Pacific National and Australian Red Cross have united to care for and create safer communities together. A connected community is a safe community, and our partnership will enable Red Cross to sustain vital work in First Nations communities, adopting a placed-based community–led approach with First Nations Community Disaster Resilience Teams across regional NSW.
“Red Cross has decades of world-leading expertise in supporting communities to be more resilient. That means being prepared for any disaster, and then recovering better if an emergency happens,” said Australian Red Cross CEO, Kym Pfitzner.
Red Cross First Nations Community Disaster Resilience Teams support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities when a disaster strikes, on the long road to recovery and on their journey to create safer communities for the future.
“Disasters affect every community differently – this is particularly so for Aboriginal communities, with deep cultural connections to Country. While nothing can bring back the physical presence of a destroyed sacred site, for example, we can and should support First Nations communities to be better prepared for, and recover from, any natural disasters. This partnership will do exactly that,” said Jenny Brown, Head of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy & Impact.
“We are thrilled to offer our support to Australian Red Cross. We hope that through the initiatives we support, First Nations communities feel safe, connected, and cared for. Our three-year partnership assists First Nations communities in three regions of NSW- Northern NSW, Central West and Southern NSW, prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters,” said Paul Scurrah, Pacific National Chief Executive Officer.
“We know that trauma from disasters can last years, and even decades. These 3 communities are vulnerable to natural disasters, but through this support, will be able to be even more resilient,” said Pfitzner.
This partnership provides First Nation’s communities with a community-led solution to build capacity to respond when disaster strikes, while also offering Pacific National a platform to embed its Reconciliation Action plan by developing a deeper cultural awareness and understanding of First Nations people.
Red Cross First Nations Community Disaster Resilience Team: Trevor Kapeen: Project Officer – Recovery First Nations Community Disaster Resilience Team Northern NSW, Sara U’Brien: Team Leader – Recovery and Resilience NSW, Bridget Wadling: Senior Project Officer – Training and Development Emergency Services NSW, Barb Rix : Project Officer – Recovery First Nations Community Disaster Resilience Team Southern NSW, Kate Miranda: Director, NSW, Julie Perkins: Team Leader – Recovery and Resilience First Nations Community Disaster Resilience Team, NSW, Sean Phillips :Project Officer – Recovery First Nations Community Disaster Resilience Team Northern NSW, Mark McMullen: NSW State Lead, Recovery and Resilience, Glen Crump : Project Officer – Recovery First Nations Community Disaster Resilience Team Central West NSW.