July 30, 2025
Red Earth Community Foundation has emphasised the importance of community-led disaster preparedness while reflecting on the success so far of its Disaster Resilient: Future Ready (DR:FR) program.
The program is a partnership between Red Earth and the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) and has been made possible through the financial support of the Minderoo Foundation and the Federal Government’s Preparing Australian Communities Program – Local.
Funding applications from the South and North Burnett have been approved with more applications in the pipeline, including initiatives for Cherbourg and Tansey.
Projects already funded include:
- Kumbia & District Memorial School of Arts Inc – $76,229 – to activate the hall as an accessible Community Meeting Place that supports resilience building and disaster preparedness now and into the future, through hall upgrades, a schedule of events, training, resources and information sharing.
- Graham House Community Centre – $97,185 – to strengthen disaster resilience and preparedness for Proston through resourcing community project officers to prepare and distribute Disaster Information Kits and complete individualised Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) plans with residents, equipping community members and local organisations with networks and knowledge to activate in times of disaster and to inspire their ongoing efforts.
- South Burnett CTC – $6000 – P-CEP training in Nanango, Monto, Mundubbera and Murgon; delivering an online, self-paced certificate course to develop knowledge and skills in how to facilitate and implement P-CEP.
- South Burnett CTC – $194,000 – Burnett Community Centre Preparedness Network, P-CEP Plans and Events Project to provide disaster preparedness, including preparation of P-CEP plans and resilience building activities for vulnerable members in Nanango, Monto, Mundubbera and Murgon through leveraging existing programs and service delivery of four regional Neighbourhood Centres The DR:FR program focuses on activating community-led disaster preparedness initiatives that have been developed over a series of local workshops.
“The DR:FR model is about ensuring the region and smaller localities have the connections and resources they need to be better prepared for future disasters,” Red Earth program manager Amanda Woodward said.
“The program has aimed to work with local people and not-for-profit organisations to develop projects that complement formal disaster management.”
Local resident Sandra Steffensen said the program had made a difference to Kumbia.
“The Kumbia working group developed the Kumbia Hall Prepare and Connect Project for the specific purpose of activating the Kumbia Memorial Hall as an accessible Community Meeting Place that supports resilience building and disaster preparedness now and into the future,” Mrs Steffensen said.
