NSW winners announced at the 2025 Resilient Australia Awards

Every year, Australians face devastating impacts from disasters and emergencies. The NSW category of the Resilient Australia Awards is an opportunity to celebrate initiatives that are making communities safer, more connected and better prepared.

As the state convenor of the awards, the NSW Reconstruction Authority has brought together a judging panel made up of experts in disaster resilience.

Following today's ceremony, at NSW Parliament, NSW winners will go on to represent the state at the national Resilient Australia Awards in Canberra later this year.

Full list of winners can be found below.

More information on the Resilient Australia Awards can be found at https://www.aidr.org.au/programs/resilient-australia-awards/

Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said:

"In the wake of recent disasters, we've seen Australians rise to the challenge as individuals, communities and organisations working together to rebuild, support one another and strengthen our resilience.

"The Resilient Australia Awards are a chance to celebrate these efforts and ensure they don't go unnoticed.

"Whether it's a local council, a school, a research team or a community group, every contribution matters, helping to create more resilient communities for the future."

NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO Mal Lanyon said:

"These awards bring a spotlight to the remarkable resilience and innovation we see across NSW every day.

"It's an honour to award and celebrate the individuals and groups whose efforts have helped us recover, adapt and thrive in the face of natural disasters.

"Their stories remind us that resilience is not just about bouncing back - it's about being innovative and responsive to local needs and communities."

The winners are:

Resilient Australia Community Award

Winner: Recovery Connect - Social Futures.

A Lismore-based support service delivering a pioneering model of disaster recovery to help people recover from natural disasters by building resilience through empowerment.

Highly commended:

Care2Prepare: inclusive household and community risk reduction - Carers NSW

Better Together - Community Connections - Community Connects South Shoalhaven and Business Milton Ulladulla.

Resilient Australia Business Award

Winner: Flood Defence Fund - Insurance Council of Australia.

A policy initiative that calls for the development of a $30.15 billion Flood Defence Fund to protect communities on the frontline of floods, while moderating insurance premiums and reducing future recovery costs.

Resilient Australia Government Award

Winner: Australian first Aboriginal Cultural Incident Management Exercise - NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Merrimans Local Aboriginal Land Council, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Crown Lands and NSW Rural Fire Service.

A hands-on exercise connecting First Nations rangers and emergency responders for real-time bushfire planning and response, ensuring cultural sites in southeast NSW are protected during emergencies.

Resilient Australia Local Government Award

Winner: Heat Taskforce: Heat Smart City Plan - Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC).

Sydney's first multi-sector plan for heat hazard developed by a collaboration of leaders across health, planning, infrastructure, emergency management, community and corporate sectors.

Resilient Australia School Award

Winner: Our River - Richmond Agricultural Centre: Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Education.

A school program delivered in the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment to teach flood awareness through science, history and creative wellbeing activities and help students positively reconnect with the river and learn mental health coping mechanisms.

Resilient Australia Mental Health and Wellbeing Award

Winner: Resilient Kids: Empowered Young People Can Weather Life's Biggest Storms - Social Futures.

A program launched in response to the devastating 2022 floods in Northern NSW, focusing on youth-centred mental health and wellbeing program.

Highly commended: The Resilient Kids Program: disaster risk reduction for the next generation - Health North Coast.

Resilient Australia Photography Award

Winner: Social Futures, Strong Mind in the Early Years Program - Catherine Piltz.

The photography category is decided by public vote via social media. This year's winning image captures resilience through a moment of safety, trust and connection in early childhood disaster recovery.