Aboriginal Communities and Emergency Services in South Australia

Project description

This project enhanced resilience and preparedness for communities, culture and Country across South Australia.

Through the Disaster Risk Reduction Grants Program in South Australia, NIDR was funded to conduct a project titled ‘Enhancing relationships between Fire and Emergency Service Personnel and Aboriginal communities in South Australia’. The goal of this project was to identify barriers that inhibit engagement between Aboriginal community leaders and organisations and emergency service agencies in South Australia, create resources that support Aboriginal communities and government agencies, and build an Aboriginal disaster resilience community of practice across the state.

Throughout 2024 and 2025, the project included field work with three Aboriginal communities in South Australia: the Nukunu, Nipapanha, and communities from the Riverlands region.

Key outputs were a South Australian Policy Roundtable for Aboriginal Disaster Resilience, hosted by NIDR in April 2024, and the Planning Guide to Enhance Resilience and Preparedness in Aboriginal Communities Across South Australia, designed to enhance resilience and preparedness for communities, culture and Country by promoting good practice and engagement with South Australian Aboriginal communities.

The Planning Guide is now being used effectively throughout the state to curate South Australian emergency management arrangements that are more inclusive of Indigenous representation, priorities and voices.

Resources

Planning Guide to Enhance Resilience and Preparedness in Aboriginal Communities Across South Australia

This Planning Guide was developed with Aboriginal peoples in South Australia to enhance disaster resilience and preparedness for Aboriginal communities. It promotes good practice and safe engagement between emergency service leaders, policy makers and Aboriginal community leaders.

News: Policy Roundtables for Aboriginal Disaster Resilience spark new collaborations and reform discussions

Connection and collaboration were the focal points of the Policy Roundtable for Aboriginal Disaster Resilience in South Australia in April 2025 - the first of NIDR's Policy Roundtables around Australia.

Researchers

Leave this here so that Accordion nested does not detect this CT as not existing.

Collaborators

  • Government of South Australia
  • South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission
  • Nukunu Wapma Thura
  • Nipapanha Community Aboriginal Corporation
  • River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation
  • Firesticks Alliance
  • Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board
  • Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation
  • Landcare Association of South Australia Inc.
  • South Australia Country Fire Service
  • South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service
  • National Emergency Management Agency