Murrindindi Shire is home to a new Insurance Australia Group (IAG) project seeking to build community resilience to natural disasters.
This year IAG launched their ‘Confident Communities‘ program which aims to create a
nation “ready for anything,” states the IAG Annual Report 2017.
The first step was to launch the ‘Good ’Hoods‘ campaign and website as IAG move deeper into communities with Good ‘Hoods project with Murrindindi Shire.
IAG are working with Murrindindi Shire, Australian Red Cross, a local university
and community leaders to assess risk, and develop resilience plans for this area,
which was devastated by the 2009 bushfires.
“Connect with your neighbours this summer. Share a BBQ, game of cricket, or whatever works for you, and invite others in your area to come along.
“Perhaps you already do something with people in your ‘hood, in which case the job is half done.
“To help you get started, we’ve put together a simple how to guide, and the first 200 to register their BBQ will receive an $50 supermarket voucher to help get the food and drink sorted,” the Good ‘Hoods website states.
Research following the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires showed the importance of local leaders and networks in supporting the recovery of communities.
New community measures to protect property and better early warning systems are key to the Good ‘Hoods program.
Further information here.
IAG is an Australian and New Zealands general insurance company which owns brands such as NRMA Insurance, CGU, SGIO, SGIC, Swann and WFI.
