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Australian Disaster Resilience Conference 2023

Conference program

Resilience reimagined

It has never been more important to reduce disaster risk and build resilience. With science telling us that disasters will become more frequent and severe due to climate change, the urgency of this work is clear. We must reimagine the future if we are to create the change we need.

The Australian Disaster Resilience Conference returns in 2023 with the latest ideas and innovations in disaster resilience and risk reduction on 23-24 August in Brisbane. 

The conference will again feature a program with two streams, offering a comprehensive conference experience that delegates can tailor according to their interests.

This year the Australian Disaster Resilience Conference program will explore what is possible by coming together to reimagine resilience.

Program by day

 

Australian Disaster Resilience Conference | Day 1

Wednesday 23 August 

8.30am   Opening Ceremony
9.15am   KEYNOTE: Nazir Afzal OBE
10.00am   KEYNOTE: Volvo Group Australia
10.45am   Morning tea and poster session
    INVESTING IN RESILIENCE: MODELS AND APPROACHES   PREPARING AND RECOVERING
11.50am   What does it take to build resilience investment capabilities in Australia - reflections and lessons from the Enabling Resilience Investment initiative
Russell Wise  (CSIRO)
 
Community led recovery - three years on in Mallacoota and District
Carol Hopkins  (Mallacoota and District Recovery Committee and Australian Red Cross)

 

12.20pm  
The Now-Future-How model for strengthening community resilience
Kerry Jones  (Australian Centre for Social Innovation)
 
Building a habit - reframing disaster preparedness in Queensland
Kate Retzki  (Queensland Reconstruction Authority)
12.50pm  
Rethinking investment: people and processes, not products and things
Nina O'Brien  (Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal)
 
That which connects us: First Nations leadership in bushfire recovery on Yuin Country, Mogo, NSW
Barbara Rix  (Australian Red Cross), Jordan Nye  (Muladha Gamara) & Dr Claire Leppold  (University of Melbourne)
1.20pm   Lunch and poster session
    INSURANCE ACTION AND STRATEGY   DISABILITY INCLUSIVE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
2.20pm  
Insuring a resilient Australia
Liam Walter  (Insurance Council of Australia)
 
What if people with disability were leading inclusive DRR?
Michelle Moss, Donna Best & Paul O'Dea  (Queenslanders with Disability Network)
2.50pm   PANEL
The Australian Government’s role in putting downward pressure on hazard insurance premiums
Lizzy O’Shea  (National Emergency Management Agency)
 
Improving inclusion of people with disability, older people and their family friend carers in disaster planning and response
Karen Akehurst  (Carers NSW)
3.20pm    
Disability inclusive disaster risk reduction: latest practices from the Pacific
Karen Alexander  (CBMA Inclusion Advisory Group)
3.50pm   Break
    CREATIVE RECOVERY   DISASTER RESILIENCE EDUCATION
4.30pm  
Creativity, recovery and resilience: creative processes that empower individuals and communities to participate in their own recovery
Anna Kennedy-Borissow  (University of Melbourne)
 
PANEL
Building disaster resilience into the school curriculum: effective how to approaches from educational practitioners
Jamie Loyd  (Minderoo Foundation)
Andrea Vis  (Gingin District High School)
Dan Kaggelis  (Smithfield State High School)
Judy Grey  (St Monica's Richmond)
5.00pm  
Hard place/good place: enabling recovery for young people
Linda Snell  (Yarra Ranges Council)
Willow Swaneveld  (2023 Yarra Ranges Council Young Citizen of the Year)
 
5.30pm   Networking Function

 

Australian Disaster Resilience Conference | Day 2

Thursday 24 August

8.30am   KEYNOTE: Jerry Greyson
9.15am   KEYNOTE: Tonya Hoover
10.00am   Morning tea and poster Session
    RESILIENCE ACROSS SOCIETY   PEOPLE, PLACE AND POWER
11.10am  
CALD community-led disaster resilience project
Shanti Ramasundram  (Australian Red Cross)
 
Resilience reimagined: the creation of Cobargo Bushfire Resilience Centre
Rhonda Ayliffe  (University of Canberra)
11.40am  
Indigenous healing and disaster recovery: dialogue with cascading benefits for resilience
Phoebe Quinn  (The University of Melbourne)
Bhiamie Williamson  (Monash University)
 
Harnessing strength of community for neighbourhood scale risk understanding and locally led resilience: the Douglas Shire Community Resilience Scorecard Project
Julie Brook  (Meridian Urban)
12.10pm  
People at risk in emergencies: a collaborative approach
Kathy Mickan  (South Australian Council of Social Service) & Ms Vikki Booth  (Australian Red Cross)
 
Imagining a resilient Fitzroy Crossing: reflections on the Fitzroy Crossing floods January 2023 from a Traditional Owner perspective
Andrea Myers  (Wangki Radio)
12.40pm   Lunch
     COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES    NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
1.50pm  
Local self-determination, collective support: adapting collective impact models for disaster resilience, response and recovery
Katherine Ellis  (Youth Affairs Council Victoria)
 
Insuring nature based defences: the role of the insurance sector in promoting nature-based solutions involving coastal wetlands in Australia
Ondrej Bures (Finity Consulting) & Justine Bell-James (The University of Queensland)
2.20pm  

PANEL

Community perspective on resilience reimagined
Moderator: Liz Mackinlay (Australian Business Volunteers)
Dr Jodie Stewart (Eden Community Access Centre)
Zena Armstrong (Cobargo Community Bushfire Recovery Fund)
Natascha Wernick (Byrrill Creek Community Resilience Team ) &
Janice Newman (Walwa Community, VIC)

 

 
Disaster resilience and the ocean account
Dastagir Mir  (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
2.50pm    
Nature-based solutions to take off the heat: designing resilience into Sydney's new urban area
Dr Madelon Willemsen  (Aurecon)
3.30pm  

CLOSING PANEL
Why aren’t we spending more on disaster resilience?
Martijn Gough  (Aither)

4.30pm   Closing Ceremony