Resilience and cultural pride at the heart of Wujal Wujal’s recovery journey
Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire, nestled among the lush tropical rainforests of Far North Queensland, is more than just a remote community, it’s a place of deep cultural heritage, strong community ties, and immense natural beauty.
In December 2023, Tropical Cyclone Jasper struck the region with devastating force, significantly damaging homes, infrastructure and services, resulting in the evacuation of the entire township and deeply impacting the lives of residents.
The emotional toll on the community, with families distanced from cultural practices and a sense of normalcy, was truly profound.
Recognising the need for a recovery process that extended beyond physical restoration, Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council engaged specialist recovery project management experts The Yellow Company in early 2024 to lead a truly community-first recovery project.
This holistic effort prioritised cultural leadership, psychosocial wellbeing, and cross-agency collaboration in its blueprint for rebuilding.
By centring on locally identified priorities, the project moved beyond traditional infrastructure recovery by emphasising the revitalising of community life, maintaining cultural continuity, and fostering social connectedness.
This meant engaging with community Elders for advice, integrating traditional knowledge into planning, and ensuring all works aligned with the community’s vision for healing and resilience.
Recovery planning included a focus on building essential flood-mitigation infrastructure, reinforced community spaces, and the development of sustainable governance models.
A critical aspect of the project was its focus on community engagement and leadership.
All community engagement was designed to accommodate and promote cultural considerations, ensuring participation was authentic and inclusive.
Elders, artists, youth, and members of the Wujal Wujal Justice Group were actively engaged by Yellow in shaping direction and priorities.
The damage to sacred sites and vital community meeting places was extensive, and prioritising their reinstatement was at the forefront when identifying projects, scope and funding sources.
Alongside technical rebuilding, the project actively worked to reconnect and strengthen the community’s social and spiritual bonds, providing a foundation for long-term self-determination and enhanced cultural pride.
Throughout the project, The Yellow Company ensured careful attention was placed on fostering collaboration between businesses, community members, and external partners to ensure the delivery of innovative and locally relevant solutions.
Funded with support from the Australian and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), the Wujal Wujal Rising project stands as a national example of how effective collaboration, cultural leadership and innovative approaches to recovery can greatly enhance disaster resilience.
Wujal Wujal Rising took out top honours in the Business Awards Category at the 2025 Queensland Resilient Australia Awards and will now compete as a finalist for the National Resilient Australia Awards, which will be announced in late 2025.
The full list of Queensland Resilient Australia Award winners and highly commended entrants is available at www.getready.qld.gov.au/RAA25-QldAwards.
