Elly Mackay
25 August 2025: Researchers, government policymakers, emergency services practitioners and representatives from community organisations recently gathered at the University of Canberra for the 2025 ACT Disaster Resilience Policy and Research Forum, where disaster resilience planning and preparation was discussed in a collaborative environment.
The ACT region-focused event aimed to identify the most pressing research questions to inform disaster resilience policy and practice in the Canberra region, and to strengthen planning and preparedness for future emergencies.
News and Media Research Centre (N&MRC) HDR Student Sue Atkinson organised the forum to bring together researchers and end-users to identify opportunities to collaborate and create partnerships to integrate current and innovative research into policy and practice.
“These disaster resilience challenges extend far beyond the ACT and reflect issues facing communities across Australia and internationally,” she said.
“Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of environmental disasters worldwide, making the lessons learned here relevant to urban and regional communities facing bushfires, floods, heatwaves and severe storms.
“The forum’s focus on inclusive approaches – ensuring that culturally diverse communities, people with disabilities, and socially isolated individuals are not left behind – addresses fundamental questions about equity and social justice in emergency management.”
Ms Atkinson initially organised the forum to bring together diverse voices and expertise, reflecting the wide-ranging nature of disasters, and how they impact society as a whole.
Following these initial conversations, Ms Atkinson proposed the broader concept of bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in a collaborative forum.
“The forum emerged from my commitment to ensuring that high-quality research reached the policymakers and practitioners who can put it into action,” Ms Atkinson said.
“As part of my PhD research on community communication during disasters, I approached the ACT Government’s Justice and Community Safety Directorate and the ACT Emergency Services Agency [ACT ESA] to share my findings and explore how my research might be beneficial to their work.”
The agenda for the day included research presentations, workshop sessions, and addresses from University Vice-Chancellor, The Honourable Bill Shorten and N&MRC Director Professor Sora Park.
Professor Jacki Shirmer from the Centre for Environmental Governance (CEG) provided her perspective as the Chair of the University’s Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research Network (CCARRN).
“The forum was a genuinely collaborative effort, co-hosted by the N&MRC, the Centre for Environmental Governance, and the ACT Government’s Justice and Community Safety Directorate,” Ms Atkinson said.
“Natural Hazards Research Australia and the Australian Government also came on board as a sponsor, and the ACT ESA was a keen participant – this partnership reflects the reality that disaster resilience isn’t the responsibility of any single organisation, it requires coordinated effort.”
“These disaster resilience challenges extend far beyond the ACT and reflect issues facing communities across Australia and internationally,” Ms Atkinson said.
The success of the inaugural forum creates space for potential future events focused on disaster resilience policy and research.
