Southern Cross University has been recognised with the inaugural 2025 UniSuper Think Great Award in the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards, for an initiative that is reshaping how disaster-affected communities recover, adapt and plan for the future.
Born in the aftermath of the 2022 floods, Living Lab Northern Rivers was established in partnership with the University of Technology Sydney and the Australian Government and the NSW Reconstruction Authority.
It began as a shopfront in downtown Lismore.
Here residents, architects, engineers, scientists, Indigenous Knowledge holders, students and policymakers gathered to discuss and imagine the future of their town.
They tested ideas together, driven by a shared goal: to rebuild stronger, smarter and in ways that honour the lived experience of those who call the Northern Rivers home. Their ideas became exhibitions and resources which led to travelling exhibitions and pop-up community forums touring the regions.
"This award is a testament to the central role that community lived experience must play in recovery and resilience building after a disaster," said Ben Roche, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Education Impact).
"By placing community voices at the heart of recovery, Southern Cross University has helped shape a new participatory model that responds to the challenge of how we best equip individuals and organisations to navigate the complex path to recovery, while acknowledging that social licence and social capital are key foundations of an effective community-centred recovery."
In less than three years, Living Lab Northern Rivers has staged exhibitions that turn technical planning into something everyone can engage with, convened dozens of public talks and workshops where flood-affected residents work side-by-side with urban planners and policy makers, and produced resources that are already helping households protect themselves against future disasters.
Advocacy is part of the work too, with the Living Lab acting as a bridge between the community and reconstruction authorities, pushing for recovery outcomes shaped by local needs and expertise
Among its many projects, one has particularly caught the public imagination: the transformation of flood-damaged timber from buy-back homes into something beautiful and lasting. In the Circular Timber project, nine tonnes of hardwood were salvaged, re-milled and crafted into 59 pieces of furniture, sculpture and public art.
"Each piece tells a story of recovery and resilience," said Living Lab Northern Rivers Engagement Director Dan Etheridge.
"It's a tangible reminder that even in loss, there is potential for renewal."
The Circular Timber Project is just one example of the Lab's work. The same collaborative spirit drives projects on flood-resilient housing design, co-designed town planning, and the development of the Adaptation Research Network – a national and international alliance of experts who can be mobilised to respond to the region's most pressing challenges.
The Living Lab's influence reaches far beyond the Northern Rivers. Its methods, from deep community engagement to open sharing of research and resources, are designed to be scalable. Its collaborative research network extends as far afield as Kings College London in the UK and University of Virginia in the US. These institutions are studying the Living Lab Northern Rivers as a model of best practice, a case study that can be replicated in communities across the world adapting to climate change.
Housing design reports, adaptation guides and detailed case studies have already been shared with other flood-affected areas, offering a roadmap and a philosophy that recovery is most effective when it is done with, not for, the people who live there.
"The model underpinning Living Lab's work is sustainable and scalable, offering a practical blueprint for disaster-impacted communities and showing the power of responsive research that drives real impact," said Professor Mary Spongberg, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
"The Living Lab Northern Rivers brings together more traditional research disciplines with Indigenous Knowledge holders, and utilises creative and practice-based methodologies, to create immediate impact. It's a clear example of what's possible when collaboration is positioned as a core strategy and universities work side-by-side with communities. We believe it's a model that could change the research landscape in Australia."
