We thank our clients, partners and colleagues for trusting us to support them this year.
Laura Buchanan, Senior Resilience Specialist
I have loved every minute of working with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, supporting the development of their Whole of Country Plan.
Having lived on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country for six years prior to moving to Wadawurrung Country in 2016, it has been an incredible experience reconnecting with a diverse and beautiful Country, being guided by Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elders and members to celebrate the successes, understand the challenges and threats and explore the opportunities for protecting and enhancing the health of Country, including its people and culture.
Through a Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung-led, Country-centric approach we have now developed a concept document that will form the foundations for the final Whole of Country Plan – the corporation’s overarching strategic document, due for finalisation later in 2025.
Really exciting times ahead for Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elders and members, the corporation, and for all those that live on, work on and visit Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country.
In 2025, I invite you all to deepen your respect and connection to Country, wherever that may be for you.
John Deering, Senior Associate - Crisis and Emergency Management
I have enjoyed every part of working recently with Yarra Valley Water on the development of a discussion exercise, and then the delivery of the scenario-based exercise.
The opportunity to work with a group of highly motivated and trained personnel, within an Emergency Managment ‘mature’ organisation, to work at their very well fitted out Incident Centre and to deliver a quality product which ended up being well received and met the requirements of the legislation – a highlight!
Brett Ellis, Managing Director ResilientCo
Working with Surf Life Saving Australia on their climate change and natural hazard project was a profound journey of discovery and connection to an organisation that has in the past been a major part of my life.
As we traveled along Australia's coastline, we had the privilege of meeting extraordinary volunteers from every corner of the country. These dedicated individuals, stationed at locations from Bermagui NSW to Floreat WA, Kingston Tasmania to Port Douglas Queensland demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their communities that went far beyond their traditional lifesaving roles. Whether they were transforming their clubs into emergency shelters during bushfires or leading environmental initiatives, their resourcefulness and community spirit were truly inspiring.
One of the unexpected joys of my coastal journey was witnessing the majestic whale migration along the eastern seaboard. As I moved between communities, we found ourselves following the same path as these magnificent creatures, watching them travel north and then return south with the changing seasons. This natural cycle provided a beautiful backdrop to our work and served as a poignant reminder of the dynamic coastal environments and communities these surf life saving clubs are working to protect.
The project highlighted how climate change is reshaping our coastlines and communities, but it also revealed the incredible resilience and adaptability of the surf lifesaving movement.
We saw firsthand how local clubs are evolving to meet new challenges, from the Bermagui SLSC sheltering thousands during the Black Summer bushfires to Wye River SLSC's transformation into a community recovery hub.
These experiences demonstrated that while the project's purpose was serious, it was ultimately a celebration of the human spirit and the power of community action. The volunteers we met weren't just planning for the future, they were actively shaping it, ensuring their clubs remain vital community assets in the face of environmental change.
Madelyn Lackman, Resilience Specialist
Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of working with an incredible group of dedicated volunteers to assess the impacts of natural hazards on their services, membership, and assets.
This work has been about more than just identifying risks; it’s about building the capacity to adapt and respond effectively to emergency events. By collaborating closely with these passionate teams across Australia, we’ve been able to develop strategies that not only safeguard their operations and services but also strengthen their ability to support the communities they serve during times of crisis.
I’m continually inspired by the resilience and commitment of these volunteers. Their willingness to engage, learn, and innovate underscores the power of collaboration in facing today’s challenges.
Michelle Richards, Director
We’ve been everywhere, man! From working with the Primary Health Care sector right across the Mid North Coast NSW, to the townships along the mighty Murray River providing flood recovery support.
To operational support and after-action reviews in the beautiful Grampians region, preparation and mitigation with inner City Metro Councils and Industry exploring the intersections between crisis management, emergency management and business continuity.
We’ve been to the communities in East Gippsland post fires building community capacity to activate Emergency Relief Centres and provided Community Emergency Hub planning programs across Geelong, Golden Plains and the Yarra Valley. We’ve worked across the Barwon and Surf Coasts in the planning space and delivered a large program of training to multiple LGA’s across Victoria, including the very first trauma informed training program of its kind.
I find myself feeling humbled to have had the opportunity to connect with some incredible humans committed to making a difference in their organisations and communities. Reflecting on a very busy year it is difficult to pinpoint a favorite project, just a genuine appreciation that we are out there affecting real change in the sector- and that is why we do what we do.
Shehani Noakes, Senior Associate
One of the highlights of 2024 was working with the City of Whittlesea to support them in developing their approach to future extreme heat emergencies. It was wonderful working with a highly driven and engaged team who were passionate about leading the way in building preparedness to heatwaves for council and the communities they support.
The approach we co-designed with the team was grounded in data - considering future climate scenarios and heat projections. Using the 6 environments (Social, Cultural, Economic, Built, Natural, and Health & Safety) from the Community Resilience Framework and utilising maps with relevant GIS layers (heat vulnerability and demographic data) we were able to ideate holistically on place-based opportunities and risks with teams across the Council.
Tia Baptista, Resilience Specialist and Resilience Canopy National Coordinator
It’s impossible to capture all the highlights from this year, as the work has been so diverse, varied, and rewarding.
One standout in my reflections is the incredible experience of collaborating with Maree Grenfell on the evolution of the Resilience Canopy Practitioner Training. Together, we’ve continually learned and adapted, drawing on the insights and experiences shared by the communities we work with.
This journey has also provided opportunities to travel, connect with place, and meet many inspiring community leaders and members. These connections have deepened my understanding of the unique challenges communities face and the transformative power of community-led action in building resilience against future shocks and stresses. I’m excited to see what 2025 will bring as The Resilience Canopy continues to grow as a not for profit, expanding its reach and impact.
Natalie Staaks, Director
As part of the ResilientCo team I was able to combine two big passions this year. I had the great pleasure to work for a client developing and embedding systems to support coordinated public information during emergency events across multiple connected organisations. Complex but so exciting to use my past experience in enabling that.
And working and guiding the development and implementation of start-up community resilience program The Resilience Canopy. What a beautiful challenge, working alongside talented and passionate teammates to introduce an end to end community resilience program that in 2025 will grow further across Australia.
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