On the Road Pt 1: Visiting Eurobodalla / Walbunja, Brinja-Yuin and Djiringanj land
Last week, Monika and I hit the road for our very first Community Engagement Tour, visiting towns and local organisations across the southeast coast of NSW and East Gippsland. Our intention was to deepen existing connections within the network and to build new relationships – listening to learn more about the intricacies of community-led practices, and how DisasterWISE can continue to amplify community voices and knowledge to drive change.
By showing up relationally, sitting in circles and sharing stories of lived experience, we heard more about the importance of community-led initiatives and actions post-disaster. We also explored how these actions play an important role in adaptation and preparedness, building social capital and strengthening community fabric.
We were welcomed to Country by Rod Slockee and introduced to the Eurobodella Community Support Network, who host a bi-monthly convening held this time at the Salvation Army Hall in Bateman’s Bay. Members sat in a circle, introducing themselves and sharing more about the brilliant and diverse work they’re all doing in community. It was wonderful to connect with community-led organisations like Southcoast Health and Sustainability Alliance (SHASA) and Tech Exec who are working on resilience strategies in disaster preparedness.
Monika and I were honoured to attend this session, sharing lived experiences of disaster and more about what drives our collective work. We also shared our purpose, values in practice and upcoming opportunities for collaboration. After the session, we connected with several attendees hoping to deepen ties across our networks.
We dropped into the Bateman’s Bay Heritage Museum currently exhibiting showcased stories, artefacts and artworks from the Black Summer bushfires, shining a light on how communities have come together to recover and rebuild in the Eurobodalla region. Installations from artists and the Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (BSCA) were incredibly powerful. I felt quite overcome by the stories shared by Jack and Cath, Donna, Jann, Fiona and Jo, admiring their courage in sharing their survivor stories to advocate for climate action for safer futures.
We drove down to Mogo, connecting with the Eurobodella Fire to Flourish team and heard more about the participatory grant rounds and community-led initiatives that were funded through the program. Community Lead, Kizzy Nye spoke more about their Grant Writing Toolkit developed for communities, providing valuable information to community groups and organisations navigating grant writing.
We then connected with Ronnie Ayliffe in Cobargo who is leading the Cobargo Bushfire Resilience Centre project – a space where healing and placemaking resounds. We heard more about how the arts, building projects and grassroots partnerships are regenerating social capital and local economy. The Cobargo Bushfire Resilience Centre Inc. was established as a central project in the recovery and rebuilding of Cobargo’s main street following the devastating Badja Forest Road Fire. After extensive community consultation and with support from the Cobargo Community Recovery Fund and further funding from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery (BLER) Fund, construction is due for completion and will open in January 2026.
In Eden, we met with Carina Severs, Manager at the Eden Community Access Centre. Carina shared the values of understanding community within their own context and the ongoing challenges of securing long-term funding. Carina shared some of the brilliant projects that were funded after the Summer Fires, like the chainsaw training for women and the Two Folds Canoe Project. Creative community projects that are driven from ongoing project labs also bring community members together to co-design, test and grow their own ideas for resilience and recovery.
Reflecting on the tour, Monika stated that “what I found most inspiring was the unwavering determination of communities and their community leaders working on their path of recovery (in many different ways!)…. Five years on from the Black Summer Fires, community leaders continue to drive community-led initiatives, creating diverse opportunities for connection and collective healing”.
Monika continued to add that “(they) work tirelessly to secure resources that can support these efforts and contribute to long-term recovery, resilience and collective wellbeing. This left me with some key thoughts; how can we best support community leaders and groups from disaster impacted areas? What does meaningful recognition of their commitment look like – and how can we ensure these vital roles are supported, sustained and nurtured for future generations as they navigate the climate crisis and major community disruptors.”
What we know from lived experience, and what we have learned is that the best solutions are driven by those closest to the context. The deep local knowledge that resides in communities informs the most meaningful outcomes.
Each stop on the journey brought rich conversations, new insights and relationships. Thank you to everyone who made space for us and we look forward to the continuing connection and collaboration. Stay tuned for Part 2: East Gippsland.
Written by Kate Fawcett
Meeting with The Eurobodalla Community Support Network in Batemans’ Bay.
