In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by Leanne Schmidt, Manager Emergency Support at the Local Government Association of South Australia. With decades of experience across SES and fire services, Leanne shares insights into South Australia’s emergency management approach and the vital role of local government in building community resilience.

In this special 40th episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae reflects on standout conversations from the last ten episodes with thought leaders in disaster resilience. Renae highlights the growing momentum around social capital, the importance of shared responsibility, and how Resilient Ready is translating policy and research into action for communities and small businesses across Australia.

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently Renae chats with Dr Briony Towers, founder of Leadrrr and expert in child-centered disaster risk management. They explore the role of schools in building social capital and how empowering children and youth can drive real change in disaster resilience. From bushfire education to youth-led initiatives, Briony shares how schools can be true hubs of preparedness and community strength.

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 ensure...

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 Asso...

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...

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...

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...

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.

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, I sat down with Tracy Collier, GM of Strategy and Programs for the Thriving Communities Partnership and today we are talking about building thriving communities.

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently the Podcast, I sit down with Jenn Donovan from Spend with us and we are discussing ‘Getting Australia to Buy from the Bush’.

Today Renae sits down with Bridget Tehan, the Senior Policy Advisor at the Victorian Council of Social Services, also called VCOSS. We are sitting down to discuss the role of community organisations in disasters. Bridget has worked for more than 10 years in emergency management in both the government and not-for-profit sectors. Bridget is currently a senior policy advisor at the Victorian Council of Social Services and works to highlight the role of the community sector in building resilience...

In the twenty-fivth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, Renae Hanvin will be talking with Tony Pearce, Victoria’s first Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM). He shares with us how this role was created and how it is impacting the Victorian community as we continue to see a rise in disasters in our country.

In the twenty-fourth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, Renae Hanvin will be talking with Lawrence Atkinson from BusinessBM and we are discussing ‘Business networks build resilience’. C2C and BusinessBM have teamed up and today we will discuss the changes we are hoping to see in the Blue Mountains region in New South Wales.

In the twenty-third episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, Renae Hanvin will be talking with Natalie Egleton, CEO of the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR). She was appointed CEO of the FRRR in November 2015, after joining the organisation in 2012, and she's responsible for shaping the FRRR’s strategy, designing new programs and developing and nurturing new funding partnerships.

In the twenty-second episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, Renae Hanvin will be talking with James Ritchie, the Director of Thamani and Principal Consultant with our C2C collective. He is currently located in Germany and has just come out of a 200-day lockdown and will share with us his thoughts.