East Gippsland Shire Council (EGSC) is frequently exposed to, and has experienced numerous natural hazard related disasters in the past. After the significant 2014 bushfires in the municipality, EGSC implemented a new approach to disaster recovery. The Adaptation for Recovery project (the Project) aimed to support resilience building and development of individual and collective adaptive capacity across the diverse, fire-affected communities of Glenaladale, Bonang, Tubbut and Goongerah using an “asset-based community development” (ABCD) approach. 

This report provides an evaluation of the Project, presenting key findings and recommendations to inform implementation of similar models in future fire-affected communities. 

The project delivered both immediately tangible outputs for the affected communities, as well as longer-term, less easily quantifiable outcomes that will likely contribute to the communities’ overall resilience. Additionally, the evaluation found that the modified ‘ABCD’ project model, underpinned by community-directed recovery, contributed to the achievements of the Project.

Key findings are:

• Significant and diverse activity was generated in each area, targeting individual capacity needs as well as broader community emergency preparedness concerns. The activities attracted participation from across the affected communities, receiving generally positive community feedback.
• Factors contributing to community resilience were identified by each of the community working groups, and the Project was perceived to have positively influenced these factors. 
• Community-level preparedness for future fire events was perceived to have improved, however individual preparedness was varied, with some community members noting they felt unprepared and fearful in the lead up to summer. 
• Active participants in the project reported having more positive, confident outlooks and greater willingness to participate in community activities. They noted feeling empowered and a sense of pride in their community’s achievements, and felt more connected to their community as a result of participating in the Project.