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Congratulations to the winners and highly commended recipients of the 2026 Queensland Resilient Australia Awards.
The awards recognise Queenslanders, organisations and projects making our communities stronger and more resilient in the face of disasters.
This year’s winners and highly commended recipients showcase the many ways resilience can be built, from empowering people with disability to become preparedness champions, to supporting more resilient homes, strengthening critical services and helping communities stay connected.
Resilient Australia Community Award
WINNER – Queenslanders with Disability Network
Project: Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DIDRR) Peer Leadership Development Program
The program supports people with disability to become leaders, advisors and preparedness champions in their communities. Working with local communities across Queensland, the initiative provides a practical and sustainable model for disability-inclusive disaster resilience.
The program supports people with disability to become leaders, advisors and preparedness champions in their communities. Working with local communities across Queensland, the initiative provides a practical and sustainable model for disability-inclusive disaster resilience.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Rural Aid
Project: Community-Led Resilience: Building Stronger Rural Communities Before Disaster
This initiative brings together disaster preparedness, community development, and mental health and wellbeing to help rural and regional communities build resilience. Working alongside local communities, the program supports people to identify their priorities, strengthen connections and develop practical action plans.
This initiative brings together disaster preparedness, community development, and mental health and wellbeing to help rural and regional communities build resilience. Working alongside local communities, the program supports people to identify their priorities, strengthen connections and develop practical action plans.
Resilient Australia Business Award
WINNER – Woolworths Group
Project: Project Overwatch
Project Overwatch uses data-driven planning and proactive investment to strengthen the resilience of Woolworths stores across Queensland. The initiative helps protect essential services and keep communities connected and supported during disasters, particularly in remote and vulnerable areas.
Project Overwatch uses data-driven planning and proactive investment to strengthen the resilience of Woolworths stores across Queensland. The initiative helps protect essential services and keep communities connected and supported during disasters, particularly in remote and vulnerable areas.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Suncorp
Project: Ready Together: Building Family Resilience
This initiative helps Queensland families prepare for disasters by putting children at the centre of the conversation. Through play-based learning, practical activities and partnerships with councils, schools and community groups, children are encouraged to become preparedness champions in their own homes.
This initiative helps Queensland families prepare for disasters by putting children at the centre of the conversation. Through play-based learning, practical activities and partnerships with councils, schools and community groups, children are encouraged to become preparedness champions in their own homes.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Optus
Project: National Mobilisation to Sustain Critical Communications During Cyclone Alfred
This initiative strengthens telecommunications resilience through proactive planning, rapid deployment and collaboration across agencies. Successfully tested during Cyclone Alfred, the project helped sustain critical communications, and keep emergency services, government and communities connected when it mattered most.
This initiative strengthens telecommunications resilience through proactive planning, rapid deployment and collaboration across agencies. Successfully tested during Cyclone Alfred, the project helped sustain critical communications, and keep emergency services, government and communities connected when it mattered most.
Resilient Australia Schools Award
WINNER – Tallebudgera State School
Project: Global Connections for Disaster Resilience
This initiative combines student leadership, virtual reality technology and international collaboration to bring disaster resilience education to life. Students explore disaster risk reduction and how communities around the world prepare for and respond to natural hazards.
This initiative combines student leadership, virtual reality technology and international collaboration to bring disaster resilience education to life. Students explore disaster risk reduction and how communities around the world prepare for and respond to natural hazards.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Balonne Shire Council
Project: How the Catchment Works: Building Resilience Through Innovation and Youth Engagement
This project uses storytelling, animation and local voices to help communities better understand flood risk. By bringing together students, schools, industry and community organisations, the initiative demonstrates the role young people can play in building disaster awareness and preparedness.
This project uses storytelling, animation and local voices to help communities better understand flood risk. By bringing together students, schools, industry and community organisations, the initiative demonstrates the role young people can play in building disaster awareness and preparedness.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Noosa Shire Council
Project: Noosa Get Ready Schools program
The Noosa Get Ready Schools program makes disaster preparedness engaging and accessible for young people. Working with schools, council and emergency services, the program helps around 2,500 students each year learn about floods, storms, bushfires and heatwaves.
The Noosa Get Ready Schools program makes disaster preparedness engaging and accessible for young people. Working with schools, council and emergency services, the program helps around 2,500 students each year learn about floods, storms, bushfires and heatwaves.
Resilient Australia Mental Health and Wellbeing Award
WINNER – Livingstone Shire Council
Project: ICare Friday Lunch – Connections create a thriving resilient community
The ICare Friday Lunch program brings together community members, emergency services, health providers, schools, volunteers and local organisations. The initiative helps reduce social isolation while building connections, confidence and community resilience.
The ICare Friday Lunch program brings together community members, emergency services, health providers, schools, volunteers and local organisations. The initiative helps reduce social isolation while building connections, confidence and community resilience.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – West Moreton Health Services
Project: Heart of the Rim Mental Health Wellbeing Expo and Just a Farmer movie – Scenic Rim Boonah
This initiative brings people together to have conversations about mental health, wellbeing and support. Through community events and collaboration with local organisations, the program helps reduce stigma, strengthen connections and connect people with support services.
This initiative brings people together to have conversations about mental health, wellbeing and support. Through community events and collaboration with local organisations, the program helps reduce stigma, strengthen connections and connect people with support services.
Resilient Australia Local Government Award
JOINT WINNER – City of Gold Coast
Project: Gold Coast Resilient Home Design Guidelines
The guidelines provide practical advice for homeowners, renters, landlords and builders to incorporate disaster resilience into everyday housing decisions, from maintenance and renovations to landscaping and new builds.
The guidelines provide practical advice for homeowners, renters, landlords and builders to incorporate disaster resilience into everyday housing decisions, from maintenance and renovations to landscaping and new builds.
JOINT WINNER – Fraser Coast Regional Council and FloodMapp
Project: Live Flooded Road Alerts for Safer Communities
This initiative integrates real-time flood hazard information into navigation platforms including Waze and Google Maps. The project helps road users make safer decisions by providing timely flood warnings where they are needed.
This initiative integrates real-time flood hazard information into navigation platforms including Waze and Google Maps. The project helps road users make safer decisions by providing timely flood warnings where they are needed.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – City of Gold Coast
Project: Disaster Resilience Scorecard
The Disaster Resilience Scorecard turns a globally recognised resilience framework into practical action. The project provides an evidence-based roadmap for strengthening resilience across planning, infrastructure, emergency management, community services and other areas.
The Disaster Resilience Scorecard turns a globally recognised resilience framework into practical action. The project provides an evidence-based roadmap for strengthening resilience across planning, infrastructure, emergency management, community services and other areas.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Longreach Regional Council
Project: Emergency Services Card Project
This project provides essential emergency information to remote grazing properties, helping communities access critical information during disasters. Proven during multiple flood events, the initiative has strengthened relationships between council and communities and has potential to be replicated in other regions.
This project provides essential emergency information to remote grazing properties, helping communities access critical information during disasters. Proven during multiple flood events, the initiative has strengthened relationships between council and communities and has potential to be replicated in other regions.
Resilient Australia Government Award
JOINT WINNER – Department of Housing and Public Works and Queensland Reconstruction Authority
Project: Resilient Homes Fund
A Resilient Home helps Queensland homeowners living with flood risk rebuild stronger and safer homes. The program provides personalised guidance, technical expertise and practical education to improve flood resilience.
A Resilient Home helps Queensland homeowners living with flood risk rebuild stronger and safer homes. The program provides personalised guidance, technical expertise and practical education to improve flood resilience.
JOINT WINNER – Department of Environment, Tourism, Innovation and Science (DETSI) and Articulus
Project: Empowering First Nations tourism industry disaster resilience through community-led workshops and resources
This initiative places First Nations voices, knowledge and leadership at the centre of disaster resilience. Through co-design with First Nations organisations and businesses, the project has developed practical and culturally appropriate resources to support preparedness and long-term resilience.
This initiative places First Nations voices, knowledge and leadership at the centre of disaster resilience. Through co-design with First Nations organisations and businesses, the project has developed practical and culturally appropriate resources to support preparedness and long-term resilience.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Queensland Corrective Services
Project: Engaging Queensland Offenders and Prisoners to Support Disaster Resilience Statewide
This initiative creates opportunities for prisoners and offenders to contribute to disaster resilience through activities including fire mitigation, vegetation management, access route maintenance and flood preparedness. The program provides benefits for communities while helping participants develop valuable skills and experience.
This initiative creates opportunities for prisoners and offenders to contribute to disaster resilience through activities including fire mitigation, vegetation management, access route maintenance and flood preparedness. The program provides benefits for communities while helping participants develop valuable skills and experience.
Resilient Australia Photography Award
WINNER - Lynda Coulson (QRA)
Project: Floraville Station Stays Connected
Taken at Floraville Station on the Leichhardt River in Gulf Country, this photograph reflects the strength and adaptability of remote farming communities, and the essential role communication plays in building resilience.
Taken at Floraville Station on the Leichhardt River in Gulf Country, this photograph reflects the strength and adaptability of remote farming communities, and the essential role communication plays in building resilience.
Floraville Station stays connected
While visiting a Floraville Station along the Leichhardt River, Lynda observed communications towers rising above the vast landscape.
These towers represent a vital lifeline for remote communities facing distance, isolation, and extreme weather. They carry more than signals - they deliver severe weather warnings, connection, reassurance, and the information communities need to prepare, respond, and recover together.
The photograph reflects the strength and adaptability of remote farming communities, and the essential role communication plays in building resilience.
These towers represent a vital lifeline for remote communities facing distance, isolation, and extreme weather. They carry more than signals - they deliver severe weather warnings, connection, reassurance, and the information communities need to prepare, respond, and recover together.
The photograph reflects the strength and adaptability of remote farming communities, and the essential role communication plays in building resilience.
