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The Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation (RAMJO) and seven other Joint Organisations (JO’s) and Regional Organisations of Councils (ROC’s), representing 65 local councils across NSW, have been recognised at the prestigious Local Government Week Awards 2024 for their innovative contributions to embedding disaster resilience. This accolade celebrates RAMJO’s pivotal role in advancing resilience planning within the local government sector, supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales Governments.

RAMJO member councils played a crucial role in contributing to the project. They now benefit from a comprehensive Regional needs analysis, a Disaster Risk Reduction Integrated Planning & Reporting (IP&R) framework to address identified gaps and opportunities, and a partnership with Transport for NSW. Additionally, councils have avenues to explore community engagement tools to enhance community preparedness and a study identifying gaps and opportunities in spatial data to better prepare councils and communities. This report will inform the state’s efforts in developing systems and tools for local government.

“This program is a result of the JO’s and ROC’s actively looking at how we can more effectively work alongside State agencies to achieve success for our communities. Said Cr Kylie King, Mayor of AlburyCity and Deputy-Chair of RAMJO.

This program is providing councils with both strategic and financial support. “Our member councils are not only better equipped to plan and prepare for disasters but also benefit from shared resources.” added Cr Kylie King.

The Regional Resilience Program was a collaboration between the NSW Reconstruction Authority, Riverina and Murray JO, Central NSW JO, Hunter JO, Canberra Region JO, Illawarra Shoalhaven JO, Mid-North Coast JO, Northern Rivers JO and Riverina Eastern ROC, representing a consortium of 65 councils across New South Wales.