Baw Baw Shire Council’s Emergency Management team has won the Victorian Local Government category of the Resilient Australia Awards for its Ready & Resilient At-Risk Communities initiative.
Ready & Resilient At-Risk Communities is a series of interlinked projects supporting Baw Baw residents who are most at risk during emergencies. Centred on diversity and inclusion, the initiative recognises that vulnerable groups can bear a disproportionate social, health and economic burden from disasters.
The initiative brings together several practical approaches to emergency preparedness:
Establishing a People at Risk in Emergencies (PARE) action group and delivering workshops
Delivering Get Ready, Get Techy, Go!, which builds digital literacy and emergency readiness
Offering Resilient Kids programs for primary school children, including the Australian Red Cross Pillowcase program.
Baw Baw Shire Council Mayor Councillor Kate Wilson is pleased to see the Emergency Management team recognised for their efforts.
“Together, these projects build a whole-of-community, shared-responsibility approach in Baw Baw Shire. They support local agencies, people most at risk and children to better prepare for, respond to and recover from future emergencies,” said Cr Wilson.
“We are very proud of the work that has been done to strengthen our community and are excited to celebrate the Emergency Management team’s well-deserved award.”
Resilient Australia Awards celebrate initiatives that strengthen communities across Australia and recognise efforts that help people prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters and emergencies.
The awards are sponsored by the Australian Government in partnership with states and territories. Emergency Management Victoria works with the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience to manage the Victorian awards process.
This year, Victoria received 29 applications across seven categories: Business, Community, Local Government, Government, Mental Health and Wellbeing, School and Photography.
