This project concept was developed by the NSW Reconstruction Authority.
The project will work with the Resilient Homes Program (RHP) and Resilient Lands Program (RLP) administrators and relevant communities in the collaborative development of a case study of assisted relocations at scale, provide actionable findings to improve the preparedness, responsiveness and efficacy of existing and future initiatives to enhance community disaster resilience.
By examining the Northern Rivers context, both pre- and post-disaster, the project will analyse the broader economic, social and institutional governance factors which influenced the design and delivery of assisted relocation programs.
The research will examine the homeowner journey to identify service delivery gaps and to explore the emotional, risk and social and cultural dimensions underpinning community and household decisions to accept or decline buybacks in voluntary schemes or assisted relocations.
This will include exploring conflicting knowledge, values and priorities among individuals, the community and organisations that may create tensions and impact the roll-out and success of assisted relocations in the Northern Rivers.
The project will consider the relationship between the RHP and RLPs to draw on the key learnings that could be applied to enhance policy outcomes and the customer experience.
It will do this by:
- mapping the assisted relocation journey of homeowners across the RHP and RLP programs and identifying the capacity of collaborative partners to support homeowners through assisted relocations
- collecting evidence and learnings on the delivery and implementation of the assisted relocation component of the RHP and RLP
- engaging with local communities on what constitutes effective place-based adaptation and disaster resilience within the context of assisted relocations
- engaging with local First Nations communities to determine appropriate co-design processes that lead to place-based participation and support for assisted-relocation reform.
