As New South Wales faces yet another extreme weather event, it’s the tireless commitment of our emergency service volunteers that ensures the safety and wellbeing of affected communities, writes Centre CEO Andrew Gissing in the Canberra Times.
This week marks National Volunteer Week—an important opportunity to recognise the more than 400,000 emergency service volunteers across Australia. In New South Wales, they’ve once again stepped up in force as the Manning River at Taree surpassed a near-century-old flood record—an event that, statistically, occurs only once every 500 years. These volunteers led evacuations, laid sandbags, performed rescues and offered critical support across the flood-affected Mid North Coast, where hundreds of homes were inundated and thousands of lives disrupted.
“Some of these communities were only just beginning to recover from the 2021 floods,” says Andrew Gissing, CEO of Natural Hazards Research Australia. “It’s a stark reminder that for many, the time between disasters is shrinking.”
We’re living in an era of escalating natural hazard risk. What were once extraordinary events are now becoming increasingly common as climate change intensifies and development expands into flood- and fire-prone regions.
“Disasters aren’t natural—they’re shaped by the choices we make about where and how we build,” Gissing warns.
The increasing frequency of disasters is stretching our volunteer-based emergency services thin. Broader changes in demographics, workplace trends, and technology are all reshaping the disaster response workforce.
A recent Senate inquiry raised red flags about declining volunteer numbers. “We’ve seen a national drop of more than 20,000 emergency service volunteers over the last decade,” Gissing notes. “At the same time, we’re experiencing more and more complex disasters. That’s not sustainable.”
Calls have been made for large-scale federal responses, but Gissing urges caution: “Creating a national firefighting force might sound appealing, but it risks duplicating what's already in place and comes at a high cost. We need to strengthen the systems we already have—starting with the volunteer workforce.”
He outlines five strategies that could help build a stronger, more resilient emergency response system:
- Simplify volunteering pathways. “We need to make it easier for people to get involved,” says Gissing. “That means streamlined onboarding, recognising skills they already have and providing the right tools and support.”
- Support volunteers financially and practically. “Admin burden and cost-of-living pressures are making it harder to keep people in the system. Legislated protections and financial incentives would go a long way.”
- Integrate spontaneous volunteers. “During the Lismore floods, the ‘tinny army’ saved lives. We need to plan for these groups and make sure they can contribute safely and effectively.”
- Harness more sectors. “There’s untapped potential in business, NGOs and Indigenous ranger programs,” says Gissing. “We should be building partnerships before disasters hit.”
- Invest in future tech. Gissing sees huge promise in AI, drones and robotics. “Imagine deploying autonomous vehicles equipped with sensors to assess damage and deliver aid with minimal human risk. That future isn’t far off.”
But none of these strategies will work without addressing root causes. “We can’t keep putting people in harm’s way,” Gissing says. “If we don’t reduce the underlying disaster risk, no amount of volunteer support will be enough.”
As we honour our emergency volunteers this week, let’s also take action to ensure they’re not left to carry the burden alone. As Gissing puts it, “We shouldn’t wait until the next flood or fire to act. The time to build resilience is now.”
Read the full article on the Canberra Times website.