MURRAY RIVER COUNCIL
May - July 2020
The Challenge
Murray River Council in southern NSW is particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of adverse events. It has a small population spread across a large area resulting in physical and digital isolation for many vulnerable people. It has an ageing population and limited training and employment opportunities for young people. Some towns had experienced access issues due to river crossings in cross-border towns, flooding, and COVID-related border closures. There were also unclear roles and responsibilities between Council, community service providers and other government agencies.
The solution
Develop an Adverse Event Plan to help the Council and the community prepare for disasters they may face in the future. Our team’s approach included the following:
Online focus groups in four streams: Farmers; Local Business and Tourism; Community; Vulnerable People and Crisis Support workers
An online community survey that was promoted on the Council website and through targeted emails to contacts provided by Council and community groups
Research and analysis of approaches to adverse event planning in Australia and internationally
Following this consultation and analysis, we prepared a draft Plan for Council and stakeholder feedback.
The outcome
The Adverse Event Plan was accepted by Council and made publicly available for the community. The Plan was guided by the following ‘resilience principles’:
Community led recovery
Plan in the good times to be prepared in the bad times
Continuous learning and improvement
A key tangible element of the Plan was the agreement to establish a citizen’s working group where solid connections, networks and roles can be established in advance of an adverse event. The Plan also had the benefit of identifying the 'role of Council' in adverse event planning and instigating new community connections, cooperation and communication that were sparked by the consultation process.
