Northern Rivers residents are learning to use chainsaws, sandbag their homes and clear landslips safely as communities band together to ensure they are prepared for future natural disasters after this year’s devastating floods.
Their efforts have a new sense of urgency after the Bureau of Meteorology declared a La Niña event is under way – a weather pattern that typically elevates flood risks.
While a number of community groups were already loosely formed and working to build disaster resilience, many have since formalised their efforts.
Founder and chair of Resilient Byron, Jean Renouf, said just a few years ago people might have scoffed at those who stockpiled water and food, learned first aid and set up alternative power generation sources, calling them doomsday preppers.
“Now they are like, ‘Of course, we need to do that. It just make so much sense’,” he said.
“People get it now. There’s no need to convince anyone. We are training and equipping hundreds of residents to be more resilient to future disasters.”
The group runs a number of programs, including the Northern Rivers community carers and responders network, designed to upskill communities in mental and physical first aid, as well as build connections.
So far, more than 100 people have been trained, and the group has secured funding to teach another 200 this year.
Renouf said the floods had “served as a wake up call” for everyone in the region and the La Niña declaration had solidified the need to be prepared.
“We are turning that spontaneous energy into something more long term and really looking at flood recovery and disaster resilience,” he said.
“That’s a silver lining in this extraordinary unprecedented disaster – it has brought the community back together in many ways.”
Similar groups have popped up across the region, especially in areas where victims said they were let down by slow or inadequate emergency service or government responses.
In Byron’s South Golden Beach, a community association is bringing people together to learn practical skills including how to sandbag and when and how to evacuate.
“We can’t stop the rain, but we can be better prepared and I think that’s more in people’s minds than it has been in the past,” group co-leader Bec McNaught said.
“People are conscious of gaps in community preparedness last time and I think there’s a willingness.”
Resilient Uki president, Melanie Bloor, was focused on getting people talking and able to help their neighbours since the community, due to its remote location, was usually cut off.
“The more isolated you are, the more vulnerable you are,” she said.
“It’s other humans that are around you that are going to provide the assistance that you need, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to know the humans.”
During recent flooding, most of the area was cut off by landslips that “swallowed” roads.
Bloor said the group was now focused on building “a culture of kindness” and arming residents, including the “Covid refugees” from the city, with practical skills like how to use a radio, operate a chainsaw, use a digger to clear a landslip safely and how to preserve food.
“We’ve got farmers who’ve been here forever and they can do very practical things, so [we’re] building that skill base among the rest of the population,” she said.
“We’re looking at having a series of skill sharing workshops so that the old guard can teach the new guard, what it looks like to live in that particular valley. We’re trying to localise everything as much as possible.”
While groups prepare for the next event, many residents are still unable to live in their homes and have been sleeping in caravans on their properties in Lismore.
Many of them no longer have access to a vehicle that could tow their makeshift homes, so a group has recently formed to rally volunteers to move them ahead of the next big storm.
Lismore flood survivor Sophie Thomas was inundated in February but was able to move back into her home, and has since volunteered to tow vans so she can help her neighbours.
“The government’s not doing it, the council is not doing it. They didn’t save us on the night, either,” she said.
“It was just neighbour helping neighbour. This is just another one of those times.”
Alongside the swell in community interest in resilience programs, almost 3,500 people have applied to become members of the NSW State Emergency Service since the February and March floods.
Almost 250 new volunteers have been trained and approved around the Northern Rivers, according to the SES.
After criticism over their response earlier in the year, the agency said it had improved during the June and July floods.
“We deployed resources earlier, we arranged early briefings with partner agencies to identify available resources, and we proactively communicated with the Australian defence force prior to any formal request so that they were on the ground when needed,” a spokesperson said.
“The NSW SES will continue to focus on recruitment across the state, particularly in regional areas where we have seen prolonged flooding throughout the year.”
