AFTER THEDELUGE David Pech documents the past, present and future of disasters in the Hawkesbury.
n February, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — the IPCC — released its Sixth Assessment Report on the scientific, technical and socio-economic effects of climate change. The 3,765-page report emphasised the increasing future likelihood of “complex, compound and cascading risks”. This presents a grim prospect for the community of the Hawkesbury, who have endured five disasters in three years. First, there was the devastating Black Summer fires. Then in 2020,
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flooding and the COVID pandemic. Then worse flooding in 2021. And early this year, flooding that even exceeded last year’s event. PAST Inner Sydney Voice has been working in community disaster preparedness since 2017, and in the Hawkesbury since 2019. ISV began its work in the preparedness space with the Get Ready for Flood project in mid-2019. Get Ready for Flood was a cooperative venture between ISV, Infrastructure NSW, social housing residents, community housing providers, and other key stakeholders. Community surveys undertaken in 2018 revealed that there was a lack of awareness of flood risk and limited preparedness undertaken within social housing communities in the Hawkesbury. The social housing sector was
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identified as a “community of concern” due to the high concentration of social and physical vulnerability. Around 3,300 social housing properties were deemed to be at risk — either directly by floodwater, or by having essential services cut off. Through the Get Ready for Flood project, social housing residents strengthened their individual flood preparedness. ISV developed resources and training in collaboration with residents, providers and key stakeholders — such as emergency services. ISV found that the most effective way to engage residents was through group training and discussions. Community-centred emergency planning followed — and it was a success. ISV developed a facilitator guide, which is now available as a tool for other communities to strengthen their disaster readiness.
