Connected Communities across the Omeo Region in Victoria

The Omeo Region Community Recovery Association (ORCRA) took strategic approach to understanding community perspectives about bushfire recovery and what was required to generate increased levels of resilience in the Omeo region in Victoria.

A survey of community members identified seven priority areas of combined concern leading to the

• Omeo Region Disaster Resilience Plan; and
• Local Community Emergency Management Plans for seven townships

While this work informs Emergency Management planning, resourcing and flow of information, the communities asked how they can be better prepared using the plan in a more detailed way.

Public meetings found that some gaps in knowledge, resources, preparedness, management and recovery from the fires can stem from the relationship between people and organisations, including between community members and external agencies.

ORCRA identified a critical next stage in its Resilience Plan enhancement by putting focus on understanding:

• bridging ties within six community hubs and between hubs in the region; and
• linking ties between community people and those from external services

Visit our social capital page for more information on bridging and linking social ties.

This project included:

• Desktop research of bridging and linking social ties examples
• Measurement of bridging and linking ties in 6 hubs
• Measurement of bridging ties across the 6 hubs in the region
• Development of a roadmap to foster stronger bridging and linking ties
• Online presentation by Professor Daniel Aldrich

This project brought multiple benefits to community members across the Omeo region in Victoria including:

• Examples from other communities on how to build and strengthen bridging and linking social ties
• A greater focus on the value of bridging social ties being connections between people different to us and opportunities on how to strengthen these connections within communities and across the region
• Discussions around linking social ties and a measurement to support a future pathway to strengthen these ties between community members and those in authority such as from external agencies

This project benefited the Omeo community aligned to Professor Daniel Aldrich’s global research which notes – “Connected communities are more resilient than affluent communities.”

This project was funded by the Omeo Region Community Recovery Association (ORCRA).

This project was delivered by the Resilient Ready team including CEO Renae Hanvin and lived experience facilitator, Fiona Jago.

Professor Daniel Aldrich provided input to the project and deliver an online session for the Omeo region community.