Residents across the Northern Rivers are being invited to shape the region's first Disaster Adaptation Plan through a series of community workshops that bring local voices into natural hazard risk reduction decisions.
The What Matters Most workshops will be delivered by Living Lab Northern Rivers with the NSW Reconstruction Authority across the region in September and October.
The Northern Rivers has one of the highest natural hazard risk profiles statewide, regularly experiencing floods, storms, bushfires and coastal erosion. The recent flooding caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred served as a reminder of the urgency of proactive disaster planning, with the changing climate expected to intensify future disasters.
The Minns Labor Government is calling on the community to be part of the development of a comprehensive Disaster Adaptation Plan, to reduce risks from these disasters and better prepare for natural hazards in the Northern Rivers. The plan will include an analysis of the region's exposure and vulnerability to natural hazards now and into the future, as well as actions to reduce risks where we can and adapt if we can't.
Living Lab Northern Rivers - a partnership between the NSW Government, the University of Technology Sydney and Southern Cross University - will lead the workshops so residents can share what they value most about their communities, what concerns them, and what priorities should guide the region's future.
These insights will inform both short and longer-term actions to reduce future risks. At the same time expressions of interest are being sought from the community to join a 40-person community reference group to help shape the Northern Rivers Disaster Adaptation Plan.
The What Matters Most public workshops are being held in Murwillumbah, Grafton, Mullumbimby, and Lismore. These free workshops welcome all residents, with accessibility requirements accommodated.
