The research provides vital context that will assist emergency management organisations, government departments, local councils, community organisations and community members in better understanding the complexities of community experiences before, during and after severe weather.

“A disproportionate burden in recovery is falling to communities and volunteers who are running community hubs and similar local support. Although there is goodwill and assistance in the early stages, as the weeks and months pass volunteer numbers dwindle as people need to return to work and other activities, and the burden shifts to an ever-smaller group of people.

Recovery agencies need to find ways to support, train, and properly resource local community hubs so that they can function well, stay local, and provide support in the months after the floods with an appropriate needs-based phased reduction in service. Recovery hubs need to have a direct line of communication with local and/or state recovery coordinators”.

2022 Flood Response and Recovery - Children's Needs Assessment


The report highlights that young people are highly exposed and particularly vulnerable in disasters and that they are often hidden or overlooked within the recovery cycle. The research also demonstrated the essential role that strong grass-roots recovery organisations play in providing effective protective factors for young people and supporting youth and their families through trauma recovery

This research substantiates the need for dedicated youth support programs in our community and we are hopeful that we will have funding to activate a youth space and more support for young people in 2023.

We are so grateful of UNICEF’s support and we look forward to working with them in the future.

The Northern Rivers Flood Recovery Study

Adapting in action: Building community resilience in the face of natural disasters

Preliminary report compiled by Jacob Birch & Dr Hanabeth Luke

In partnership with Resilient Lismore, Wardell CORE & the Woodburn Recovery Centre