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East Gippsland Shire Council wins state award for community-led disaster resilience and emergency preparedness

East Gippsland Shire Council has won a state award for its community-led disaster preparedness program, boosting resilience through inclusive planning, upgraded infrastructure, and local leadership following the 2019 - 20 bushfires.

By news@gippsland - 6th June 2025 - Back to News

East Gippsland Shire Council has been recognised for its leadership in emergency preparedness, taking out the 'Disaster Readiness and Recovery' category at the LGPro Awards for Excellence in Melbourne last night.

Kath Smith, Joanne Johnson, Blanche Evans, Portia Branton, Neil Richards and Chris Stephenson representing council, the emergency management, customer experience and library teams, and our community at the LG Pro Awards

Community-led resilience

The winning project - Strengthened Disaster Readiness and Resilience East Gippsland - was developed in response to the 2019 - 20 Black Summer Bushfires and is delivering long-term benefits by embedding community leadership in emergency planning and resilience.

East Gippsland mayor Cr John White said the award is a tribute to the strength and leadership of East Gippsland communities. "This initiative is about empowering locals to lead preparedness efforts and ensuring every corner of our shire is better equipped for emergencies."

"We're delivering real resilience on the ground - from upgraded emergency shelters to inclusive planning tools and community-led response plans. It's a proud moment to see this work recognised at a state level," John said.

Innovating disaster preparedness

The initiative has delivered:

• 46 Local Incident Management Plans (LIMPs)
• 14 Community Emergency Management Plans (CEMPs)
• Victoria's first local government Disaster Dashboard
• Person-centred emergency plans and sensory-friendly resources to support neurodiverse residents
• Resilient infrastructure upgrades, including microgrids, backup generators, solar and battery systems, water tanks, and improved emergency shelters

East Gippsland is widely recognised for its commitment to disaster preparedness, response and recovery - and this award reaffirms the strong reputation our region holds across the state. Council acknowledges the critical role of community members, volunteers and local leaders who have actively shaped this work.

Resilient communities thrive

From co-developing Local Incident Management Plans to championing resilience in their own communities, their involvement has made this program stronger and more meaningful. When communities lead and take ownership of preparedness, we are all better placed to face the challenges ahead.

Watch the video about our award-winning program on our 'EastGippyTV' YouTube channel. Council was also a finalist in the hotly contested Service Delivery category for its Mobile Service Initiative - a multi-service outreach program that delivers:

• Library access
• Customer support
• Digital connectivity
• Essential council services to remote communities across the shire

Congratulations to Banyule City Council, who took out the category win.

Pictures from East Gippsland Shire Council website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com