A program tailored for businesses and not-for-profits in the Northern Rivers to prepare for future disasters, continue to trade during tough times and develop strategies to recover following a disaster has been announced by the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA).

The Business Beyond Disasters program provides participants with access to weekly learning modules and check-ins to develop business plans for disasters, build essential business continuity capabilities, and work together to overcome future challenges.

The RA has engaged experts from Resilient Ready, an organisation specialising in business and community risk reduction and resilience, to develop and roll out the program, which is free for all Northern Rivers businesses.

The programs will run for 10 weeks, starting from March 17 to May 2025 and businesses can also access the online learning modules until December 2025.

Information sessions are scheduled in February 2025 in each Northern Rivers Local Government Area for local businesses to learn about the program, sign up and connect with key support agencies such as NSW SES and the Australian Red Cross.

Participants can choose one of five specific business programs that best align to their specific area of business, including:

• Retail, professional services and education
• Agribusiness and aqua business
• Tourism
• Health and social services
• Construction, trade and manufacturing.  

Participants will be able to access eLearning modules that cover topics such as operating through disasters, financial viability, understanding insurance, evacuation triggers, and how disasters can bring opportunities.

Course participants will have the chance to exchange experiences and discover the resilience initiatives implemented by other businesspeople in the region.

Business Beyond Disasters is part of a broader project funded under Round One of the Disaster Ready Fund called the Northern Rivers Disaster Readiness Program (previously known as the Northern Rivers Disaster Adaptation Project - Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation). The project is jointly funded by the Australian Government and NSW Government. 

Northern Rivers businesses are encouraged to attend a local information session in February 2025 to find out more – book your spot here: https://collections.humanitix.com/business-beyond-disasters-information-sessions.

The Business Beyond Disaster schedule is:

• Wednesday, 19 February (3:30pm - 5pm) - Mullumbimby
• Thursday, 20 February (8:30am - 10am) - Kyogle
• Thursday, 20 February (3:30pm - 5pm) - Lismore
• Friday, 21 February (7:30am - 9am) - Ballina
• Tuesday, 25 February (4pm - 5:30pm) - Murwillumbah
• Wednesday, 26 February (8:30am - 10am) - Grafton
• Wednesday, 26 February (3:30pm - 5pm) - Casino
• Thursday, 27 February (1pm - 1:30pm) - On Line

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister said, “Supporting small businesses and not-for-profit organisations is crucial for the resilience of our regional communities, especially during and after disasters.

“These online courses and information sessions will equip participants with actionable strategies to face future challenges head-on and emerge even stronger after disasters.

“The Australian Government remains committed to the recovery and resilience of all regions affected by disasters.”

NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said, “One of the Reconstruction Authority’s clear mandates is to reduce exposure to risk and better prepare businesses for the next disaster.

“The Minns Government’s State Disaster Mitigation Plan sets out clear action items to foster risk reduction and improve resilience from future disasters, including the “Get Ready” campaign. This program will assist businesses and communities to be better prepared for the types of hazards that affect their local area.

NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said, “We have been working with the community to support recovery in the Northern Rivers, and this initiative is a great example of how we are working with businesses to improve their resilience.”

“This program has been designed to provide tools and information across a range of industries to help businesses prepare themselves for the next time disaster strikes.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin said, “This is a useful free offer to local businesses and not-for-profit organisations to build a better understanding of how to best prepare for and respond to natural disasters.

“It’s another good way of supporting our business sector and something that has been raised with me in the community as the recovery from the 2022 floods continues.”

Resilient Ready CEO Renae Hanvin said, “Back in 2021, we co-designed and piloted our business community resilience micro-learning program with a number of NSW businesses recovering from the bushfires. Pilot participants from the Northern Rivers region told us the learnings helped them recover better and prepare for the impacts from COVID and floods.