Forbes local government area (LGA) case study community findings - Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Forbes local
government area
(LGA) case study
community findings
Community resilience,
wellbeing and
recovery project
Forbes
This content in this report is taken from the Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project: Research report prepared by the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra for the NSW Council of Social Service and the Mental Health Commission of NSW. Dare, L. and Schirmer, J. 2021. Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project: Research report. Report produced as part of the Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project. Mental Health Commission of NSW, NSW Council of Social Service, and University of Canberra. Authors: Professor Lain Dare, Centre for Change Governance, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra Associate Professor Jacki Schirmer, Centre for Change Governance, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra The artist of this icon is Rhonda Sampson, an Aboriginal graphic designer at RS Creative Solutions and a proud descendant of the Kamilaroi people. 2 // Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding
Community Resilience,
Wellbeing and Recovery
Project
Forbes Local Government Area (LGA) Case study
community findings
In 2020 the Mental Health Commission of NSW funded NSW Council
of Social Service (NCOSS) to explore the role of local assets in
support recover, wellbeing and resilience in communities impacted
by disasters. NCOSS partnered with the University of Canberra
who collected data on the role of community assets in disaster
recovery across five case study communities identified by local
government area (LGA) 1: Bega Valley Shire Council, Blue Mountains
City Council, Forbes Shire Council, Snowy Monaro Regional Council
and Wentworth Shire Council. This report summarises some of the
key insights from the Forbes case study community contained
in the Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project:
Research report.
1 For the purposes of this report the five NSW local LGAs are also referred to case study LGAs or case study communities.
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 3Drought Flood
Mouse COVID-19
Plague
Forbes
4 // Community Resilience Wellbeing and Recover Project – Forbes Case StudyIntroduction
The Forbes Shire was one of five case study communities identified
by local government area (LGA) examined as part of the Community
resilience, wellbeing and recovery project (CRWRP).
This project examined what is needed to support ‘community assets’ be a part of
successful community-led disaster recovery processes. ‘Community assets’ are
the range of organisations providing services and supports to help communities
build resilience and recover wellbeing after disaster; and also includes the people,
infrastructure, networks, and places critical to disaster recovery. This case study
report forms part of the evidence that was produced and synthesised in this project,
together with four other case study reports (Bega Valley, Blue Mountains, Snowy
Monaro, and Wentworth).
This report is one of several produced as part of the project, as well as two guides that
help local and non-local organisations plan and prepare for their role in community-led
disaster recovery.
Why was Forbes LGA chosen as a case study?
The project selected five non- Located in central west NSW, Forbes has
metropolitan LGAs in New South experienced drought, floods and mice
Wales (NSW) as case studies. plague in recent years, as well as the
These case studies were chosen impacts of COVID-19. It is culturally diverse,
as they represented a diversity of with a higher-than-average proportion
characteristics, with wide variation in of residents identifying as Aboriginal. The
social and economic conditions, major population is older than the average for
industries and experience of disasters NSW. These and other characteristics,
such as drought, bushfire, flood, described further in the case study profile,
COVID-19 and mouse plague in led to its inclusion as one of the five case
recent years. study LGAs examined in the project.
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 5Data collection
9,906 A total of 22 people were interviewed in Forbes, and six
people attended a subsequent workshop held in Forbes
population
in May 2021 to further discuss and develop the findings
for Forbes LGA. Interview participants included a range
of people involved in supporting local residents to build
resilience to disaster and recover from disaster. This
included representatives of community organisations,
such as financial counsellors and health services, and a
range of local and state government service providers.
1,345
identified as
Aboriginal and/ 22
people
or Torres Strait
interviewed
Islander people
6
attended community
workshop
32.0%
completed Year 12
LGA profile
The Forbes LGA is located in the central west of NSW.
Profile information on the LGA (ABS 2021a2) shows
that as of 2019, the total population was 9,906
people, of which 1,345 identified as Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander people, representing 11.1% of the
$687 population. Relatively few residents were born overseas
median household – 4% as of 2016 – and only 2.1% spoke a language other
than English at home.
income per week
Data from the 2016 Census2 identified that, when
ranked relative to other LGAs in NSW, Forbes typically
ranks as slightly disadvantaged, with a ranking of 4
2 T
hese data were derived from the Forbes local government area ‘region
26.5% summary’, available on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) website. The
data were accessed in July 2021. This regional profile is updated regularly on
reporting no the ABS website: for updated information, see https://dbr.abs.gov.au/region.
html?lyr=lga&rgn=12900, or go to www.abs.gov.au and search for ‘Forbes (A)’.
home internetout of 10 for relative advantage and Forbes, which forms part of the
disadvantage across a range Socio- Lachlan Valley Statistical Area 3 (SA3)
Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) region. The Lachlan Valley SA3 region
indexes, including the Index of Relative has a total population of 56,215,
Socio-Economic Disadvantage, Index meaning the Forbes population is just
of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage under 20% of the Lachlan Valley region.
and Disadvantage, Index of Education The age-standardised suicide rate
and Occupation, and Index of Economic between 2014 and 2018 in the Lachlan
Resources. As of 2016, 32.0% of Forbes Valley SA3 was 19.5 suicides per 100,000
residents had completed Year 12 or people – almost twice the NSW average
equivalent of high school, much lower of 10.9 suicides per 100,000 people (AIHW
than the national average of 51.9%. 20204).
Median equivalised household income
was $687 per week, also lower than the Forbes has higher-than-average
national average ($877). Unemployment incidence of several types of crime,
was lower than the national average. particularly assaults, where Forbes ranked
11th highest of LGAs in NSW for rates of
As of 2016, internet access was relatively domestic violence-related assault and
poor, with 69.9% having home broadband 10th for non-domestic violence related
internet access, and 26.5% reporting not assaults, 15th for break-and-enter crimes
accessing the internet from their home. Of related to homes, 5th for break-and-enter
private homes, 37.9% were owned outright, crimes for other buildings, 3rd for stealing
30.1% owned with a mortgage being from dwellings, 6th for stealing from motor
repaid, and 27.8% were rented. vehicles, and 6th for malicious damage to
property (NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics
Employment is highly dependent on and Research, 20215).
agriculture: as of 2016, 19.0% of jobs were in
agriculture, forestry and fishing, compared Rates of volunteering in Forbes are
to the average of 2.3% across NSW (ABS very high compared to the average: in
TableBuilder 20213). 2016, 28.4% of Forbes residents aged 15
and over reported having volunteered
Suicide rates are higher than average at least once in the last 12 months,
in the region. Reliable data on suicide compared to the NSW average of 19.7%
are available only for a larger area than (ABS TableBuilder 2021).
3 D
ata derived from ABS Tablebuilder were generated by building customised tables in the Australian Bureau of
Statistics ‘TableBuilder Pro’ product. All data are drawn from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing, Place of Usual
Residence dataset unless otherwise specified. To find out more about Table Builder, search for ‘TableBuilder’ at www.
abs.gov.au.
4 These data were sourced from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). These data are updated over
time; the most recent data can be accessed at https://www.aihw.gov.au/suicide-self-harm-monitoring/data/
geography/suicide-by-local-areas or by going to www.aihw.gov.au and searching for ‘deaths by suicide, by local
area’.
5 Data examining crime by local government area were sourced from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and
Research. The most recent data are available at https://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Pages/bocsar_crime_stats/bocsar_
lgaexceltables.aspx or by going to www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au and searching for ‘local government statistics’.
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 7Key findings
The following table summarises key findings identified in this case study community.
Many of these findings are similar to those identified in the other four case studies.
These findings are highlighted as they were either raised by several of the people
interviewed and/or were identified as of high importance in the subsequent
community workshop.
TABLE 1
Key findings from experiences of disaster recovery and resilience in Forbes
1 Many organisations
provide services and
supports in the region,
A diversity of government and non-government
organisations have been active in supporting the
community during disaster response and recovery
including government processes. These include local, state and federal
and non-government government, local community organisations, and
organisations. local branches of national service organisations such
as CWA, Lions and Rotary. While these organisations
provide a range of supports and services, there
remained limited capability to deliver some types of
support (e.g. mental health).
2 Timing of
delivering disaster
recovery support is
Support for disaster recovery needs to be delivered
with careful consideration of timing. While much
funding is often available immediately post disaster
critical. for response, many people impacted by disaster
need time to identify the types of support that can
best help them recover. Disaster related needs
can also emerge some time after the immediate
response phase, however available funding often
ceases before some of these needs have emerged.
Ensuring supports is available when community
members are ready and able to engage with them is
critical for successful recovery.
8 // Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding3 Inflexible
governance and
eligibility criteria for
Restrictive eligibility criteria can result in
inequitable access to government support
programs. For example, restricting eligibility to
accessing support particular locations, occupations or activities has
can hinder disaster led to concerns that only some of those impacted
recovery. by disaster are able to access key types of
supports, while others are not eligible.
4 Communication,
coordination and
collaboration between
Poor communication and coordination between
organisations involved in disaster recovery and
resilience results in poor outcomes for individuals
organisations is and/or the community due to increased duplication
critical. of services, increased costs of service delivery,
reduced referrals, and difficulties in accessing or
engaging with different services and supports.
5 Support existing
organisations
to build capacity as
A common challenge experienced was new
organisations or services entering the community
during or post-disaster. In many cases, there have
well as funding new been long lag-times before the organisation built
organisations to enter trusting relationships in what is a relatively close-
the community. knit community. New organisations have often
failed to coordinate with community organisations
already operating on the ground, and community
organisations have sometimes missed out on
funding that could have been used to build on
their existing capacity. Better supporting existing
community organisations to scale up activities
during/post disaster and supporting external
organisations to work with existing organisations, can
help address these issues.
6 Community-led
identification of
needs is essential to
The disaster recovery needs of different communities,
and different people within them, vary depending on
the context of the disaster, available local resources
positive recovery. and community aspirations. Enabling communities
to lead identification of key needs is essential to
effective recovery. External organisations who enter
a community after disaster should carefully partner
with local leaders to ensure they identify local needs.
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 97 There is often a
lack of resourcing
to assist with longer-
There are significant gaps in availability of support
for longer-term recovery needs such as long-term
mental health support, infrastructure renewal, and
term recovery needs. business recovery. Disaster recovery support is
often focused on shorter-term recovery needs, with
funding often ‘drying up’ for medium and longer-
term recovery needs.
8 Lack of skilled
and experience
staff is common and
High turnover of staff in formal organisations such
as state government agencies is a key barrier
to effective disaster recovery support, as is the
reduced effectiveness appointment of new staff with limited or no local
of disaster response knowledge of the local area to support disaster
and recovery efforts. recovery. Many government agency staff are on
short-term contracts; often their knowledge of
disaster recovery is lost when they change jobs.
Community organisations typically have longer-term
engagement in disaster recovery.
9 Complex
disaster support
application processes
Complex application processes often presented a
barrier to accessing disaster support, particularly for
vulnerable people such as those with poor literacy or
act as a barrier to experiencing high levels of distress. Multiple examples
effective disaster. were provided of community members and staff
of community organisations assisting community
members to apply for disaster relief and recovery
support, however this was usually done informally
and without explicit resourcing.
10 Directories of
organisations
and staff involved in
Rapid turnover of staff often leads to lack of
knowledge of which people to contact at different
organisations, or the role and skills of different
disaster recovery need organisations. Regularly updated mapping of
regular updating. organisations, their roles/capabilities and staff is
needed, ideally once every six months.
10 // Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community findingCommunity assets
available in Forbes for
disaster recovery and
resilience
A wide range of community assets were identified as being available
in Forbes. These included local community groups, local important
places, government agencies, and others. These community assets
ranged from places in the local environment, including the Forbes
Lake and the benefits it provides for individuals and families, to more
traditional assets such as the presence of support provided through
local, state and federal governments.
A large number of grassroots organisations other community assets that are active in
are present in the community, ranging providing disaster recovery. The ‘We Grew
from informal local champions in regional up in Forbes and are very proud of it’ group
villages, to formal community groups active is a third Facebook group, established in
in community recovery and resilience. These 2014. With 7,200 members, it can provide a
formal groups included service and church- way to contact and leverage support from
based support groups such as Rotary, Lions, ex-residents of the community who now
the Country Women’s Association (CWA), live elsewhere. Overall, online community
Salvation Army, and the local Anglican groups appear to have limited interaction
church’s Nell’s Pantry for Farmers. with the more traditional community assets
providing support in this region.
There are some active Facebook
community groups helping to support Support provided by these organisations
the community, including the Forbes varied depending on the disaster being
Community Facebook page with 1,400 addressed, but typically included funding
members, and the Forbes community for farm or household expenses, feed for
group with 1,000 members. However, these stock, free water, transport subsidies, food
two in-community Facebook groups are hampers, vouchers for local businesses,
relatively recent, with both emerging only various mental health support activities,
since 2019; and interviewees did not identify social events, funding to support existing
these groups as having linkages with organisations undertake their activities
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 11more efficiently, plus many other activities The recent emergence of Facebook
for individuals or communities. Many of groups and sources of information raised
these activities were focused on support some concerns about residents’ ability to
during disaster or in the first 12 months post easily identify quality information about
disaster. the availability of support services and
community organisations they could reach
When asked directly what community out to:
assets were missing, participants
could not identify any type of asset I think what makes this so
that was missing. However, most could difficult and so complex in some
identify areas where the capacity of areas, will be a gap in information and
existing assets was limited, and ways people not being well-connected.
that existing assets could be better For instance, if the local community
supported to improve their sustainability newspaper falls over or is removed
and ability to support the wider from the community by the owner,
community. A specific area identified you suddenly have a huge gap in
as needing greater resourcing was information provision. If everyone’s
the provision of mental health support, getting their information from
specifically enabling organisations to Facebook, that is a huge issue, because
better identify and enable linkages we know how reputable some of that
between community members who may can be.” (Forbes 2)
need mental health support and other
support services. A range of gaps were This importance of timely quality information
identified, which are typically specific was noted as being pronounced during
to the community and hence need a the mice plague occurring at the time the
place-based approach: workshop was held:
I guess in terms of the mental … there’s no information. There’s
health services part, the actual rumours going around that it’s
gaps are varied … each community causing meningitis, I heard today, and
will be different. You might have a gap the diarrhoea plague, the diarrhoea
in your GP services, you might have epidemic, it’s like, “Oh, God.” ... But I don’t
a gap in the psychological services, know whether it’s true or not. There’s
community, mental health. So part a lot of misinformation about mice
of it is identifying and helping to work plagues.” (Forbes workshop 4)
out whether it can be filled and if not,
can the steps on each side of it help to Overall, rather than missing assets, the
fill that void to a degree. They’re very key issue in Forbes was whether existing
varied community to community.” assets had the capacity to cover needs,
(Forbes 2) to deliver support through medium and
longer-term disaster recovery, and to
Beyond mental health, a key gap identified coordinate effectively to ensure gaps in
was the availability of trusted information. support did not occur.
12 // Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community findingBarriers for community
assets in supporting
recovery and resilience
A range of barriers were identified, adversely affecting community
organisations capacity to support recovery and resilience. Barriers
included the cumulative nature of disaster and the impact this has
on the community’s capacity to recover; the timing of support and
associated funding; poor communication and coordination; and
issues of the service and support delivery, including eligibility, referrals
and the availability of appropriately skilled people.
Several study participants identified With ongoing, often overlapping disaster
that for the Forbes community disaster processes, community recovery is not
is constant, and that disasters do linear. There is often a poor match
not impact just one sector of the between disaster recovery needs and the
community but affect everybody: eventual provision of support services,
particularly from government where
We get regular floods that support programs can take time to
impact on both the township become operational. Often people are
and farmers. ... Anything that impacts still in processes of recovery from one
the farmers impacts the rest of us. disaster while attention has shifted to
We’ve just come off the end of a providing an immediate response to
fairly significant drought as well. So another, with support ‘drying up’ for those
that’s another whammy. COVID of still experiencing significant challenges
course is the third one. We’ve been and for whom longer-term support could
joking recently that it’s like the seven assist in ability to manage subsequent
plagues of Egypt, because there’s disasters. Drought, for example, was
mice going on as well, and a bit of … identified as having impacts for some
grasshopper action.” (Forbes 13) years post-disaster:
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 13Because of drought being know how to finish it, and there it was,
such an ongoing and insidious sitting there doing nothing. ... That
type of thing, I think it’ll take a while money could have been in their bank
for recovery to really happen … there’s account a year earlier than it was.”
still an underlying current of fear in a (Forbes workshop 3)
sense, because it was so hard … there
are some that just feel they cannot This issue was more likely to affect those
do another drought because that who were more vulnerable, for example
one was so long, it was such a tough people with poor literacy skills or limited
one. I think there’s a lot of uneasiness social networks. Effective recovery requires
that still needs to be alleviated before a recognition of vulnerable people, to
people will actually really recover, ensure appropriate access to support in the
recover emotionally as well as short, medium and long term as they may
physically really.” (Forbes 10) be delayed in seeking or accessing support.
The timing of support from community Funding arrangements were a critical
assets was also identified as being critical. barrier for effective support of community
Concerns were raised about the efficacy recovery and resilience. Barriers and
of support which may have stopped after challenges included high levels of
the immediate disaster event, despite the competition for funding, the often short-
impacts being felt for months or even years term duration of funding for positions and
afterwards and the potential for people to programs, and the appropriateness of
not come forward for support for some time: funding recipients which raises concerns
about the efficacy of recovery support:
I really think, I mean, there’s
been a lot of help out there … with recent disasters and
for them. But I think that might need adversities, there are charities
attention because you know, some that are already in community and
people [are] not going to make it are well-known, well-respected
… because the help has stopped. … doing a cracking job. [Then] there
people have been so used to getting are ones that suddenly come out
a little bit of backup but that backup’s of the woodwork that you’ve never
not there anymore.” (Forbes 4) heard of and wonder who knows
these people? And they are getting
Several times during this last funding for who knows what. They’re
drought, I saw people, people almost going against what the rest of
came to see me with a form that the community is doing at times, or
they started and it’s got the date even competing with other services
on from nearly a year ago, a year and charities, and they’re not working
previously, that they started filling out, well together. So I think that can really
didn’t finish it because they didn’t hinder recovery.” (Forbes 2)
14 // Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community findingGiven that disaster recovery funding would ring you up and say ‘I’ve heard
is often limited, many organisations that hay is coming to town’. And we
are having to make difficult choices say, ‘nobody’s told us about any hay
between continuing to deliver their coming to town’. … There wasn’t a
day-to-day services or to provide central point, you know, it wasn’t a
specific services associated with council thing, it wasn’t a police thing,
disasters. Many government and non- wasn’t a DPI thing. Everyone was sort
government organisations invested of, you know, who was running it?”
significant time seeking out additional (Forbes 11)
resources to support critical service
delivery, with the time spent applying However, a lack of coordination and
for funding itself reducing capacity to communication was not limited to
deliver services supporting disaster connections between community and
recovery: government groups, it was also occurring
within government:
[Funding] is always the conflict
with us, because we’ve still When I started in the
got business as usual as well … We [drought support role], I went
got no additional funding for any of and met everyone. Halfway through
this so we have to drop something to last year [Shire] put a drought
pick these up. … So yes, it’s all about support worker on because they
robbing Peter to pay Paul. … But you were given some money. When I
know, at the time you’re scrambling, questioned why they did this when
who’s out there? Who can we partner I was already in the role, they said
with? Who might be able to help fund they didn’t know I was here. So they
us?” (Forbes 11) were basically doing everything that
I had already put in place and gone
A lack of communication and ahead and done. So I think there’s
coordination between non-government a lack of communication within
and government assets was commonly government funded areas, they just
identified as a barrier, resulting in don’t talk to one another.” (Forbes 8)
confusion, duplication of services and
poor ability to improve support over time. In the workshop, participants identified
One example highlighted was an instance that this lack of coordination and
in which a large-scale activity was being communication was often an outcome of
undertaken by a volunteer organisation, high turnover of staff and the associated
without government services being aware loss of disaster related knowledge.
of the activity: Additionally, changes in the organisation
of agencies and storage of information
You know the information was reduced their capacity to respond in a
confusing. You know, people coordinated manner.
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 15We tried to do lessons learned, interview and workshop participants,
but then by the time the next including challenges in identifying and
drought/flood comes around, I’ve accessing affected community members,
probably gone and half of my staff confusing eligibility criteria, difficulties
have gone … we’ve changed our filing within online service delivery, the capacity
system three times ... Even to go back of some support staff and the availability
and dig through the paper files that of disaster related infrastructure.
have now been put digital ... It’s not
easy sometimes to dig out whatever Those working in community groups
report was given.” (Forbes workshop 4) and organisations commonly raised
concerns about the difficulty in identifying
A specific communication issue identified who needed help. Strict privacy rules
in the workshop was the lack of ability to meant that volunteer groups providing
provide up to date information due to poor recovery support could not directly
communication and coordination between identify community members in need,
the state/national organisations providing and hence had to rely on other (typically
grants or services, and the on-ground government) service providers to help
branch of the organisation expected to them. While such partnerships were
deliver these in the local area. In many cases, positive for community organisations,
local branches heard of new initiatives difficulty identifying those in need
announced via the media rather than from reduced their ability to distribute all the
their state or national organisation, making support available, with money sometimes
it difficult to give up to date advice to their having to be returned:
clients on support available:
My biggest issue during that
I didn’t know about [new grant flood was getting information
related to mouse plague] until about people who needed help …
this morning when one of my clients As a provider, we cannot access
rang me up and said, “What’s this I other provider’s information about
hear about this $500 rebate?” I said, who needs help because of privacy
“It’s news to me. I’ll do some research and things like this … We ended up
for you.” And then I saw a press having to send money back to the
release. ... that is normal procedure. foundations as we couldn’t distribute
We usually hear about things in it because we couldn’t find the people
the press, publicly, media releases, who needed the help.” (Forbes 5)
and it’s usually days or weeks later
before we actually get the official These referrals are typically easier
communication.” (Forbes workshop 2) between government organisations due
to established referral protocols. These
A number of barriers regarding elements often took the form of ensuring clients had
of service delivery were raised by given explicit permission for their details
16 // Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community findingto be passed on; while technically this Several interviewees identified the lack
could also be done to enable passing of of both telecommunications access,
contacts to community groups, this does and skills in using online services as a
not appear to be commonly done when critical barrier for supporting recovery
asking permission to pass a referral on: and resilience. This, combined with often
long distances for rural residents to
We do speak to the clients first. travel to see service providers, reduced
… We do sign a client service effectiveness of service delivery.
agreement as well which just shows Many contemporary disaster recovery
that all the information that’s been services require online applications
given to us, that we are entitled to hold and/or delivery, yet many people in the
as part of confidentiality. … mostly the Forbes rural area have limited access to
clients are like, ‘Oh yeah, more than the internet. Supporting organisations
happy to send that person to my place. therefore needed to ensure alternative
And I’m more than happy to speak to approaches to service delivery were
them’.” (Forbes 7) available, although these in turn were
problematic due to issues of distance
Eligibility criteria also inhibited the delivery and available time, particularly for
of support, with inflexible eligibility criteria farmers with high workloads during and
for some government programs identified post disasters such as drought and
as being a barrier: flood:
There is good support out there You need to change how you
and some of it’s targeted well, respond to them. Crikey, some
but other stuff has got these weird of these people don’t even have the
clauses in it that you don’t know internet. When we were doing just
why they’re there. What made it that online, you know, jump online and
grazing was excluded from a key fill out this form, that wasn’t working.
policy initiative?” (Forbes 10) So they set up call centre lines and
phone lines, or I would say to people,
The box approach of some can you come in and see me so I
government agencies, you’ve can give you a card? Not realising
got to fit into our box to be eligible. that they had to come two and a half
Eligibility criteria is a very, very difficult hours just to see me. … They might
section because you need some be working all day and for them to
form of eligibility criteria to make leave their farm to come and see me
sure people aren’t taking you for a was, was a drama and I didn’t realise
ride, but sometimes it becomes so that. So we had to change the way
cumbersome and so overwhelming that we delivered our help as well.”
that some people have no chance of (Forbes 3)
accessing that [support].” (Forbes 2)
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 17A further barrier was lack of experience Finally, in the workshop participants
and skills of the people delivering some identified that several infrastructure
services, particularly in the mental health needs that had emerged as a result of
space. Effective support needs the the mouse plague, including cleaning
right people in the right roles, with the and disposal support. However,
development of long-term skills in being participants acknowledged the
able to meet the specific needs of the difficulties in increasing support given
local community: the scale of the disaster, highlighting
challenges of providing a timely
Often they’re, the wrong person response to emerging needs during and
too. From what I’ve seen, a immediately post disaster.
couple of them have been good. … But
a lot of them, God love them, young
fellows, young chickies, they are fresh
off the boat. They’ve got nothing but a
lot of willingness.” (Forbes 13)
18 // Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community findingEnablers of community
assets in supporting
recovery and resilience
A number of factors that enable community assets to be effective
in supporting disaster recovery and resilience were identified by
study participants. These included having effective channels of
communication and coordination, societal acknowledgement of the
disaster, and increased focus on investing in preparedness to grow
the resilience of individuals and businesses.
Similar to the findings of the evaluation of knock and get an understanding
the Rural Resilience Program (Risk Frontiers of who is who. And things would
2018b6), interagency or other networks be very disjointed. I think the direct
such as the Rural Support Network, were community action would, or also
identified as being critical, providing be really disjointed because service
efficient opportunities for participating providers wouldn’t know that one
community assets to identify what support another even exist let alone what
is available and where they should they do. So your referral pathways
concentrate their resources. Without these would be complete rubbish. The
networks the role of many community community events and, and
assets would be hampered and support awareness days wouldn’t happen.
for disaster affected community members So I think those networks are really
adversely impacted: important.” (Forbes 2)
It would be incredibly difficult But such networks tend to disband when
[to operate without the there is not a disaster bringing them
networks] because it’s a really easy together, which can adversely affect
way of capturing a snapshot of who’s recovery and resilience outcomes. Some
who, and what’s going on in one interviewees felt they should be continued
place. If that network wasn’t there, as a permanent network, albeit meeting
um, you’d be literally trying to cold less often when there were less acute
call every single service and door disaster issues to address:
6 R
isk Frontiers. 2018b. Evaluation of the Rural Resilience Program in providing drought support to farming communities.
Report prepared for the NSW Department of Primary Industries, August 2018.
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 19I think those inter-agency information that’s provided because
agency meetings when we’re it’s not just service providers talking
not in drought … that’s the sort of thing to service providers about what they
I think we need to work on. … I think see, which is often they’re seeing very
it should be maybe not every three similar things within their clientele
months, but maybe once every six and community. … ‘This is what I heard
months, something like that, just so in the bakery in the shop and in the
we can keep in touch and be aware paper this week’, often a local service
of, and just to know who’s on the provider won’t pick up on that unless
road.” (Forbes 6) they live in the community whereas
your local community member will.”
When this was discussed in the workshop, (Forbes 2)
key questions raised about supporting this
type of enabling action included how best Partnership was a key enabling factor
to fund a central coordination role: discussed in interviews, including
‘horizontal’ partnerships between
So who would pay for a community organisations delivering
coordinator though? To have support within the community.
a coordinator for a taskforce, it’s 24/7 Partnerships with ‘external’ organisations
and it lasts for quite a long time.” was identified as being one of the most
(Forbes workshop 4) effective ways to leverage the different
and complementary resources of
The inclusion of a number of community community organisations who were
assets in these networks is critical to their often knowledge rich but lacking financial
success. Government and community resources or specific disaster recovery
organisations play important roles in skills, and external assets who typically
community recovery, and often access lacked knowledge of the community
and service different parts of the but held greater financial resources or
community. Ensuring the full range of specific types of skills and knowledge:
community organisations are present in
networks is therefore critical, improving My biggest impact in community
coordination, reducing duplication of recovery has been because
effort, and matching needs with service I’ve had an existing relationship with
providers: the communities … I supported the
community prior to the [disaster]. And
… if you’ve got a really good so I already knew people, I already knew
diversity of both agencies the council and the mechanisms and
and local community members - so the dynamics of the community. And so
you might get a representative from [I] was able to play a role in introducing
CWA, Lions, Rotary, those sorts of service providers and letting them know
agencies - when they come along what is important, this community.”
there’s an extra level of depth to the (Forbes 2)
20 // Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community findingPartnerships enable community assets a lot of the usual networks that you
to share the load, leveraging financial, have in a town or organisations you
expertise and labour resources to might work together on something,
deliver support, from food hampers to they were struggling and putting
social events, field days and hay drives. people off.” (Forbes 11)
These formal partnerships, or informal
collaborations, may be between Federal, By partnering with other organisations,
State and local government assets, a wider variety of support can be
or between government and non- provided, potentially ‘sneaking’ in
government assets, including volunteer information community members may
organisations: not be directly seeking out, particularly
disaster preparedness information:
Partnerships have many
benefits, including improving We just sneak it into other
access to those who need assistance workshops where we talk
and improved targeting of assistance about emergency preparedness,
… Because, particularly in the rural because nobody’s interested,
sector, people are very proud, you but you have to be there on a
need to use service organisations production day for ewe selection or
who you’ll find have actually got something, “Maybe you should think
representation in most communities. about [drought preparation]” ... … so
You know, you’ve got a Rotary Club or that you can put in these sessions
Lions Club or CWA or whoever it might on getting yourself drought-
be. You know, they’re the ones that proofed, fire-proofed, flood-
are at the coalface. They’re the ones proofed, those sort of messages
that can identify what the needs are that hopefully might start to filter
of the community.” (Forbes 1) into people’s heads.” (Forbes
workshop 3)
While all agreed that partnerships were
critical, some barriers to partnerships As well as horizontal networks between
were identified. In particular, many those providing community support,
members of community organisations having direct connections to broader
(often as volunteers) are themselves policy and program processes at state
impacted by the disaster which reduces and federal level, or to national and
the capacity of community organisations international organisations who could
and those partnering with them: leverage resources, was also identified
as an enabling factor:
Usually if we were doing a
field day, we might go and The rural support networks
talk to a rural merchant and go into were directly reporting into
partnership with something like that. the state government drought task
But they were struggling as well. So groups. So, we were providing on the
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 21ground intel into what are the key because increased resilience was viewed
issues, what are the key concerns as an outcome of improving the range of
for community and what are our services these networks and partnerships
suggestions for addressing those? deliver. One participant noted that a
So, it wasn’t just banging on with strong shift in disaster support was
complaints. We were actually trying to towards preparedness, particularly
source some potential solutions and drought preparedness which builds
feeding those up. And, and we were farm-business sustainability and hence
told from those drought task groups, personal resilience:
that was incredibly beneficial.”
(Forbes 2) I can sort of see where we’re
trying to shift and put some
The final enabler was community of the emphasis at the front end and
resilience. However, this was not as possibly the funding to sort of say,
commonly discussed as the enabling get yourself prepared, have your own
factors of strong inclusive networks and resilience…” (Forbes 11)
partnerships discussed above, perhaps
Good community
recovery and resilience
Study participants were asked what Obviously it’s got to have
‘good’ community recovery looked community involved. I think
like to them. Interviewees identified that’s the biggest part. And it’s got
ensuring local-community driven to be genuine local community
processes, communication, social involvement, not just the services
connection, longer-lasting investment, who drive in and out each week
and consistency of personnel as key to provide a service. It needs to
issues. Community-driven recovery have CWA, Lions, Rotary, all of those
was identified as critical to ‘good’ community champions who are
recovery: there every single day and have
been there probably for decades,
22 // Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community findingthey have such good intel and Like I ran a lot of social events
they have such good connections because I found in bigger
they can provide so much depth.” events people were lost, small events,
(Forbes 2) everyone was engaging. 40 or 50
people at a barbecue having a drink,
Probably just taking direction sitting around and just talking was
from the community. I think as more beneficial because we got all
service providers, we’re getting paid the farmers to come in because they
to be there and we need to work out were happier within that little group
how we can make things work for and they were engaging.” (Forbes 8)
the community, not trying to fit the
community into our model or our Being able to continue support through the
ideas.” (Forbes 2) long-term timeframe required for recovery
was a fourth element. This included
Fit-for-purpose communication investing in lasting actions and ensuring
was a second component of good consistency of personnel to enable long-
recovery: term engagement, particularly from those
reluctant to engage with community
I think it’s about good assets or seek support:
communication and actually
being able to see if people are In rural communities, I think it’s
receiving that communication and imperative that your drought
understanding how they wish to be relief workers, whether they work for
communicated with.” (Forbes 2) the council or the rural aid or the
rural financial counsellors and health
Ensuring recovery support provided nurses, whoever they are. I think if they
positive social connection and reduced could be there longer term it helps
isolation was a third component of good because it took a while to break down
recovery: the barriers with farmers. They’re so
humble, but so hesitant to ask for help,
But the thing with disaster and time was a challenge. You need
relief, we weren’t giving time to break down these barriers
people a whole lot of money. What and let the farmers feel comfortable
we were giving them is that someone enough to open up to you or to get
cared. And I think that’s one of the help.” (Forbes 3)
biggest things you can do is that
now if someone comes and talks to In the workshop, good recovery was
you and they know you care, the fact described as enabling people to invest
that you give them bit of a pittance in preparation activities that reduce the
in comparison, what they’ve lost, it impacts of disasters, with the preparation
doesn’t matter because someone work identified as being relevant at all
actually cares about their plight.” stages of disaster cycles, rather than
(Forbes 5) limited to particular stages.
Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project – Forbes case study community finding // 23Forbes local government area (LGA) case study community findings Community resilience, wellbeing and recovery project
You can also read
