Awards recognise work to strengthen disaster resilience

24 September 2026

Queenslanders from all walks of life have been celebrated for turning disaster preparedness into action.

Winners of the 2026 Queensland Resilient Australia Awards ranged from a Gold Coast school teaching students to bounce back from floods to work to empower people with a disability to become leaders in building disaster resilience.

Presented at a ceremony at Brisbane's Parliament House on Wednesday 23 September, the awards recognised nine winners and nine highly commended entries spanning seven categories, from schools and local councils to businesses, government agencies and photography.

The awards shine a light on the people and organisations working to build disaster resilience long before floods, cyclones or bushfires hit. 

It's work that rarely makes headlines but can make all the difference when disaster strikes.

This year's winners include:

  • Queenslanders With Disability Network (Community) – Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Peer Leadership Development Program
  • Tallebudgera State School (Schools) – Global Connections for Disaster Resilience, exploring how communities worldwide prepare and respond to natural hazards. 
  • City of Gold Coast (Local Government) – Gold Coast Resilient Home Design Guidelines
  • Fraser Coast Regional Council (Local Government) – Live Flooded Road Alerts for Safer Communities.
  • Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (State Government) – Empowering First Nations Tourism Industry Disaster Resilience Through Community-led Workshops and Resources 
  • Department of Housing and Public Works; and Queensland Reconstruction Authority (State Government) – Resilient Homes Fund
  • Woolworths Group (Business) – Project Overwatch, embedding resilience into the design and operation of retail locations 
  • Livingstone Shire Council (Mental Health and Wellbeing) – ICare Friday Lunch – Connections Create a Thriving Resilient Community 
  • Lynda Coulson (Photography) – Floraville Station Stays Connected

Each winner now advances to the national Resilient Australia Awards, with results to be announced later this year.

The Queensland Resilient Australia Awards are managed by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience and delivered in partnership with state convenor Get Ready Queensland and major sponsor Suncorp.

For more information on the Resilient Australia Awards, visit the AIDR website.