The draft Strategy is now open for consultation, available via the 'Have Your Say' section below.
The Wooroloo bushfires and Severe Tropical Cyclone Seroja in 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic are reminders that we can all be affected by disasters – no matter who we are, where we live or what we do.
While all levels of government are investing in projects to reduce the risks posed by natural hazards, it isn’t possible to eliminate all risks.
For this reason, we are developing the Community Disaster Resilience Strategy to increase the capacity of communities to cope with and recover from the possible impacts of those risks.
The Summary Document and the full Discussion Paper include the outcomes from the first round of community consultation and research into a proposed strategy.
The project is an initiative of the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC). It is funded through the National Disaster Risk Reduction Program with support from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Red Cross.
Find out more about community disaster resilience below.
Consultation background
Show moreResearchers think that communities that are well-connected, have trusted leaders, are informed and are willing to help each other will be more resilient to the impact of disasters. Taking action to reduce risks and being prepared and able to adapt to change are also important characteristics.
We considered these factors when developing the Discussion Paper.
At the WA Emergency Management Conference in October 2021, the Hon Reece Whitby MLA, Minister for Emergency Services, announced the start of consultation on the Discussion Paper.
He called for feedback on the strategic directions and initiatives to help develop the final strategy. The consultation closed on 31 March 2022.
Have your say
Show moreFollowing consultation on the WA Community Disaster Resilience Strategy Discussion Paper that occurred between 13 October 2021 and 31 March 2022, a draft Strategy has been developed and contains the following:
• Guiding Principles
• Key Objectives and Outcomes
• Initiatives and Opportunities
The draft Strategy is now available for comment.
Feedback is invited, with a particular focus on:
• Do the guiding principles capture the core considerations for achieving community disaster resilience?
• Do the key objectives and outcomes represent the right outcomes for a community? Are they practical to guide monitoring and evaluation of projects and activities?
• How likely are you to progress any of the initiatives and opportunities?
• How likely are you to integrate or use the Strategy to guide your organisation’s activities?
• Is there anything else you would like to see the Strategy address?
Feedback can be provided via email to resilience@dfes.wa.gov.au
The consultation period will remain open until 3 March 2023.
Thank you for your contribution to this important project for Western Australia.
More information about community disaster resilience
Show more- Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub
- Disaster Resilience Scorecard
- National Strategy for Disaster Resilience 2011
- Relationships Matter: The application of social capital to disaster resilience, Red Cross, 2012. (You can find this document at the Australian Red Cross website.)
- Resilient Neighbourhoods (Canada)
- Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient
- Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction)
- Town Teams Movement