In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by Joe Buffone, Deputy Coordinator General at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). With over 40 years in security and disaster management, Joe has played a key role in emergency response across Australia and internationally. Today, we explore his journey—from the Country Fire Authority (CFA) to leading efforts in disaster resilience—along with the National Emergency Management Stockpile (NEMS) and how it ensures communities have access to critical resources during crises. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by the Hon Bruce Billson, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO), a tireless advocate for small businesses across the country. Today, we are exploring Bruce’s journey—from launching his own advisory business to his leadership in fostering resilience and growth for Australia’s small business sector. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Professor Paul Arbon AM, a distinguished leader in emergency and disaster resilience and Director of the Torrens Resilience Initiative at Flinders University.

Today, we are diving into resilience in South Australia’s grape and wine sector. With decades of experience as a researcher, academic, and organisational leader—including roles as Chief Commissioner of St John Ambulance Australia and President of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine—Professor Arbon brings a wealth of knowledge on how industries can adapt and thrive in the face of challenges.

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Kruthika Nagananda, a passionate advocate for resilience who moved from India to Australia to pursue her dream of strengthening communities in times of crisis. Today, we are talking about Kruthika’s journey, from completing her Master’s in Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development at the University of Newcastle to her work in disaster risk reduction at the Walcha Council and now with the Australian Red Cross in the Urban Climate Resilience Program. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Fiona Jago, a former dairy farmer and small business owner with deep roots in regional Victoria. Fiona and her husband, Mark, made a bold move to purchase and run a caravan park on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, where they became active community members. However, the devastating 2019-2020 bushfires profoundly impacted their lives, prompting three years of rebuilding. Eventually, they decided to sell and return to regional Victoria to be closer to family. Now, as a lived experience facilitator with Resilient Ready, Fiona travels across Australia, sharing her resilience journey and helping other small business owners navigate challenges. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Johanna Garnett who is the Manager of Disaster Resilience & Risk Reduction at the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM). Today we are talking about building cultural heritage resilience. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Dr Val Ingham who is the Associate Professor, Emergency Management at Charles Sturt University. Today we are talking about Indicators of Community Disaster Fatigue. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Professor Daniel Aldrich, Director of the resilience and security studies program at Northeastern University in the USA who’s also a volunteer advisory member of Resilient Ready and project delivery partner. Today we are talking about bringing social capital and social infrastructure measurement to Australia. 

In this episode, Renae reflects on the increasing complexity of disasters in Australia, from bushfires and floods to smaller disruptions like power outages and staffing shortages. She emphasises the critical role small businesses play in community resilience, noting that "if small businesses get impacted, it actually affects the whole community." 

Renae discusses the development of the Business Community Resilience toolkit, a microlearning program focused on disaster preparedness, which uses nudge theory to help businesses become more resilient. This approach has been implemented across various regions and industries, including collaborations with the CFA in Victoria and the South Australian government. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, I sat down with David Parsons, crisis management expert, and volunteer advisor and delivery partner at Resilient Ready and today we are talking about safeguarding livelihoods and services after disasters.