Bega Valley Shire's Bushfire Recovery Rebuilding and Resilience Program has been selected as a finalist in the 22nd Resilient Australia Awards.
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The winners will be announced at a national awards ceremony in Melbourne on Wednesday, December 8.
The awards are run by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, with winners in the categories of community, business, local government, government, school and photography.
A win would be worthy recognition of the ways BVSC has met the immense challenges it faced in 2020 when the region was hit with five declared natural disasters.
Being a finalist alone acknowledges the council's partnership the NSW government to set up the pilot Local Bushfire Recovery Committee, and the Bushfire Recovery Resilience and Rebuilding program.
Council's BRRR program won the NSW Local Government category in the Resilient Australia Awards in early October, but the national award sees it go head to head with other states and territories.
"It's wonderful to be recognised on a national level for the hard work and dedication of our organisation to work with and guide the Bega Valley Shire community towards recovery," acting BVSC CEO Anthony McMahon said.
"Through a caring and strategic approach we continue to meet the challenges caused by fire, flood and a global pandemic, placing the needs of people affected by adversity at the heart of this process.
"While award nominations are wonderful to receive, our attention will always be focused on how we can better support resilience and recovery in the Bega Valley Shire," he said.
Also in the running for the local government category are:
- ACT Property Group's delivery of COVID-19 economic stimulus packages
- The Local Government Association of South Australia's Council Ready - driving disaster resilience program
- Northern Tasmania Regional Emergency Management Committee's Mobile companion animal shelter for emergency evacuation,
- The City of Fremantle's Neighbour to neighbour match-making database for the homeless
- Mackay Regional Council's 'P-CEP in Mackay' that introduced Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness resources
- Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council's The Wujal Wujal Elders and vulnerable persons initiative.