Strengthening Sustainable Pathways by Detecting Variability in a Community’s Resilience at the Sub-Local Government Level Using the GCRM

Enhancing community resilience has become increasingly important in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disaster events. Determining how levels of community resilience vary across a local government area provides nuanced information from which targeted programs and initiatives can be developed, implemented, and evaluated. This study applies the Gympie Regional Community Resilience Metric (GCRM), developed with a local government organisation, and a community disaster sub-group in rural Queensland, Australia, and applies it to a larger, coastal region of Bundaberg, Queensland. Completed survey results returned by 696 households from across the region revealed that the Bundaberg community is generally well-prepared for disasters, with strong social networks and understanding of local risks. However, there are areas for improvement, such as increasing participation in local clubs and addressing the needs of those lacking confidence in obtaining help during disasters. Other findings indicate that the evidence of high levels of local knowledge and disaster experience within the community could provide opportunities to establish neighbourhood networks that aim to share local knowledge and experiences and enhance localised networks of support, particularly for more vulnerable and newer residents.