Our Resilience Approach

two children climbing a tree, one helping the other up

What is resilience?

Resilience is defined as our ability to survive, adapt and thrive no matter what kind of shock or stress we experience.

Shocks are sudden and abrupt events that can stop our city. These are things such as extreme weather, infrastructure failure and a disease pandemic.

Stresses are slow burning and make life difficult such as housing affordability, employment diversity and inequality.

Why is it important?

Cities around the world are more densely populated and interconnected than ever before. The key support systems on which cities and their people rely (such as health, transport, utilities, telecommunications and social services) are becoming increasingly mutually dependent. Unfortunately this interdependence means that shocks and stresses are often compounding and cascading.

Resilience acknowledges that things will, at times, go profoundly wrong. Cities need to have the capacity to bend, not break, by preparing for and responding to their community’s needs.

What’s the plan?

We have been working hard in partnership with leading experts in resilience, AECOM, to conduct a Resilience Hazard Assessment to shape our local resilience approach for the Campbelltown LGA. The assessment identifies the current and emerging shocks, stresses and resilience hazards with the greatest potential to disrupt our community and Council’s operations.

From this an Action Plan has been shaped, describing priority actions to help plan and prepare for these resilience hazards. These actions are proposed for detailed development and implementation by us and our stakeholders.

This approach will allow us to:

  • Deliver clear, concise and impactful description of the resilience hazards with the greatest potential to disrupt the Campbelltown community and Council operations.
  • Provide a place-based assessment of resilience hazards, which will propose practical, prioritised actions to mitigate risks.
  • Put Campbelltown in a better position to plan for and manage future disruptions

How did we get the results?

  • Expert engagement with resilience experts
  • Local and global literature review
  • A series of stakeholder engagement workshops and interviews
  • Use of the 100 Resilient Cities Assets and Risks Tool

Resilient Sydney Strategy

In July 2018, Sydney and its 33 metropolitan councils, including Campbelltown, launched the first metropolitan-wide resilience strategy – Resilient Sydney, marking a new spirit of collaboration and connection across the City.

The strategy was developed in collaboration with 100 Resilient Cities and in consultation with over 1,000 residents and 100 businesses and government organisations.

The strategy includes 5 directions, and will aid the city in strengthening its ability to survive, adapt and thrive in the face of increasing global uncertainty and local shocks and stresses.