Preparing for the unpredictable was the message from the Building Inclusive Disaster Resilience Communities evening held in Wandong last week.
Keynote speakers Anne Leadbeater OAM and Jason McCartney OAM presented unique views on the importance of reducing disaster risk and building community resilience.
Former AFL footballer Jason McCartney became a national hero in the wake of the Bali Bombings in 2002 and his story was one of humanity overcoming adversity. He recounted the night at Paddy’s Bar in Bali that changed his life forever.
“I was in a dark place after being unable to play in that grand final due to being suspended but I was soon to learn that you need to put everything in its place to gain perspective and get your life back in order,” he said.
He described how being one of the victims of the bombings put him on the long road to personal recovery after adversity.
“The time after the bombings made me learn that it’s not what things are in life but how you deal with it and we can apply this to so many situations that we find ourselves in,” he said.
Anne Leadbeater is a specialist in disaster recovery and community resilience. She recounted her work with communities recovering from drought, fire, flood and cyclones throughout Australia.
“In 2009, many communities were impacted by the Victorian ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires. and the days and weeks after the fires were an incredibly challenging time for everyone, but what stands out most in my memory of that time was the remarkable courage, wisdom and resilience of the community,” Ms Leadbeater said.
“In the face of the most profoundly sad and distressing circumstances and with a great deal of uncertainty about the future, people were still able to come together to support each other and to try to advocate for recovery outcomes that would work for the community.
“My experiences from that time have set me on a bit of a quest these last eight years to advocate for the role of social capital and resilience in disasters and for the rights of the community to have their local knowledge recognised and to be active contributors in driving their own recovery.”
Following the presentations, attendees had the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft Community Emergency Management Plans and meet with members of the Mitchell Shire disaster recovery team.
