In the wake of recent storms, floods and the ongoing pandemic, Council has unveiled its plan to help the community prepare for current and future challenges.
Council has endorsed the public exhibition of the draft Resilience Strategy which sets out key directions to help prepare the community to withstand future challenges, adapt, and thrive.
"The recent storms and floods, the bush fire risks of 2019-20, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have well and truly shown how quickly our lives can be affected with little or no warning," Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan said.
"We want to better prepare the community for any shocks and stresses that interrupt or threaten our way of life, such as storms and weather events, bushfires, diseases and pandemics, climate change and environmental degradation, economic challenges, affordable housing shortages, and mental health challenges.
"We know climate change will bring even greater challenges in the future, so we want to work with the community to build resilience and improve our capacity to respond."
The evidence-based strategy was developed following extensive community engagement, including a telephone survey, online surveys, focus groups, workshops and youth engagement sessions.
"Becoming resilient is kind of like exercising; you need to build up strength gradually by conditioning your muscles." (Anonymous focus group participant, resident 2021).
The draft Strategy establishes seven key strategic directions:
- Planning for our future - resilient land use planning to reduce the impact of natural hazards and create housing, employment, education and transport options to meet the needs of the community
- Get ready Northern Beaches - our community understands the risks they face and works together to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from significant disruptions
- Connect for strength - we look after each other in good times and bad and care for those who may need extra support
- A strong and dynamic local economy - our local economy is diverse and offers rich opportunities for innovation education and career growth and community vitality
- Adaptive services, assets and infrastructure - we partner with key agencies and providers to protect our diverse portfolio of services, assets, and infrastructure so we can continuously meet community needs despite significant disruptions
- A resilient natural and built environment - we live in balance with our natural and built environments and proactively take steps to protect and enhance our environment, cool our suburbs and green our buildings
- Activated places and spaces - our safe and accessible public places and spaces support our social, emotional, and physical wellbeing.
Council will develop a Resilience Action Plan which will detail all the projects and actions Council will take to meet the objectives of our Resilience Strategy.
The community will be invited to give their feedback on the Resilience Strategy via our Your Say page.
