We wish to acknowledge the Thaua people of the Yuin Nation, the traditional custodians
of the land and waters of the region.
We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
of the land and waters of the region.
We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
The Eden & surrounds story
In early January 2020, the Border Fire wreaked havoc on the communities between Eden and the NSW/Victorian border. By the time it had been contained, the fire had destroyed 111 homes and damaged 25.
In the small fishing and logging town of Eden, near the NSW and Victoria border, hundreds of people huddled at the wharf on Saturday night as a large and uncontained fire driven by gusting southerly winds raced towards the town.
By Sunday morning, conditions remained dire, and police began pleading with people to flee north to the town of Merimbula or west to Bega.
Despite the urging of police to leave Eden, many decided they were safer in the town near water.
(The Guardian, 5 January 2020)
A windshift on the afternoon of 4 January and the frantic work of local emergency agencies and land managers saved Eden but homes were impacted in villages and localities to the south and south west including Wonboyn, Kiah, Lower Towamba and parts of Boydtown.
Among the facilities hit by the fires was the Eden wood chip mill on the southern side of Twofold Bay, the largest employer in the area.
Locals came together to support one another, frustrated by the limited communication from government and agencies stretched and struggling to cope with a series of fire events up and down the south coast.
Throughout January 2020 and in the weeks following the disaster, peak representative bodies based in Eden including the Eden Community Access Centre (ECAC), Eden Chamber of Commerce and the Eden Visitor Information Centre collaborated on addressing the town's recovery needs.
As the months passed and the country was thrown into another disaster, the Covid-19 pandemic, state and federal government bushfire recovery funding opportunities arose.
Recognising the need for the region to be better prepared for the next disaster, the ECAC applied for a grant to fund the development of a Disaster Preparedness Recovery and Resilience Plan through Resilience NSW (now NSW Reconstruction Authority) and was awarded funding of $350,000 in May 2021 for a two year project which began on 1 July 2021.
Among the facilities hit by the fires was the Eden wood chip mill on the southern side of Twofold Bay, the largest employer in the area.
Locals came together to support one another, frustrated by the limited communication from government and agencies stretched and struggling to cope with a series of fire events up and down the south coast.
Throughout January 2020 and in the weeks following the disaster, peak representative bodies based in Eden including the Eden Community Access Centre (ECAC), Eden Chamber of Commerce and the Eden Visitor Information Centre collaborated on addressing the town's recovery needs.
As the months passed and the country was thrown into another disaster, the Covid-19 pandemic, state and federal government bushfire recovery funding opportunities arose.
Recognising the need for the region to be better prepared for the next disaster, the ECAC applied for a grant to fund the development of a Disaster Preparedness Recovery and Resilience Plan through Resilience NSW (now NSW Reconstruction Authority) and was awarded funding of $350,000 in May 2021 for a two year project which began on 1 July 2021.
The project set out to answer a powerful question...
How might the community construct a plan to become stronger and better able to face the next disaster together?
Doctor Jodie Stewart was appointed the Disaster Preparedness Project Co-ordinator in July 2021.
Dr Stewart set about bringing together a steering committee and working groups, including a community engagement working group which built a strategy for engaging as many community members as possible.
At the core of the project's approach to co-designing a strategic plan were the committee and working groups, community table talks, a youth group program and the Resilient Eden Community Workshops.
This website was funded through the FRRR Strengthening Rural Communities Program.
The resources published here are freely available for public use.
With thanks to DoubleTake Photographics for the use of landscape photographs of Eden and surrounds.
For more information please contact [email protected]
Find out more about the project and the work of the Eden Community Access Centre
