We have a need to work better, together.
One of the most widely acknowledged opportunities for growing resilience, recognised across South East NSW by residents, businesses, community groups, service agencies and organisations as well as government representatives, is the need for improved:
Deloitte Access Economics (2022) models the total economic costs of disasters in NSW from 2020-2060 to be between $320-$391 billion, depending on emissions scenarios. Even in a low emissions scenario, which we are not on track to achieve, this is a cost to NSW that is unsustainable.
Supplementing our emergency services capabilities and equipment to respond is one option, but this does not deal with the root causes of our disaster risks. We also need to focus on knowing and understanding our risks and doing something about them whilst we can, before circumstances and conditions overtake that ability.
How we grow resilience to climate-driven disaster risk is not only one of the defining challenges of our time, but one of our greatest opportunities.
Climate-related risks are testing our emergency management and recovery systems and processes. Our resources are being stretched and the management of these resources requires re-focus to deal with tomorrow’s challenges.
We also know the duration of recovery processes is long, if ever in some cases. A greater understanding of communities in trauma is needed. Recovery support is required for longer, and requires coordination and collaboration in a manner that respects and integrates locally-led solutions.
Climate-ready economies are those which understand their risks, take steps to avoid or minimise the impacts of those risks and take advantage of emerging market opportunities and innovations. Whilst changes in practices will be required as Australia navigates toward net zero emissions, there are many benefits that coincide with new emerging markets and increased investment.
The COVID-19 global pandemic saw widespread shifts to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. Some enterprises were able to pivot and some even prospered whilst others did not. Enterprise risk management and continuity planning is critical to any business operation. Business will be interrupted. Having a plan can provide control over decision-making.
From a community and governance perspective, the health of local businesses is a priority, supporting our access to goods and services to meet needs and to ensure whole-of-community opportunities to thrive in the longer term. Access to employment and income are crucial during times of shock and stress.
From a governance perspective, economic resilience is related to welfare impacts bade on the ability for the economy to cope and recover and can be influenced by policies aimed at prevention and mitigation (World Bank, 2014 and OECD, 2017). Economic growth is a widely-held aspiration that underpins liveability, and can be impacted significantly by shocks and stresses.
Local and regional economic diversification and a focus on innovation is a key opportunity to strengthen performance, and mitigate against volatility.
Infrastructure assets and networks provide the platform for much of our human interaction, whether it be physical connectivity via roads, air, sea or rail, or telecommunications and digital connectivity or the operation of essential services like water supply and sewerage, the reliability and resilience of infrastructure assets and networks is pivotal.
The This is reflected by the State Infrastructure Strategy and the need to embed reliability and resilience as one of 9 key objectives. This extends to whole-of-lifecycle considerations including asset management and continuity planning.
The resilience of places where we live and work and their ability to stand up to different weather events and impacts is critical. How we deal with extreme heat now and into the future is a challenge, but one with many opportunities which also enhance liveability. Equipping public buildings, facilities and places to adapt to diverse conditions will enable their function across a broad set of circumstances.
Likewise, equipping our homes and properties to adapt to different circumstances and needs is also important. This may involve retrofitting and maintaining existing homes, how we design new homes to be sustainable and resilient, and how we maintain them and the surrounding property, can greatly aid their ability to withstand.
The 2015 Productivity Commission into Natural Disaster Funding Arrangements states that ‘land use planning is perhaps the most potent policy lever for influencing the level of future disaster risk’. The Planning Institute of Australia notes the benefits of a focus on disaster resilience in land use planning, including anticipating risks before they happen and developing the built form to address those risks, minimising risks to people and social and economic functions, and translating learnings from recovery to improve settlement durability (AIDR, 2020).
Adopting risk-based approaches across the spectrum of land use planning practices and processes will help arrest existing risk exposure and work to avoid unacceptable risk outcomes. Factoring in climate projections and how we adapt into the future lies at the core and approaches span the policy, strategic and development assessment spectrums.
Across the region there is a strong awareness of climate change and its impact on the environment, natural systems, functions and processes. Innovation that is focused on the enhancing the health of environmental values can be achieved through combinations of Indigenous knowledge and western science.
Resilience is big space. Here is our directory with links to a number of local, state, federal, and international organisations and resources to help assist you on your journey to building resilience.
We stand on Country that always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters, and we show our respect for Elders past and present. We are committed to providing places in which Aboriginal people are included socially, culturally and economically through thoughtful and collaborative approaches to our work.
Although this product has been jointly funded by the Commonwealth and NSW Governments under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF), the material contained herein does not necessarily represent the views of either Government.
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