Embracing a Co-Design Future: Queensland's Vision for Place-based Disaster Resilience
Tracks
Prince Room
| Tuesday, July 15, 2025 |
| 2:15 PM - 2:35 PM |
Overview
Dianne Grey, Queensland Reconstruction Authority
Details
Key Presentation Learnings:
1. Regional Resilience Strategies (RRSs) support the Prevent, Prepare, Respond and Recover cycle. Acknowledging that community members are best placed to know requirements and risks, these strategies assist in aligning regional perspectives and the state government’s vision.
2. Case studies from Hinchinbrook, Cassowary Coast and Burdekin provide evidence of effectiveness, where prior needs identification has enabled swift and focused recovery assistance in 2025.
3. Valuing place-based insights including culture, identity and renewal prepares communities to courageously confront the challenges of tomorrow.
Speaker
Ms Dianne Grey
Director
Queensland Reconstruction Authority
Embracing a Co-Design Future: Queensland's Vision for Place-based Disaster Resilience
Abstract
In the face of escalating frequency and intensity of disaster events, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) has firmly established itself in the Disaster Management, Recovery and Resilience space. Anchored in Queensland’s Disaster Management Arrangements (QDMA), recent reforms have moved resilience and recovery closer - linking resilience to the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery (PPRR) cycle.
Central to this are QRA's Regional Resilience Strategies (RRSs), which represent a pioneering effort in place-based disaster preparedness. These strategies recognise the unique characteristics inherent to each community, tailoring their approach through co-design methodologies and valuing place-based insights. Acknowledging that community members are best placed to know requirements and risks, these strategies unite regional perspectives with the state government’s vision.
Furthermore, Queensland’s State Resilience and Recovery Group (SRRG) refers to RRSs to create relevant state action plans with comprehensive, community-initiated strategies. Special attention is paid to culture, identity and renewal as experienced local voices are integral in sculpting the resilience blueprints. These frameworks are influential in determining the requirements for stakeholders in vulnerable sectors, such as agribusiness and indigenous.
Case studies from Hinchinbrook, Cassowary Coast and Burdekin provide evidence of effectiveness, where prior needs identification has enabled swift and focused recovery assistance. Cultural inclusivity remains at the core, extending support to diverse groups, including indigenous populations. Councils such as Wujal Wujal have been empowered through the development of these RRSs, exemplified by the response to Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Recognising DM is evolutionary, the QRA invites industry advocates and practitioners to examine Queensland's strategic approach. This presentation will outline how each community is unique and how it’s just as important to know when to step in and when to step out to ensure robust, context-specific and ethically-aligned disaster resilience.
Queensland's commitment to fostering resilience today prepares its communities to courageously confront the challenges of tomorrow.
Central to this are QRA's Regional Resilience Strategies (RRSs), which represent a pioneering effort in place-based disaster preparedness. These strategies recognise the unique characteristics inherent to each community, tailoring their approach through co-design methodologies and valuing place-based insights. Acknowledging that community members are best placed to know requirements and risks, these strategies unite regional perspectives with the state government’s vision.
Furthermore, Queensland’s State Resilience and Recovery Group (SRRG) refers to RRSs to create relevant state action plans with comprehensive, community-initiated strategies. Special attention is paid to culture, identity and renewal as experienced local voices are integral in sculpting the resilience blueprints. These frameworks are influential in determining the requirements for stakeholders in vulnerable sectors, such as agribusiness and indigenous.
Case studies from Hinchinbrook, Cassowary Coast and Burdekin provide evidence of effectiveness, where prior needs identification has enabled swift and focused recovery assistance. Cultural inclusivity remains at the core, extending support to diverse groups, including indigenous populations. Councils such as Wujal Wujal have been empowered through the development of these RRSs, exemplified by the response to Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Recognising DM is evolutionary, the QRA invites industry advocates and practitioners to examine Queensland's strategic approach. This presentation will outline how each community is unique and how it’s just as important to know when to step in and when to step out to ensure robust, context-specific and ethically-aligned disaster resilience.
Queensland's commitment to fostering resilience today prepares its communities to courageously confront the challenges of tomorrow.
Biography
Dianne is a Director at the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. She has deep expertise in planning and stakeholder engagement. She holds advanced leadership qualifications and experience domestically and internationally in crisis management. As the lead on several Queensland State Recovery and Resilience Plans, Dianne is committed to integrating recovery efforts across government and improving connection between contributors in the sector such as industry, not-for-profit, community, academia and non-government for the benefit of all.
