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

Lila Singh-Peterson (), Igor Popvic, Shamshad Karatela, Nawin Raj and David Batt
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Lila Singh-Peterson: Centre for Applied Climate Science, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Igor Popvic: UQ Spatial Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
Shamshad Karatela: School of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Nawin Raj: School of Mathematics, Physics and Computing, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
David Batt: Bundaberg Regional Council, Bundaberg, QLD 4670, Australia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: community resilience; disaster management; policy initiatives; risk and resilience; climate change; local government; Australia; rural resilience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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