The nature of disasters in Australia is changing and governments must review how they assess risks and implement reduction interventions to ensure plans for minimising harm are effective.

We are developing a disaster resilience strategy for the ACT which is intended to provide an overarching policy approach to the evolution of emergency management activities in the ACT.

We've run a series of workshops and focus groups with government, industry and community groups to help inform ideas around the strategy.

We asked you to have your say by completing the survey or posting a comment or idea on the board.

The consultation opened on 2 February 2024 and closed on 13 March 2024.

The Disaster Resilience Strategy Listening Report is now available.

Disaster resilience is the ability to anticipate and resist the effects of a disruptive event, minimise adverse impacts, respond safely and effectively, maintain or recover functionality, and adapt in a way that allows for learning and thriving.

The Disaster Resilience Strategy will aim to ensure a connected and strong ACT with a diverse and resilient economy and community, that protects our natural resources and upholds our values.

While hazard reduction activity is occurring across a number of sectors, there is no overarching plan to coordinate efforts, realise synergies or identify common factors influencing disaster risk.

Developing a whole of government, strategic approach to disaster risk reduction for the ACT will supported by clear and robust plans and governance arrangements.

Every year, Australian communities face devastating losses caused by disasters. Bushfires, floods, storms, other hazards and their associated consequences have significant impacts on communities, the economy, infrastructure and the environment.

The challenges that the ACT potentially faces into the future requires significant investment in developing a disaster resilience capability that strengthens the ACT community, government, infrastructure, and environment to cope and recover from the challenges that climate change, national and international security situations and emerging hazards and threats will expose us to.

Influential drivers for change are converging in a way that identifies a need to consolidate and further build on the forethought of ACT Government strategies for sustainability and adopt a drive for ongoing generational change that builds resilience to all hazards and threats the ACT Government and community face into the future.

The dynamic nature of our future affords consideration to actively seek and engage those opportunities to protect our interests and the interests of the community in the face of uncertainty as we seek and acquire more knowledge and support to climate, global economic, and societal change.

The Disaster Resilience Strategy is intended to provide an overarching policy approach to the evolution of emergency management activities in the ACT, by bringing whole of society resilience into the centre of all emergency management planning.

Your feedback will help the ACT Government to develop a coordinated and strategic approach to implementing Disaster Resilience initiatives in line with national policy and best practice approaches, and to embed this work as part of continuous practice in the ACT.

The development of the Disaster Resilience Strategy will leverage existing community consultation undertaken through the development of the ACT Climate Change Risk Assessment, the social recovery framework, and the Climate Change Resilience longitudinal study.

This will be an important step towards making the ACT a more resilient and safer community.