communication, and of opportunities to become involved in community groups that are supporting emergency preparedness or recovery activities. Municipal councils’ and MEMPCs’ recovery planning should ensure the existence and effectiveness of strategies to build community connections, and to communicate effectively during recovery, with all parts of municipal populations.
There was a high likelihood of certain groups of residents in EGS and HCC receiving contact, or help after the February 2014 fires. Figure 3 shows the characteristics of residents in EGS and HC who were most likely to be contacted or receive help from a local group. Figure 3 shows that residents most likely to be contacted or receive help were those who live in a house on a large farm, are volunteers in an emergency services organisation, or live in a household with an elderly person. FIGURE 3: CONTACT AND HELP FROM A LOCAL GROUP AFTER THE BUSHFIRE Fire affected residents of East Gippsland Shire and Hume City who were contacted by or received help from a local group after the fire 18% live in a house on a large farm 17% are volunteers in an emergency services organisation 11% live in a household with an elderly person (Source: IGEM survey of East Gippsland Shire and Hume City residents who live in or close to areas affected by the 2013 –14 bushfires)
Stronger guidance of community recovery planning The development of the community recovery program in EGS suggests that a more strongly guided approach help municipal councils and recovery agencies improve community recovery planning, and the effectiveness of interventions arising from such planning. Municipal councils face many demands in coordinating and managing recovery [9]. However, the work of a council with its communities is a central part of recovery. Where community recovery is compromised by poor communication, inequitable allocation of assistance or an absence of visible activity, residents can easily become angry towards authorities. This can become entrenched, inhibiting residents’ ability to deal with their changed circumstances [13, 17, 76, 77]. In EGS a number of factors affected community recovery planning. EGSC, RDV and DHHS were involved in developing and funding several community recovery projects and a community resilience project. However, there was insufficient coordination of this program as a whole. EGSC was already supporting community development as part of its Council Plan priority of developing resilient and adaptable communities. EGSC’s development of its proposed Adaptation for Recovery project was part of this work. DHHS funded Adaptation for Recovery, which would involve intensive work with vulnerable communities. DHHS also supported a community body, Regional Arts Victoria, to undertake a second art-based recovery project [26, 53]. RDV funded a community arts project, business recovery and resilience projects and community recovery events to be provided by EGSC. RDV also separately funded the East Gippsland Network of Neighbourhood Houses’ Study Circles project from its Resilient Community Program [70, 75]. In considering proposals, RDV found that communities had not been sufficiently engaged in planning the projects put forward for funding. RDV addressed this, working with EGSC and East Gippsland Network of Neighbourhood Houses to ensure the project designs allow residents to guide the initiatives once they were underway [70, 75]. Bonang local incident management meeting (image courtesy of Lorelee Cockerill, Community Recovery Facilitator, Orbost Regional Health)
Australian Emergency Management Institute, “Com- munity and Personal Support Services - Manual Number 18,” 1998. Available: portServices.pdf Inspector-General for Emergency Management, “Minutes with Dr Deb Foskey from 02/09/2015,” Melbourne, 2015. Centre for Rural Communities Inc & East Gippsland Network of Neighbourhood Houses, “Building com- munity futures through Study Circle Kit,” 2015. Available: https://dl.dropboxusercontent. line.pdf E. Schein, “A General Philosophy of Helping: Process Consultation,” in Sloan Management Review vol. 31, 1990. Department of Planning and Community Development and Regional Development Victoria, “Review into the Flood Recovery Officer and the Rural Coordination Of- ficer Initiatives,” Reset: Project & Professional Services Pty Ltd, Melbourne, 2011. Available: gov.au/work/181345782?q&versionId=197587875 NSF Consulting, “An Evaluation of Arts Victoria’s and Regional Arts Victoria’s Bushfire Initative,” 2011. Avail- able: in_Rebuilding_Community Murrindindi Shire, “Bushfire Reform and Recovery Plan,” 2011. Available: gov.au%2Ffiles%2Fbf957853-3f31-40cf-8752-