Cooperative Planning for Climate Disasters

The University of Newcastle works with government agencies and regional communities to strengthen planning for climate-related disasters. In 2025, University researchers and operational teams contributed to coastal hazard management with City of Newcastle, coordinated bushfire preparedness with emergency services, and a multi-year programme to support local governments across New South Wales in planning for extreme heat. These partnerships connect research, risk assessment and practical decision-making to help protect people and places.

Cooperative coastal hazard planning with City of Newcastle

Following the extreme rainfall and flooding experienced in Newcastle in May 2025, University of Newcastle researchers worked with City of Newcastle to assess instability along the South Newcastle Beach coastal cliff line. Researchers provided data and expertise to support Council's monitoring and remediation activities and inform decisions relating to public safety and coastal risk management.

The University’s Centre for Geotechnical Science and Engineering identified instability following the May downpour and worked with Council on ongoing monitoring and remediation. University research on changing cliff conditions and rockfall risks helps inform safety decisions for heavily used public coastal areas, as documented in its November 2025 research-impact profile.

Coordinated bushfire preparedness at Callaghan

In 2025, the University of Newcastle completed its Callaghan Bushfire Management Plan, establishing a coordinated framework for bushfire prevention, preparedness, response and recovery across the University campus. The plan identifies vulnerable assets and people, strengthens vegetation and fuel management and Asset Protection Zones, and incorporates evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures. Importantly, the plan provides for ongoing collaboration with the NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW through information sharing, consultation during periods of elevated bushfire risk and integration with external emergency command structures.

The University’s published bushfire management procedures explain how campus safety decisions draw on NSW Rural Fire Service advice, weather information and NSW Government warnings. The 2025 plan strengthens this operational connection with external emergency responders and provides for review of preparedness measures.

Regional heatwave resilience planning across NSW

The University is leading a three-year, Australian Government-funded initiative to improve heatwave preparedness in vulnerable NSW communities, including regional local government areas. Announced in September 2024 with more than $1.3 million from the Disaster Ready Fund, the project spans the 2025 reporting period and is led by Associate Professor Danielle Verdon-Kidd. It assesses present and future heatwave risk and is designed to work with councils in high-risk areas to inform locally tailored resilience and preparedness strategies.

The project brings together climate risk mapping and planned collaboration with local government through interviews, focus groups and co-design workshops. Its intended outputs include tailored local heatwave preparedness plans and a digital Heatwave Hub for education and ongoing cooperation. The University’s Centre for Integrated Resilience describes these activities as the programme’s approach to helping councils integrate extreme-heat risks into planning and services.

Flood resilience and wider disaster-recovery research

The University’s research on flood resilience in the Hunter region has also explored how communities can strengthen their capacity to respond and adapt. An earlier project centred on the Cessnock and Singleton local government areas, using consultations with local participants to develop principles for better flood-risk management. This work has informed the University’s wider understanding of community vulnerability, preparedness and the importance of local knowledge.

In 2025, University researchers also published an analysis of climate adaptation and disaster-risk-reduction provisions in strategies, policies and plans across Singleton, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local governments. The study identified opportunities to connect disaster preparedness with land-use planning, infrastructure standards and public participation. This is supporting policy research rather than evidence of a new council programme delivered in 2025.

The University’s Disaster and Development research group contributes further expertise in disaster resilience, post-disaster housing, reconstruction and the experiences of displaced communities. Its research provides a foundation for practical collaboration across government, community and humanitarian settings.

By combining research expertise with government partnerships and community knowledge, the University of Newcastle supports more informed disaster planning and climate adaptation. These collaborations help strengthen preparedness, reduce risks and build resilience across Newcastle and the wider Hunter region.

Photo of researchers

Drafting of practitioner’s guideline and introduction of disaster waste systems

Enabling Pacific Islands to effectively manage disaster waste

This project included the following activities:

(a) Development of Template for National and Community Disaster Waste Management Plans with Drafting/Guiding Instructions;

b) Development of an Operational Guide on the establishment of an Environment Sector Working Group (EWG); and

(c) Standard Methodology for Estimating and Recording of Disaster Waste and Biodiversity Loss and Damages following disasters

Design, Develop, and Deliver a Regional Virtual Vocational Training Program on disaster waste management

Enabling Pacific Islands to effectively manage disaster waste

This project is a sub-project of a larger waste management project that included three other sub-projects on used oil management, sustainable financing mechanisms for waste management, and project management. It was conducted in partnership with CIFAL-Newcastle. It involved designing the learning platforms, developing the course structures and contents and delivering the courses.

Shelter self-recovery in Vanuatu

Recommendations and guidance for future self-recovery initiatives

This project investigated the lived experience of shelter self-recovery after disasters for communities and how shelter contributes to community recovery and resilience. It provided lessons on how humanitarian support for shelter self-recovery has evolved through time and impacts disaster risk reduction, preparedness and the role of women and girls by examining shelter responses to disasters by CARE Vanuatu and local and national authorities and organisations. It was conducted across Pentecost, Maewo and Tanna islands, following participatory research approaches.

Climate smart adaptive resilience and engagement for animal evacuation

To upgrade and extend animal sheltering facilities

This project worked with key stakeholders that underpin the Hunter region’s economies and communities. It responded to the tremendous impacts of the 2019-2020 bushfires in NSW using co-creation approaches, innovative, cost-effective resilience technical solutions. It aimed to collate logistical data requirements to better protect the wider regional agricultural sector and vulnerable communities, enabling them to thrive in disasters.

Improving local resilience to floods in the Hunter region

To address Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13

This research project was concerned with the recent floods in eastern Australia, understood to be related to climate change. It thus focused on SDG 13 on Climate Action, seeking to address the critical challenge of floods specifically in the Hunter region, piloted in two LGAs (Cessnock and Singleton). The project sought answers to how local resilience to and adaptive capacity for floods can be improved in the Hunter region to address SDG 13. Consultations with local participants allowed developing a set of principles for flood risk management.

Capacity assessment of self-recovery in New Caledonia

To assess which aspects will and will not succeed according to the context

This research project aimed to investigate the opportunities and challenges with regard to self-recovery in New Caledonia, drawing from the experience elsewhere in the Pacific region, such as Vanuatu. Through this investigation, context-specific guidelines are being developed for self-recovery in New Caledonia.