Transcript
[On-screen logos: CFA, Safer Together, Victoria State Government]
[On-screen text: We acknowledge the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which this video was created. We honour Elders past and present whose knowledge and wisdom have ensured the continuation of culture and practices]
[On-screen text: Community Based Bushfire Management: Stories of change]
[On-screen text: Hill and Ridge Emergency Network]
[On-screen text: Hill and Ridge Emergency Network is a local initiative driven by the community to build emergency preparedness, resilience and adapt to a changing climate]
[On-screen text: It is proudly supported by Red Hill CFA, Main Ridge CFA, Hastings SES, Sorrento SES, Mornington Peninsula Shire, CFA District 8 and Safer Together Community First program]
[Sam Norris] Hill and Ridge Emergency Network.
Well, it started after the October ‘21 storm.
Significant trees down, roads closed and most of us were without power for up to seven days.
No phone reception, no Internet, no water.
The hardest thing was that it was such a huge event.
[Julie Redhouse] There were people that were forgotten.
There was an older lady that was stuck in her house for seven days and nobody knew that she was there
Being brought up on a farm up here I suppose we've got access to tractors and larger equipment, whereas other people in our street didn't have access to things like that.
So they were, you know, stranded.
[Sam] About a week later, there was a bit of anger within the community, so we spoke to a few people and we thought we could frame something up to be better.
[Steph de Bruin] When I started to have conversations with some local leaders, the school, there were a lot of reflections in the aftermath of their experience of the storms.
And what they found were maybe some of the responses that were lacking either on the ground or just the lack of their ability to coordinate themselves and to be able to help each other.
And it was through those conversations that we decided to invite those community groups, leaders, the school, emergency services and the Shire to a workshop that really sought to map the existing strengths, skills and assets of the local community. How we could use those strengths and skills in the aftermath of any emergency or significant disruption and how the community could work together to increase that collaboration and communication.
[On-screen logo: Hill & Ridge Emergency Network]
[On-screen text: Machinery contractors; Chainsaws and tree removal; generators]
We had local contractors that could provide machines, chainsaws, train removal services, generators for power backup.
[On-screen text: Men’s Shed, Red Hill Opportunity Shop]
The Men Shed could provide building tools for community projects, the Red Hill Opportunity Shop and they would be able to provide clothes and bedding, home wares maybe in the aftermath of a severe event.
[On-screen text: Red Hill Consolidated School]
The Red Hill Consolidated School to be able to broadcast messages to the local community.
[On-screen text: Red Hill Football and Cricket Club]
The Red Hill Football Club, the use of facilities such as the Pavilion and access to power and catering, bathrooms and showers.
[On-screen text: Red Hill Lions]
[On-screen text: Lyn Connor, Red Hill Lions Club; Rob Connor, Red Hill Lions Club]
[Rob Connor] Now the Lions Club have got the capability of running food in an emergency, so we've got a catering van, reasonably basic, but it does the trick.
And we also store food here in a freezer.
Every year we rotate it around so it's here for an emergency.
So that is part of the Hill and Ridge group.
[On-screen text: Libby Jane, Red Hill Opportunity Shop / Post Office]
[Libby Jane] I thought it was going to be one meeting. Come along, say yes. The Op shop would open its doors. People could come and get what they needed, but it evolved so quickly and so effectively into a lot more than what I'd first thought it would be.
[Julie] So the Red Hill Community Network Group is a group of people from our community that came together and we pooled our knowledge and our experiences and our connections to create like a Yellow Pages I suppose, of contacts.
So Steph, in a CBBM role, she brought in the knowledge and expertise of how to facilitate a meeting, how to facilitate a plan, how to put things down on paper.
She helped us organise a community event that we engaged the whole community and got feedback on what they thought this network should do and also initiated a street coordinator group.
That street coordinator can communicate with the CFA or the network to say this is what's happening in our street.
[On-screen text: Virginia Ross, Street Coordinator]
We can facilitate finding someone to assist to remove the tree or get access or emergency services to that house.
[Lyn] She also looked at skill development things like chainsaw workshops that were very well attended and they were opened up to the public.
Operationally, it's critical for us.
[On-screen text: Brett ‘Dutchy’ Holland, Hastings SES]
[Brett] For the Hastings SES unit, we cover 728 square kilometres of area on the Mornington Peninsula, so you know, it's 15 different villages.
We need to be able to know that some villages are self-sufficient and they're prepared and they're ready and they're resilient.
So that way we can apply our resources, as scarce as they are, to those communities that haven't got that level of resilience in them.
[Steph]I think the strength in our approach was how we focused on the development of the relationships.
[Julie] She really helped guide us and keep us on track to make sure that what we wanted to achieve, we have achieved and we've got a real plan and something that we can enact after any type of significant event.
[Steph] I think sometimes we can talk about risk in a way that demotivates people to act.
And I think looking at what the strengths and skills were in the community and created that kind of proactive space
[Lyn] I feel very confident that the community will respond in the way that they have to setting up this group and that everyone knows they can play a role.
[Brett] So because they're actually thinking about setting up those networks, they're thinking about what could happen. So they're actually anticipating things and becoming more prepared to actually respond as a community.
[Julie] I think that every community has got the ability to create this network.
You just have to find the right people and try and engage the wider community.
Don't try and do it all on your own.
[Sam]It's inevitable that we will have to use it, whether it's the storm event, a power outage, whatever's going to be thrown our way.
But there's more and more of these events happening and we have to be prepared to deal with it.
[On-screen text: The Safer Together Community First team would like to thank the following for their help in the making of this video:
Sam Norris
Julie Redhouse
Steph de Bruin
Rob Connor
Lyn Connor
Libby Jane
Dutchy Holland
Virginia Richardson
Virginia Ross
Red Hill CFA
Main Ridge CFA
Hastings SES
[On-screen logos: CFA, Safer Together, Victoria State Government]
END
Page last updated: 16/09/25