World, Our Say’ survey (largest ever children's survey) was conducted The ‘Play School: Everyday Helpers’ was launched.   

2022:  

  • AIDR partnered with National Recovery and Resilience Agency (now NEMA) to coordinate stakeholder engagement for the Second National Action Plan for Dister Risk Reduction.  
  • AIDR participated in the Asia Pacific Ministerial Forum ‘From Crisis to Resilience: Transforming the Asia-Pacific region’s future through disaster risk reduction’.  

2023:  

  • The first Resilience Lane at the ADRC (located in the AFAC23 Exhibition).   
  • The first Riskscape Report is published.   

2024:  

  • The Planning for Animals Handbook is published.  
  • AIDR supported National Indigenous Disaster Resilience’s first Indigenous Disaster Resilience Gathering.     
  • AIDR’s third contract with NEMA is signed off, with a stronger focus on local government and non-traditional actors, those more at risk, and across the social, built natural and economic environments. 

2025:  

  • New Resilience Matters Webinar series, focusing on building foundational disaster risk reduction knowledge.  

 

Key stats since 2016 

Australian Journal of Emergency Management 

  • April 2016 readership: 1,089  
  • October 2025 readership: 4,321  

Events/Professional Development programs  

  • AIDR delivered 27 events with 701 participants during 2016-17. 
  • AIDR delivered 48 events with over 5,000 people connected during 2024-25. 

AIDR Knowledge Hub  

  • Over 513,000 people have accessed the Knowledge Hub 3.5 million times in 2024-25. 

ADRC  

  • ADRC 2018: 81 delegates, 17 presentations from 80 abstracts submitted. 
  • ADRC 2025: 323 delegates, 27 presentations selected from 177 abstracts submitted.  
  • 31,538 contacts within the network. 

Team reflections  

What does AIDR mean to you? 

  • Curated knowledge that manages the bridge between national policy, emergency management and research to champion resilience. 
  • AIDR is a hub that connects sectors, jurisdictions, research and practice to develop and exchange knowledge to make a difference to the safety and wellbeing and empowerment of people and communities. 
  • When many friends are contemplating retirement, I see AIDR as a place where I can still bring change. With nearly 30 years’ experience in the sector, I'd like to be able pass on what I have learned, good and bad. It’s also a place I can still learn, and every day I learn from the talented people around me, and the people we have the privilege to work with. It’s also good fun. 
  • Although I’m still relatively new to AIDR, I already feel part of something meaningful. I’m surrounded by people who are genuinely passionate about their work and committed to making a difference, not to mention incredibly smart and experienced! It is very refreshing. 
  • AIDR feels like a place where good ideas don’t stay trapped in meeting notes. They turn into resources, conversations, and change. I value that deeply. It’s also one of the few organisations where research, community, and practice sit at the same table without arguing over who gets the last biscuit. 
  • AIDR represents a place where there is a genuine desire, as well as opportunity to make a difference in a sector that can often feel overwhelming with research and good practice. Being part of AIDR means we can curate valuable knowledge and build skills and confidence to enable more informed decision-making. It's a privilege to work at such a meaningful organisation that, although small, has a lot of heart. 
  • I really believe in the work that AIDR does. Our work has real impact on building people’s knowledge and capability in this space, and I'm fortunate to work with such a talented and passionate bunch of people.  

 What is our favourite AIDR moment/memory? 

  • The time the AIDR team all huddled together as a group after conference in front of the water at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. It was a special moment. 
  • Seeing the ADRC features in the AFAC25 Exhibition, in particular Resilience Lane. From construction, then being finished before it was populated with community organisations and delegates. Seeing it all spring to life with energy, connections, creativity, and ideas personified the ‘why’ that underpins what we do. 
  • It was ADRC 2022 in Adelaide when we got to see people we hadn't seen in 2 years and meet people in real life who had only been a face on a screen. It was fun and exhausting. 
  • In my time at AIDR so far, I have really enjoyed our team days, coming together and sharing ideas about the future of AIDR, and getting to know each other on a more personal level.  
  • Realising that everyone here genuinely cares about inclusion, not just as a tick box but as a habit. It happened during a casual kitchen conversation, not a formal meeting, and it made me feel at home. 

 Why did you want to work with AIDR? 

  • To be a part of and contribute to this great work, and to learn from the best source of knowledge. 
  • I wanted to work with an organisation and people who are passionate and sincere about making a meaningful difference. 
  • I was drawn to AIDR because I wanted to contribute to something that genuinely matters and makes a positive impact on people’s lives across the whole of Australia. I wanted to be part of something bigger. I also love(d) the breadth of AIDR’s work and the endless opportunities to learn, and of course, getting paid to research and write. 
  • I wanted to work somewhere that treats resilience as something shaped by people, not just plans. AIDR sits in that sweet spot. It brings together research, community, and sector practice in ways that genuinely influence how Australia prepares, recovers, learns, and becomes resilient. 
  • My motivation for wanting to work here stems from my experience in data collection and evaluations over the years. I have seen incredible research, lessons learned, and valuable community voices being lost or hidden in complex reports or cumbersome systems. I was drawn to AIDR because of its dedication and unique position to make research, evidence, and good practices accessible, useful, and tailored to those who need it. 

What is the benefit you see that AIDR brings to Australia? 

  • AIDR is a hub and an important connecter. We create space for people and groups to learn, share ideas and experience, and dream big. AIDR is also a bridge between government and community and can provide a meaningful presence in both worlds. 
  • The Second National Action Plan speaks of the need for a connected and effective knowledge system as a foundation for sound decision making. I look at this and see AIDR. Our role is to put knowledge in the hands of the people helping the people, so we can ultimately promote good practice, and prevent hazards from becoming disasters. 
  • Despite being here a short time, I can already see the important role AIDR has in the sector. I see it being key in shifting mindsets of how disasters are understood, prepared for, and managed. I have no doubt AIDR will continue to grow in importance and recognition across Australia and I’m excited to be part of that journey. 
  • AIDR quietly stitches the sector together. Our work strengthens the backbone of preparedness and recovery and does so with generosity, knowledge, and consistency. 

 Any additional thoughts? 

  • It is unreal how much work we do given how small our team is (I know in the past it hasn't been broadcasted). 
  • I’m grateful to be here, surrounded by a team that brings both heart and brains to the table, often at the same time and usually with snacks.