Event Set on Gunaikurnai Country in May
The National Indigenous Disaster Resilience Gathering (NIDR Gathering) 2026 will bring Indigenous perspectives to the forefront of disaster management and recovery from 5th to 7th May in East Gippsland.
Held on Gunaikurnai Country at Lakes Entrance, the biennial event will convene Indigenous leaders, community organisations, researchers, politicians, and emergency management experts. The aim is to foster an Indigenous-led national conversation on disaster resilience, moving discussions out of conference rooms and onto Country.
Associate Professor Bhiamie Williamson, NIDR’s programme lead, emphasised the importance of recognising Indigenous leadership in recovery efforts. “Governments no longer have the luxury of responding to increasing threats of climate change in a slow or incremental way. Meeting the scale of the challenge must start by listening to the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” he stated.
The gathering acknowledges the disproportionate impacts major disasters have on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and highlights their leadership and commitment to recovery.
Workshops and Activities
The event will feature keynote addresses, workshops, and panel discussions exploring themes such as youth and disasters, mental health and wellbeing, and community-led recovery. Attendees can engage in Indigenous-led On Country activities, where local leaders will demonstrate Caring for Country practices like cool burning.
Nick Ashburner, CEO of the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, highlighted the urgency of re-examining mainstream disaster response approaches. “This conversation is incredibly relevant to what we are all experiencing at the moment. Energy insecurity and extreme weather events affect our most vulnerable communities first,” he said.
Oliver Costello, Executive Director of Jagun Alliance, explained the significance of Indigenous knowledge in disaster resilience. “What Indigenous communities have been doing – caring for Country through fire, through water, through deep knowledge of place – that’s at the heart of disaster resilience,” he said.
The NIDR Gathering is organised in partnership with the Jagun Alliance, Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust, and East Gippsland Shire Council. Media representatives can attend the event free of charge. For programme details and to register for a media pass, contact Monash University Media Manager, Kim Loudon.
Over the three days, delegates will hear from Indigenous leaders and disaster specialists from Australia and abroad. They will engage in discussions on how Indigenous knowledge can inform guiding policies that benefit all Australians. This exchange of ideas aims to spotlight Indigenous excellence in disaster resilience, emergency management, community recovery, and Caring for Country.
