Awards recognise work to strengthen disaster resilience

23 September 2026

Queenslanders from all walks of life have been celebrated at the 2026 Queensland Resilient Australia Awards for turning disaster preparedness into action.

During a ceremony at Brisbane's Parliament House on Wednesday 23 September, nine winners and nine highly commended entries were awarded across seven categories including Community, Schools, Local Government, Business and Mental Health and Wellbeing.

The initiatives and projects celebrated were varied, from global disaster resilience education programs and disability inclusive risk reduction to resilient home design guidelines and improved real-time flood hazard information.

The annual Resilient Australia Awards shine a light on the people and organisations working to build greater disaster resilience in communities and reduce the negative impacts of severe weather on people's lives – work that rarely makes headlines but can make all the difference in a crisis situation.

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 local winner is now in contention for a national Resilient Australia Award, 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.