It is hoped the establishment of a Community Resilience Network in Gunnedah will better prepare the community for future natural disaster scenarios and other events of major significance.

The multi-role network was established earlier this year after Gunnedah’s series of floods throughout 2021-22.

Gunnedah Shire Council community recovery officer Karen Grimm said the network supports dialogue between the community and the Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) – which features representatives from NSW Police, NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW State Emergency Services, Fire and Rescue NSW and other support agencies.

“The CRN model was developed based on learnings from disaster events in NSW over the last 10 years that have highlighted the ongoing disconnect between local community organisations and the formal emergency management structures of LEMCs and recovery committees,” Ms Grimm said.

“A common theme voiced by disaster-affected communities is that they did not understand the recovery arrangements and were unable to contribute their knowledge and resources because existing arrangements focused mainly on government agencies.

“Community service organisations are place-based services in the local community and their role is to build resilience on a day-to-day basis, often working with the most vulnerable. These organisations have a central role in supporting communities before, during and after an event.”

This network has held three meetings this year already but are expected to be held quarterly moving forward.

Ms Grimm said at the most recent meeting the network’s purpose was expanded to include drought and any other event that may impact the economy of Gunnedah shire.

It is a wide-ranging charter that could include “incidents or events that have a significant social or economic impact on the community”.

Although, there have been no key findings to date as the network is only in establishment phase, Ms Grimm said the benefits so far include

sharing training and funding opportunities; identifying future opportunities for partnering on projects individual organisations are delivering and building relationships and continuing to grow relationships that can stand up when/if a disaster or major event occurs.

The recovery officer said having the connections and network in place when not in an emergency, will ensure a more rapid response when the community is impacted in the future and support the community during and post-disaster.

Ms Grimm said there is an expectation that all councils will need to set up CRNs, or similar, to deal with future disasters at a community level – putting Gunnedah on the front foot in disaster preparedness.

“The establishment of this group in 2024 will place Gunnedah shire community in an advantageous position if or when the next disaster or emergency impacts the shire, ensuring we can access support and funding in a far more efficient and effective manner,” she said.

Community, organisations, and agencies interested in finding out more about this network are encouraged to contact the community recovery officer at council.

Some of the objectives of the Network include:

o Build resilience of community organisations

o Advise about community impacts, local needs, and priorities.

o Inform formal strategies that will improve the community’s preparedness, recovery, and resilience.

o Identify gaps in recovery planning, preparedness and resilience in the Gunnedah Shire and provide collaborative solutions.

o Enhance two-way resilience and recovery communication between LEMC and local community organisations.

o Provide a direct channel for data from members and community connections that will assist with expediting funding/grants and other advocacy work.

o To develop a network of organisations that provide recovery services that are known, and work in a coordinated manner to support the people in Gunnedah LGA.

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