In July 2013 the Be Ready Warrandyte team submitted an application for a Resilient Australia Award for the work that has been done in Warrandyte so far including;
- a comprehensive survey,
- new website,
- video,
- Warrandyte Fire Watch,
- sample fire plans,
- emergency planner, and
- community engagement activities.
- The Resilient Australia Awards is an Australian Government initiative sponsored by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, in conjunction with States and Territories. The awards recognise innovative practices and achievements across the nation that are making our communities safer, stronger, more resilient and better prepared to manage any emergency situation.
On Monday 18 November representatives from the Be Ready Warrandyte Committee attended the Victorian ceremony and out of 11 finalists, we were fortunate enough to take out a High Commendation. This was a terrific result given the high quality of applications.
The winner of the category were the hugely successful Firefoxes, a grassroots support group that emerged in the Kinglake Ranges in 2009 following the Black Saturday bushfires. In 2011, the founders of Firefoxes began visiting cyclone and flood-affected Queensland to share the often untold story of disaster recovery: the highs and lows, unofficial timelines, the personal and communal recovery process. This has provided hope for the future, connected community with government, industry and agencies, as well as supporting and giving voice to – often marginalised – individuals.
