We are entering a new phase of global crisis, one that is less visible than a COVID
19 pandemic, but far more prevalent. The emerging energy crisis is not only
disrupting systems; it is testing whether the systems we rely on can endure at all. If
COVID changed how we lived, this next wave is challenging how we sustain life,
livelihoods, and equity into the future.
COVID-19 placed communities at immediate risk. It exposed vulnerability, tested
resilience, and demanded rapid innovation. Some denied it, some hesitated, and
others froze. Yet being on the front line required decisive leadership - coordinating
disaster response, ensuring clear and timely communication, safeguarding food
security, and protecting community health and wellbeing in real time.
As we move forward, the question is no longer whether disruption will occur - but
whether we are prepared to respond differently, through shared responsibility and
stronger partnerships across sectors and borders both nationally and internationally.
This must include a deliberate focus on equity for Indigenous peoples and
communities who are consistently most impacted in times of crisis.
This keynote draws on over three decades of leadership across governance,
community development, and national advocacy to explore what it truly means to
adapt, learn, and lead in times of compounded crisis. It highlights the importance of
collaboration that goes beyond coordination - connecting research, programs, and
lived experience to better meet the evolving needs of the disaster & emergency
sector, while unlocking innovation through diversity and inclusion.
It will share key lessons from COVID-19 that are directly applicable to the challenges
ahead, reinforcing the need for speed over perfection, the power of local capability,
and the critical role of trust, communication, and genuine partnership. Central to this
is a strategic balance between economic efficiency and sustainable growth, including
strengthening domestic production to reduce reliance on fragile global supply chains.
Importantly, it examines how we move beyond coordination to true collaboration -
where best practice is shared, innovation is fostered, and interagency connections
are strengthened to deliver more inclusive outcomes. It also emphasises the need to
draw on lived experience, particularly from Indigenous peoples and communities, to
inform more resilient and adaptive systems.
As we face an increasingly uncertain future, this keynote is a call to action: to learn
from what we have lived through, to apply those lessons with intent, and to lead with
clarity, courage, and accountability.
Because if COVID-19 was the wake-up call, the energy crisis is the systems test -
and how we respond now will define the future we create.