Victorian Policy Roundtable on Aboriginal Disaster Resilience
The Victorian Policy Roundtable on Aboriginal Disaster Resilience took place in Naarm/Melbourne on Wurundjeri Country on Friday 30 May. The Policy Roundtable series is a joint initiative of the National Indigenous Disaster Resilience program and Fire to Flourish. The Victorian Policy Roundtable followed two Roundtables in 2024 which took place in Queensland and South Australia.
The Roundtable brought Aboriginal organisations, community leaders and emergency management and disaster resilience agencies together to hear Aboriginal communities experiences of recent disasters and identify opportunities for collaboration and priority actions.
The day got underway with opening addresses from Troy McDonald, proud Gunaikurnai man and Elected Member of First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria; Kate Fitzgerald, Deputy Secretary, Emergency Management Group Victoria; and John Richardson, Executive Director, Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience. All three opening addresses recognised the unique interest Aboriginal groups bring to responding to emergencies and the unique priorities that exist in post-disaster recovery. All opening speakers acknowledged the need and opportunity to embed Aboriginal leadership in decision-making within emergency management institutions and processes.
“To all the emergency management practitioners here today, your presence here matters, you’ve shown up as custodians of public trust,” said Troy McDonald.
Kate Fitzgerald touched on the importance of coming together to have conversations which explore opportunities for change and acknowledged, “There’s a shared nervousness about stepping into this conversation today. We don’t know where it will take us. But it’s the right conversations to have…The system is open to change. The invitation to everyone in the room is to step into that.”
This was followed by presentations from the Cultural Heritage Team within Forest Fire Management Victoria and the Yorta Yorta Nations Aboriginal Corporation. Both groups shared their experiences of recent disasters in Victoria. Both groups spoke about how they worked to embed Aboriginal knowledge and cultural values into the emergency responses they were part of, but how they often felt unheard, disregarded and misrepresented before, during and after the disasters.
Their motivation to attend the Victorian Policy Roundtable was to share their experiences with those in the room, in the hope that Aboriginal knowledge and leadership is valued and incorporated in future emergency responses.
Despite the barriers they experienced in responding to the Gariwerd Complex Fires and Barmah Forest floods, both teams still had a significant positive impact towards the protection of cultural heritage and Caring for Country.
A big thank you to Trent Nelson (Dja Dja Wurrung/Yorta Yorta), Tyson Neal-Edwards (Gundjitmara/Wadawurrung/Arrernte), Manny Thalasinos (Latji-Latji/Tati-Tati), Josh Cottier (Boandik/Gunditjmara), Tom Robinson (Wamba Wemba/Taungarung), Damien Skurrie (Wotjobaluk/Yorta Yorta) and Caleb Clarke (Gunditjmara/Kirrae Whurrong) from the Cultural Heritage Team, and Shannon Atkinson and Djaran Whyman, Yorta Yorta men from the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, for your leadership and knowledge sharing.
A common thread from presenters throughout the day was the acknowledgement that disasters are becoming more frequent, more severe and more costly. Nell Reidy, NIDR Research Fellow, presented data on the disproportionate impact that disasters have on Indigenous peoples in Victoria and throughout Australia - emphasising why NIDR’s Roundtables are essential.
We also heard from four Victorian organisations and groups - Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council and Yarra Ranges Council - who presented the initiatives and services they offer to strengthen Aboriginal disaster resilience in Victoria.
Delegates read through and provided feedback on a Communique - a public record of key challenges and priority actions that arose from the day. This Communique - which can be downloaded here - is for all individuals and entities involved in the business of emergency management, community recovery, and broadly addressing climate change through mitigation, adaptation, and Caring for Country.
We ended the day with an announcement that the next NIDR Gathering will be held on Gunaikurnai Country in May 2026. The NIDR Gatherings showcase Indigenous excellence and leadership in emergency management, community recovery, disaster resilience and Caring for Country across Australia. You can watch highlights of our 2024 NIDR Gathering here.
Thank you to everyone who came and contributed to the Victorian Policy Roundtable.
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