Gathering with Indigenous voices in emergency management

Two people in khaki uniforms and denim jeans stand in front of a controlled burn.

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Gathering with Indigenous voices in emergency management

Written 9 October 2024

News
Resilience and risk reduction

We were proud to attend the 2024 NIDR Gathering on Bundjalung Country in Lismore. NIDR champions Indigenous leadership in disaster resilience through research with Indigenous communities across Australia.

As a proud sponsor of the Gathering, we were privileged to be invited to listen and learn from this important event. The Gathering brought people together to share the challenges Indigenous people continue to face in the context of a changing environment. It also showcased the strength of Indigenous leadership and the power of country and community in recovery.

From 24-26 September, participants gathered at Lismore Showgrounds for an important Indigenous-led conversation on disaster resilience and preparedness.

From sharing knowledge nationally and internationally, to stories of resilience and rich history, no stone was left unturned.

A Welcome to Country led by Aunty Thelma highlighted the deep connections to country held by Indigenous communities in Lismore and its surrounds for many years. Other topics covered over the three days included:

Caring for Country

Healing Hubs; and

International Perspectives.

A woman stands on stage outside speaking into a microphone in front of a crowd.

Knowledge, country and connection

Naomi Moran from the Koori Mail gave a recount of Indigenous-led disaster response following the Lismore flood event of 2022. Naomi highlighted the power and importance of listening to Indigenous voices throughout disaster management planning and practices, before, during and after disasters.

The community of Lismore banded together to support each other and brought the community back to its feet. Naomi described it as “a Bundjalung response that was grounded by knowledge, culture, country and connection.”

Naomi expressed her commitment to ensure communities around Australia, no matter how regional or remote, can stay connected and safe during disasters and in times of crisis. 

On-Country activities

We were lucky enough to participate in a number of on-Country activities held in Lismore on day two of the Gathering.

The Lismore Floodplain and CBD tour, led by Elly Bird from Resilient Lismore, demonstrated the ongoing impact of the 2022 floods. The aftermath of the flood is still evident, with homes and businesses boarded up and surrounded by temporary fencing and schools closed down.

We were also fortunate to attend the Dorrobbee Grass tour, led by Oliver Costello from Jagun Alliance. This tour invited us to learn more about traditional Aboriginal cultural burning practices. Oliver and his team demonstrated what a traditional cultural burn looks like and delved into the benefits this practice has for the land and surrounding environments.

A Resilient Lismore

Elly Bird, Executive Director of Resilient Lismore, spoke about the impact of the 2022 floods on the community of Lismore. With residents told to prepare for an 11m flood, they were taken by surprise to wake at 3am with water coming into the second storey of their homes — it was too late to leave.

The community came together to rescue each other from rooftops and help each other clean up once the water resided.

“At all levels of society, community levels, government levels, councils, we’re all in it together. If we figure out ways to talk to each other, to organise together, to have respectful relationships with each other, to have brave courageous conversations when things aren’t working, then together we’ll be stronger,” said Elly.

Government commitment

We also heard from our Acting Deputy Coordinator-General, Andrew Minack and Senator Tony Sheldon, Special Envoy for Disaster Recovery.

Andrew spoke of the importance of connecting with communities to ensure our response to disasters is what’s needed by those affected. Andrew highlighted the importance of coming together at events like the NIDR Gathering to listen and learn from Indigenous voices to inform policy development and response to disasters. 

A person stands at a lectern speaking to an audience. Beside them is a large Australian Aboriginal flag.

Senator Sheldon acknowledged that disaster events are becoming more frequent and intense and that identifying areas for improvement on the ground by looking holistically at disaster response is crucial to best support communities. 

Senator Sheldon said there are countless groups going above and beyond for their communities. Including those in Wujal Wujal, Fitzroy Crossing and in Lismore. These communities have shown true resilience through disasters they’ve faced in recent years.

“Particularly when it comes to strengthening knowledge, understanding and engagement with our First Nations communities, as a government we must continue to actively involve Indigenous leaders and organisations in our processes to ensure that Aboriginal voices are heard.”

“We remain dedicated to fostering continuous conversations to adapt and improve our emergency management recovery strategies, based on Indigenous feedback,” said Senator Sheldon.

We thank the NIDR team for including us in this important Indigenous-led discussion and giving us the opportunity to listen and learn from First Nations people.