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 features 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 explores 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 PANEL: 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 Dr Russell Wise (CSIRO)	Community led recovery - three years on in Mallacoota and District Carol Hopkins (Mallacoota and District Recovery Committee & 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 Moderator: Jo Hutchinson (National Emergency Management Agency) Dr Rhys Bollen (Australian Securities and Investments) Dr Sean Carmody (Australian Prudential Regulation Authority) Dr Christopher Wallace (Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation) Rob Preston (CBR Banking, Insurance and credit Branch)	Improving inclusion of people with disability, older people and their family friend carers in disaster planning and response Courtney Jones (Carers NSW)
3.20pm		Having a seat at the table: Disability & Disasters Leyla Craig (Fire and Rescue NSW)
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 Moderator: Jamie Loyd (Minderoo Foundation) Andrea Vis (Gingin District High School) Owen Ziebell (AFAC) & Neil Munro (Country Fire Authority)
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 Grayson
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) & Mary Hajistassi (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) & 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 (Leadership 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) Zena Armstrong (Cobargo Community Bushfire Recovery Fund) Natascha Wernick (Byrrill Creek Community Resilience Team) & Melanie Bloor (Resilient Uki)	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? Moderator: Martijn Gough (Aither) Dr Jean Palutikof (Griffith University) Kylie Macfarlane (Insurance Council of Australia) Major General (Rtd) Jake Ellwood (Queensland Reconstruction Authority) & Dr Russell Wise (CSIRO)
4.30pm	Closing Ceremony