City of Logan First Nations Disaster Resilience Strategy

Background

The severity and increased frequency of climate-change caused disasters predicts a worsening scenarios across Australia. The subtropical climate and diverse landscape means the city of Logan experiences, and will increasingly experience, a variety of natural disasters, which is happening many times throughout the year, and often unexpectedly. The most common hazards are bushfires, floods, heatwaves, landslides, severe weather (storms, cyclones, east coast lows). Codesigning a First Nations Disaster Resilience strategy with various communities and agencies is key to increasing resilience for all of community, but importantly, the history and ongoing experiences of marginalisation and discrimination means the impact of disasters experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups are extreme and disproportionate.

The City of Logan, with additional funding from the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities, and the Arts, initiated the First Nations Disaster Resilience Strategy,  The City engaged Prof. Yoko Akama and Dr. Tristan Schultz to co-develop the program and strategy with the community. Together, we have undertaken a co-design plan and background information to inform a City of Logan First Nations Disaster Resilience Strategy. It has taken shape through research of published sources, consultant expertise, and continued conversations with the Logan First Nations community.

Opportunity for futures

This project starts with the understanding that there are proven First Nations-driven approaches that attests how their communities and their organisations are creating their own self-governance and futures, showcase a diversity of inspiring resilience and regeneration in disaster contexts, when First Nations governance and self-determination leads the way.

Approach

The team created a co-design protocols document to ensure cultural safety and adherence to best-practice ICIP standards. Initial conversations commenced with leading community groups. A peer-reviewed and desktop analysis report was developed, covering First Nations disaster resilience in Logan and across Australia, challenges, opportunities, and co-design principles. A tailored plan outlined how groups wished to engage, who to involve, and methods such as yarning, creative mapping, and roundtables. Workshops occurred and drafts and workshop reports were shared with participants for feedback before finalisation of a completed Strategy.