1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: Look, we know that Darwin residents are going to have 2 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: the chance to work with disaster resilience experts later this 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: week to find out how to prepare for and mitigate 4 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: the impacts of fires and floods. Not profits or not 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: for profit group Disaster Relief Australia supported by the Territory 6 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: Insurance Office, hosting a big Map event this Saturday to 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: help locals get on the front foot for disaster future disasters. 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: Now joining me in the studio right now is well 9 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: the dra's Disaster Intelligence Services Resilience Manager, Shari Bend. 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 2: Good morning to you. Shari. 11 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 3: Good morning Katie. 12 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:38,919 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time this morning. I really 13 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: appreciate you coming in to have a chat to us. Now, 14 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: tell me about the event and how it's going to 15 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: benefit territorians. 16 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 3: Sure, so, we host a quite unique session. 17 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 4: It's got a big map session and it's literally that 18 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 4: it's a big map of the Darwin area. 19 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: Yep. 20 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 4: It's fifteen by ten meters off the top of my 21 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 4: head and it's laid on the ground and it gives 22 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 4: people a really unique way of standing on the house 23 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 4: and seeing the whole area and where they live and 24 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 4: understanding how that whole environment works to mitigate you know, 25 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,119 Speaker 4: wrists and hazards that may affect them. 26 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, right. 27 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: I mean, look, I'm someone who my brain works better 28 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: when it's interactive, right, I like to be able to 29 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: see what's going on right in front of me, and 30 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: having that big map there, I think would like it 31 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:21,279 Speaker 1: to make a huge difference for people. 32 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 3: It does. 33 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 4: It really is not many people have the opportunity to 34 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 4: see where they live from that perspective and really get 35 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 4: a you know, that top down view of exactly where 36 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 4: they live and what's around them. And you know, we've 37 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:33,479 Speaker 4: had people stand on the map and go I didn't 38 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 4: realize there was that much bush behind me, or I 39 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 4: realize that creek was there. We drive around and we 40 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 4: see it, you know, at street level, but to have 41 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 4: that higher overview and that higher lookdown just really makes 42 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 4: it quite clear. 43 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: And so then once they're looking at that map and 44 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: they're seeing what's around them, and you're talking about disaster 45 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: management and the different things that could affect them, I mean, 46 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: what exactly are you sort of looking at and what 47 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: do people think once they see what's around The. 48 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 4: First thing people usually say is it, Oh, it's a 49 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 4: big map, and like, yeah, the name didn't give it away. 50 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 3: But we go through the environment. 51 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 4: So we situate them on the map, We run them through, 52 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 4: you know, what's where, what's north, you know, and then 53 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 4: we start talking about the infrastructure that's there. And then 54 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 4: we start talking about single points of truth and where 55 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 4: they can get their information. We know in these instances 56 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 4: that there's a lot of misinformation and making sure people 57 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 4: have that single point of truth and where to arm 58 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,519 Speaker 4: themselves with that knowledge is really powerful. But then we 59 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 4: discuss critical infrastructure to them. We start discussing the fact 60 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 4: that these events, we can't stop them happening. They're occurring 61 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:43,119 Speaker 4: more and more, and they may be their first responder. 62 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 4: Government agencies when these big events happen are doing their best, 63 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 4: but they're stretched and there's not going to be a 64 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 4: fire trucker and then tes a vehicle there and to 65 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 4: help everyone, and they need to be their first responder. 66 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:57,679 Speaker 4: They need to understand their plan, but they need to 67 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 4: understand their neighbor's plan and the community plan because that's 68 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 4: how we're going to get this working together, understanding and 69 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 4: making sure we're all safe and mitigating those what we 70 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 4: can ourselves. 71 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: And so are you're talking like we talk a lot, 72 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: obviously throughout the dry season about fires, the risks of fires, 73 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: and also a lot of the fires that are bush fires, 74 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: ed tea and volleys, and also far and rescue service 75 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: are heading out to. I mean, you're talking about those 76 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: kinds of instances where people need to make sure that 77 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,399 Speaker 1: they're mitigating in terms of maintaining their blocks, but also 78 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: then communicating with their neighbors exactly. 79 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 4: And we know communication and connection in these instances is 80 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 4: what allows communities to start the recovery journey better. No 81 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 4: one wants to see communities impacted by these kind of events. 82 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 4: Unfortunately it's going to happen. But if we have really 83 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 4: connected communities that are linking in and understanding each other 84 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 4: and what everyone else is doing, it just allows everything 85 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 4: to start building back and recovering a lot easier. 86 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: You said before you mentioned that point of truth or 87 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: that location that people can go to to get all 88 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: of their information. I guess that we quite often like 89 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: we're getting directed to the likes of the police sending 90 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: out alerts and that kind of thing. 91 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 2: Is that what you're talking about. 92 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, I've experienced it myself in a disaster situation where 93 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,919 Speaker 4: there's so much misinformation, It creates fear, it creates trauma. 94 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 4: Making sure that everybody is relying on those single points 95 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 4: of truth and coming back to that, but not only that, 96 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 4: understanding you know, where on the bomb you can get 97 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 4: information in yourself in regards to you know, water levels 98 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 4: and where you can find that. 99 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 3: Like I said, that single point of. 100 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 4: Truth, that real validated data to understand what's going on 101 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 4: can actually help a lot because. 102 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: A lot of people like these days as well, they 103 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: jump on social media. Next minute they're thinking that something's 104 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: going on that's not. 105 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 2: Going on there. 106 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: You know, there may be more concern than they need 107 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: to be, or you know, I think it's really important 108 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: that you're getting that info as well from from the 109 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: right places. 110 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 4: That's it, and this is all about communicating and having 111 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 4: done this across Australia now we're seeing the same issues 112 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 4: in this concerns and it's people not having you know, 113 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,359 Speaker 4: having access or having easy access to that, or completely 114 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 4: understanding that and trying to get everybody to understand and 115 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 4: that real community connection of you know what, I might 116 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 4: not talk to my neighbor, but I probably need to 117 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:18,479 Speaker 4: have that conversation because potentially I could need to rely 118 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 4: on them or they could need to rely on me. 119 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 3: And how do I. 120 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 4: Take that for myself to ensure that in the event 121 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 4: that something happens, I know what's going on. 122 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 2: So Shari, what can people do? First off? 123 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: I guess to make sure that they are prepared, you know, 124 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: for us here and that all the territory. 125 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 2: We know there's cyclones, we know there's flooding, we know. 126 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: That there's fires, there is there's a lot of different 127 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: natural disasters that we have to deal with. First off, 128 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: what can people do to make sure that they are 129 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: more prepared? 130 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 4: Have a plan so you know, have a plan for 131 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 4: all of those situations, know your warnings, know where you're 132 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 4: you know you're supposed to go in those instances, and 133 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 4: communicate that not so your entire ushole knows, everyone in 134 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 4: your house knows what to do and where to go 135 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 4: and what your plan is. 136 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:07,159 Speaker 3: That would be my first point of call. 137 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: And how do we make sure that we build resilience 138 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: because that's something like you talk about it a bit, 139 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:15,840 Speaker 1: don't you, you know, throughout life and you talk about 140 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 1: it with raising the kids and that kind of thing. 141 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 1: But how do we build resilience in these situations? 142 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 3: I think for us. 143 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 4: It's about educating and empowering and giving people the knowledge 144 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 4: that they need to make decisions and building relationships around us. 145 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 4: We know connected communities are much more resilient than those 146 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 4: that aren't, and we know that they bounce back a 147 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:42,039 Speaker 4: lot faster after and their recovery journey looks a lot different. 148 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, and so for you, I mean, when you look at. 149 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 2: The years of experience that you've. 150 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: Got, tell us, you know, I guess paint a bit 151 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: of a picture for us in terms of some of 152 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: those communities that maybe have bounced back a little bit faster. 153 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: And I'm assuming that the reason for that is because 154 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: they have communicated with each other and been a bit 155 00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: more prepared. 156 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:05,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, it is a harm, but it's also a very 157 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 3: personal one to me. 158 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 4: So my journey started with this organization when they walked 159 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 4: down my community after an event. 160 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 3: So and from that I started volunteering. 161 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 4: So I'm really passionate about and I saw what my 162 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 4: community went through and the trauma that they went through 163 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 4: after the nineteen twenty Bushfies, And for me, just watching 164 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 4: how they've grown and the things that have changed has 165 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 4: been really empowering to see that just by connecting and 166 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 4: having those chats. A lot of you know, trauma after 167 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 4: this is mental trauma, but being connected, knowing there's a space, 168 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 4: safe space to go and talk to, but knowing plans 169 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 4: and communicating plans has really it's just been, you know, 170 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:46,119 Speaker 4: really wonderful to see that. That's allowed them, after another 171 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 4: fire event recently, to sort of come back a lot 172 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 4: faster and to bounce back. But I think for me, 173 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 4: the mental trauma in the second event was lessened because 174 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 4: of those connections they had. They could actually talk to people, 175 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 4: and talking is a hard thing, you know, talking about 176 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 4: what you've been through and explaining how you're feeling is 177 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 4: hard for anyone. I think those connections being made and 178 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 4: that has been the biggest thing for me, especially in 179 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 4: my community. 180 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, and then you know, when you look at that, 181 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: you think talking about all of those things is difficult, 182 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: But then talking about all of those things when people 183 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: have lost everything and the different ways that you can 184 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: actually help each other is like it's so empowering as well, 185 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: and it seems like such a simple thing to do. 186 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: But I think that sometimes we get so caught up 187 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: in our own lives as well, and we're so busy 188 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 1: and you you know you're doing other things that you 189 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: don't think about just how big an impact that could make. 190 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 4: I think we've that real social connection, you know if 191 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 4: you think back years and years ago, and my best 192 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 4: friend's mother said. 193 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 3: It to me. You know, in nineteen seventy four when 194 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 3: Brisbane flooded, we just got on and did it. 195 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 4: The whole neighborhood came together and we just cleaned it out. 196 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 4: And that whole really coming together. We see it across 197 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 4: the country, Australians mates helping mates, neighbors helping neighbors, and 198 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 4: we come together in those times after a disaster, and 199 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 4: it's about turning that around and coming together beforehand and 200 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 4: having those conversations and building those networks beforehand. 201 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 2: What a bloody good message. 202 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: That's such a like I just think that that's so simple, 203 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: but it's such a good thing for us to remember 204 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: because you're so spot on, Like when we go through 205 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: something terrible, then we all come together and it's when 206 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 1: you see that Australian spirit shie through. But if we 207 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: can keep a bit of a better eye out for 208 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: each other before it happens, then maybe it wouldn't be 209 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: so bad. You know, maybe we wind up in a 210 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: better situation right from the get. 211 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 4: Go, and part of the map brings out those lessons 212 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 4: that are learned and you know, sharing those lessons and 213 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 4: voicing those lessons and giving everyone the opportunity to say, hey, 214 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 4: you know what, there's so much local knowledge around these 215 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 4: events as well. You know what, I know that you 216 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 4: know when this happens, this happens, goes. I wasn't aware 217 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:54,319 Speaker 4: of that. So it's that sharing of generational local knowledge. Yeah, 218 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 4: that really helps as well. So the map helps to 219 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 4: facilitate that and hopefully continues that conversation going on. 220 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: All right, Shari, If anyone out there listening this morning 221 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 1: is keen to get involved and come along, where can 222 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: they find some more involved? 223 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 2: How can they do so? 224 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 4: Yes, so we're at Too Stadium, the Michael Long Learning 225 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:15,719 Speaker 4: and Leadership Center Saturday from nine thirty two three point thirty. Yep, 226 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 4: there is a link that I can send you to. 227 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 2: Quitter Perfect and we can make sure we share that. 228 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, we're catering and there's morning tea and lunch as well, 229 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 4: So it's great. The more people that come along, the better, 230 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 4: the big better the conversation and the outcomes can. 231 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 2: Be oh good stuff, really lovely to speak to you 232 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 2: this morning. 233 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: I appreciate you coming in and having a chat with 234 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: US Disaster Relief Australia Disaster Intelligence Services Resilience Manager Shari 235 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:38,560 Speaker 1: Ben lovely to speak to you. 236 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 2: Thank you for having me, Katie, thank you.