Flood survey to assess how a community builds resilience in the face of natural disasters

The findings will inform the development of improved support systems and policy, with a particular focus on community-led recovery efforts. The final report can also provide learnings to support increased community resilience and adaptive capacity in the face of natural disasters.

Dr Hanabeth Luke of Southern Cross University is project leader. The University has partnered with formal and informal community hubs and recovery centres, including Wardell CORE, Resilient Lismore and the Woodburn Recovery Centre all of which have been an integral part of the response to the Northern Rivers flood events.

Dr Luke said the purpose of the survey was to build an independent record of community recovery from the 2022 NSW Northern Rivers floods for people across the region.

“This survey was called for by the community, has been developed in partnership with our community hubs, and the results will be going back out to the community within a month of the survey closing,” said Dr Luke.

“This survey can bring the voices of our flood and landslide-affected communities together in this recovery. The results will be used to guide the hubs and other supporting agencies to best target their efforts. The local knowledge gained from this survey can also guide planning and preparation for future extreme weather events in this region.”

Once the data has been analysed, a report will be publicly available.

Survey details

Anyone affected by the 2022 heavy rain and flood events across the NSW Northern Rivers region is encouraged to complete the Northern Rivers Flood Recovery Survey.

The anonymous survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Access the survey via this link, by visiting scu.edu.au/floodsurvey or by scanning the QR code on the flyer (below).

Prefer a paper-based survey? Call 1800 317 503 or visit your local community hub or recovery centre.

Questions or concerns about the survey? Contact the researcher team by calling 1800 317 503 or send an email to hanabeth.luke@scu.edu.au

The research is approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Southern Cross University (approval number: ECN 2022/109).