Community-centred recovery is a disaster recovery approach that gives communities greater opportunity to be involved in decisions and processes that contribute to reshaping and rebuilding their lives in ways that work for them.
A community-centred approach involves engaging deeply and respectfully with communities so that they can help build back stronger and more resilient.
Community Recovery Committees (CRCs) are the local representative groups who work to keep local voices, know-how and expertise front and centre during recovery planning and delivery. What a CRC is called and how it is established differs from district to district.
CRCs can be at different stages of recovery.
Following the 2019-20 Bushfires, 10 committees across East Gippsland were set-up to identify, initiate and support community-centred recovery.
Following the 2019-20 bushfires, the Bruthen District Community Association recognised it was well placed to incorporate the Bruthen CRC and subsumed the group into the general committee. Bruthen District incorporates the towns and districts of Bruthen, Wiseleigh, Mossiface, Fairy Dell and Double Bridges.
The Buchan, Gelantipy and Districts Renewal Association was established in direct response to the 2019-20 bushfires. The purpose of the association is to provide for and advocate on behalf of the needs of the community, identify and address any shortfalls arising from the bushfire event, endeavour to increase economic activity within the community.
The Clifton Creek Community Recovery Team was established with representatives of the five different associations in Clifton Creek and interested community members.
The community committee was created during Cann River’s community planning workshops and included bushfire recovery following the 2019-20 bushfires.
The District Community Plan from 2019 formed the basis for their recovery planning, including the recovery priorities identified through consultation with their communities.
The Cann Valley District Representative Group (CVDRG) meet regularly to hear community needs and voice those needs to appropriate agency channels.
The Errinundra to Snowy CRC is an offshoot of the District Representative Group which formed in 2019 to work on the Errinundra to Snowy District Community Plan.
The Community Representative Committee represents the district's varied communities. All committee members committed to the betterment and sustainability of the area.
The Mallacoota and District Recovery Association (MADRA) was initially a “thinking group” formed in the immediate aftermath of the fires. MADRA was soon developed, tasked with ensuring a community-led recovery process is being undertaken in Mallacoota and surrounding towns.
The Omeo Region Community Recovery Association (ORCRA) voiced the needs of the Omeo Region's communities for a sustainable recovery.
ORCRA closed 31 October 2024. A new group formed with a revised focus on bushfire recovery, community resilience and disaster preparedness, drawing upon ORCRA’s recovery priorities and regional focus.
The Orbost District Community Recovery and Transition Committee was formed through a community expression of interest process following the 2019-20 bushfires. Members are from many parts of the district. The committee works to understand and respond to the recovery needs of the Orbost district communities.
The Sarsfield Community Association was established in November 2020, to act as the Community Recovery Committee. Since then, the association has continued to advocate for and deliver upon its recovery priorities.
The Wairewa Community Recovery Committee is a representative group of and for their community. They have been planning and implementing recovery projects not only to re-establish the community but also to build resilience.
The Reflections and Lessons Learned by the CRCs report captures the experiences of the CRCs from the 2019-2020 Bushfires and what they thought worked well, opportunities for improvement, and what to pass on to help communities in future events.
Council’s Community Recovery Toolbox provides useful information to support communities across East Gippsland. It will help local groups establish and build recovery processes before and after an emergency.
The Rising Strong forum, in Lakes Entrance March 2024, brought together a diverse range of community members to share their experience and journey across bushfire recovery and resilience.
The Aboriginal Community-led Recovery outlines the key areas of focus for the Victorian Government as system steward in planning, coordinating and supporting emergency recovery with strong and resilient Victorian Aboriginal communities.
The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) develops, maintains and shares knowledge and learning to support a disaster resilient Australia.
Dr Robert Gordon is a clinical psychologist who has dedicated his career to helping traumatised communities recover after disaster.
We offer a dedicated Bushfire Rebuilding Support Service to help with your rebuild, for information please visit our Bushfire Rebuilding page under Planning Permits.
Council released four progress reports detailing the full impact of the 2019/20 bushfires and works around the recovery efforts and recovery coordination.
A working document outlining recovery plans, goals, and priorities for the whole of East Gippsland, and each of the directly fire-impacted communities. As new issues or recovery priorities are identified, through channels such as direct community feedback or community recovery committees, these can then be considered in preparing the next version of the Recovery Plan.
The East Gippsland Recovery Plan 2019/20 also has 5 sub-plans: built environment, economic, social, culture and healing, and natural environments.
The Chair of the East Gippsland Recovery Committee has prepared a Summary of Impacts of the East Gippsland Bushfires of 2019-20.
In February 2020 a Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements was established.
The Commission was designed to examine preparedness, coordination, response to and recovery from natural disasters, and to improve adaptation to climactic changes, improve resilience, and lessen the impact of natural disasters.
Council participated in providing evidence and appeared at the hearing from a Council perspective.
The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements delivered its final report to the Governor General on 28 October 2020 with 80 recommendations.
To learn more about the Commission or view the report, visit the Commission's website.
To learn more about the inquiry, visit the IGEM Fire Season Inquiry website.