The ISJO Resilience Program is a regional initiative that supports councils, communities and partner agencies to strengthen disaster preparedness, climate adaptation and long-term resilience across member councils in the Illawarra Shoalhaven.  The ISJO has been successful in being awarded both the NSW Disaster Risk Reduction Fund program (2023-2024) and the Commonwealth-funded Disaster Ready Fund (2025-2028). 

The Resilience Program brings together local government, state agencies, infrastructure providers, researchers and industry partners to address complex challenges such as climate change, natural hazards, critical infrastructure resilience and emergency preparedness.  Key initiatives include regional risk assessments, disaster adaptation planning, transport and energy vulnerability studies, critical infrastructure resilience planning, and the integration of resilience into council’s Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) frameworks. 

A significant achievement of the program has been the deployment of a regional multi-hazard monitoring and early warning network, providing real-time environmental data to support informed decision-making and community safety. (Still milking this project for all its worth!)

Through the Resilience Program, the ISJO also facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing across New South Wales, working with Joint Organisations, Regional Organisations of Councils and government partners to reduce duplication, share lessons learned and promote best-practice approaches to resilience building.

Through a combination of innovation, evidence-based planning and regional collaboration, the ISJO Resilience Program is helping to create safer, more adaptive and resilient communities across the Illawarra Shoalhaven and further across NSW.

For more information on our Resilience Program initiatives and resources please consult the dropdown menu at the top of this page.