The Australian Government has released a new set of disaster preparedness resources in 10 languages, aimed at helping multicultural communities prepare for bushfires, floods, cyclones, storms, heatwaves, earthquakes and tsunamis.
The resources include videos, fact sheets, posters and digital materials translated into Arabic, Cantonese, Dari, Korean, Mandarin, Nepali, Punjabi, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese. Easy Read versions have also been produced for people with low literacy.
The project was funded through the Albanese Government’s Disaster Risk Reduction Package and led by Get Ready Queensland in consultation with emergency management authorities and jurisdictions across Australia.
The resources are being released ahead of the upcoming higher-risk weather season, when communities across the country face increased exposure to events such as bushfires, storms, floods and extreme heat.
The government said the material is intended to make information about natural hazards easier to understand and act on for people who may face language or literacy barriers during an emergency.
The project involved consultations with 155 native-speaking community members through 16 face-to-face workshops held across Australia. Community, government and emergency management sector advisory groups also contributed to the development of the material.
Alongside the translated resources, a toolkit has been created for organisations and community groups. It is designed to help them adapt, promote and distribute the material through local networks.
Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said access to information in familiar languages could help people better understand disaster risks and respond during emergencies.
“We know people who are prepared for disaster events bounce back faster,” McBain said.
She said the resources were intended to make practical preparedness information easier to understand, share and act on.
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly said emergency information should be accessible to people regardless of the language spoken at home.
“I encourage everyone to share these resources across their communities, whether by sending them to friends and family or displaying them in community spaces,” Aly said.
The initiative comes as governments and emergency management agencies prepare for the next period of higher-risk weather across Australia.
The National Emergency Management Agency is due to hold its annual National Preparedness Summit in Canberra this week, bringing together emergency management representatives from around the country. The summit will include briefings and a national preparedness exercise informed by the Bureau of Meteorology’s forecast for the coming season.
The government has also announced more than $8 million through Round Three of the Disaster Ready Fund to establish the National Get Ready program. The programme is intended to support jurisdictions in delivering consistent, locally tailored preparedness campaigns.
Queensland Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said the state’s Get Ready Queensland programme, which has operated since 2013, had provided experience that could now be shared nationally.
“We live in a culturally and linguistically diverse country, and it’s important everyone understands the different types of severe weather we face and what they can do to prepare,” Leahy said.
While translated information can help address language barriers, disaster preparedness also depends on people knowing where to find reliable warnings, understanding local risks and having practical plans in place before an emergency occurs.
The new resources are available through the Get Ready website’s languages section and can be accessed by community organisations, individuals and other groups working with multicultural communities.
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