From Policy to Practice: Building Inclusive Disaster Resilience Through Social Capital and Trust
Tracks
Southport Room 1
| Tuesday, July 28, 2026 |
| 11:20 AM - 11:50 AM |
| Southport Room 1 |
Overview
Yetta Gurtner, State Emergency Service
Details
Three Key Learnings
1. Trust and social capital are fundamental to fostering "whole of community" resilience.
2. It's vital to tailor and contextualise both content and delivery for effective engagement in diverse communities.
3. Collaborative partnerships between established agencies creates consistent messaging and maximises both resources and outreach.
Speaker
Dr Yetta Gurtner
Regional Community Engagement And Recruitment Officer
State Emergency Service
From Policy to Practice: Building Inclusive Disaster Resilience Through Social Capital and Trust
Abstract
Australian national policy frames disaster risk reduction as a "shared responsibility," yet the practical application of this concept within diverse urban populations remains a significant challenge for emergency managers. While the mandate for inclusive, "whole-of-community" resilience is clear, engaging groups with varying languages, culture, accessibility, resources, and lived experiences, requires more than standard outreach.
This presentation examines the long-term collaboration between the Northern Region State Emergency Service and Townsville City Council. It explores the strategic evolution of a disaster awareness network designed to reach disability, aged care, First Nations, and CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) groups. By analysing the transition from school-based talks and public presentations to targeted, hands-on workshops, this session identifies the specific challenges of fostering social capital in high-diversity environments. Through real-world examples, participants will explore how shared responsibility becomes operationalised when agencies move from delivering messages to co-creating capability with communities. The session demonstrates that resilience is not built through information alone, but through sustained relationships that empower communities to act before, during, and after disaster.
Drawing on initiatives recognised through the 2024 Queensland and National Disaster Resilience Awards, we discuss how trust and lived experience serve as the foundation for turning national policy into local, proactive disaster risk reduction.
This presentation examines the long-term collaboration between the Northern Region State Emergency Service and Townsville City Council. It explores the strategic evolution of a disaster awareness network designed to reach disability, aged care, First Nations, and CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) groups. By analysing the transition from school-based talks and public presentations to targeted, hands-on workshops, this session identifies the specific challenges of fostering social capital in high-diversity environments. Through real-world examples, participants will explore how shared responsibility becomes operationalised when agencies move from delivering messages to co-creating capability with communities. The session demonstrates that resilience is not built through information alone, but through sustained relationships that empower communities to act before, during, and after disaster.
Drawing on initiatives recognised through the 2024 Queensland and National Disaster Resilience Awards, we discuss how trust and lived experience serve as the foundation for turning national policy into local, proactive disaster risk reduction.
Biography
Dr Yetta Gurtner is a leading pracademic in disaster and emergency management, with over 20 years’ experience in fieldwork, teaching, and applied research in community-based disaster resilience. For the past two years, she has served as a Regional Community Engagement Officer with the Queensland State Emergency Service, working directly with volunteers, councils, and communities. As Adjunct Coordinator of the Centre for Disaster Studies, she continues to bridge research and practice, with a strong focus on trust, social capital, and locally driven resilience. Her work is grounded in long-standing regional networks and practical, on-the-ground engagement.
