Community collaboration to shape disaster plan

A SERIES of community workshops will give residents a say in shaping the Northern Rivers’ first Disaster Adaptation Plan.

Living Lab Northern Rivers and the NSW Reconstruction Authority will deliver the What Matters Most workshops in this month and in October, in partnership with the NSW Government, the University of Technology Sydney and Southern Cross University.

Minister for Recovery and North Coast Janelle Saffin said it was time to focus on planning for a resilient future.

“We need to shift the dial and focus on adaptation and resilience to ensure our communities are better prepared for and can recover faster from disasters,” Saffin said. “Government can’t do it alone; we need community insight and leadership to adapt to future risk.”

Living Lab engagement director Dan Etheridge said the workshops would map local priorities that data alone could not capture.

“The methodology behind the workshops is entirely new, designed specifically for this planning process after extensive research found no existing tools for systematically mapping community place-based values,” Etheridge said.

Expressions of interest are open for a 40-person reference group to help shape the plan.

Resilient Lismore’s Maddy Braddon said community involvement was critical.

“It’s important that community members have inclusive opportunities to genuinely engage with decision-making that directly impacts us and where we live,” Braddon said.

The workshops will be held in Murwillumbah on September 24, Mullumbimby on October 9 and Lismore on October 16, from 5pm to 7.30pm. All workshops are free and accessible.

Registration is essential. For details call 02 6626 9188 or visit llnr.com.au.