Community-led emergency planning, mental health support and climate resilience projects are among the NSW winners of the 2026 Resilient Australia Awards.
The winners were recognised at a ceremony at NSW Parliament House, with projects spanning disaster preparedness, essential services, community wellbeing and support for vulnerable communities.
Resilient Uki Inc. received the Resilient Australia Community Award for its Northern Rivers Community Emergency Hub Guide. The free guide was co-designed with Community Resilience Groups across Byron and Tweed shires and provides practical guidance for establishing an emergency hub during the first 72 hours of a disaster.
Wagga Wagga City Council won the Local Government Award for Weathering Well, an initiative focused on social connection, mental wellbeing and help-seeking across rural communities in the Wagga Wagga and Lockhart areas. The program uses events, training and community-led activities to support local resilience.
Mission Australia received the Business Award for Embedding Enterprise Resilience to Safeguard Essential Community Services. The organisation-wide approach covers more than 250 services nationally and aims to strengthen business continuity so essential services can continue during disruptions.
The Government Award went to the Aboriginal Housing Office for Strategic Climate Resilience in First Nations Social Housing. The program assesses climate and disaster risks across more than 13,000 Aboriginal Housing Office and Aboriginal Community Housing Provider homes, helping identify where future resilience investment can be directed.
Healthy North Coast received the Mental Health and Wellbeing Award for Safe Haven North Coast, a locally designed service providing mental health and wellbeing support to Northern Rivers communities following the 2022 floods. The initiative supported more than 22,000 participants between January 2024 and June 2026.
The Photography Award was decided through a public vote on social media, with Fiona Berry of the North Coast Regional Landcare Network winning for Catchment resilience.
The NSW Reconstruction Authority is the state convenor of the awards, working with an independent judging panel drawn from disaster resilience, community, government and research backgrounds.
The NSW category winners will now be considered for the National Resilient Australia Awards, which are due to be announced later this year.
The Resilient Australia Awards have recognised contributions to disaster resilience since 2000 and are managed nationally by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience.
NSW Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said the winning projects demonstrated practical approaches to preparing communities and supporting recovery.
NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO Kate Fitzgerald said the awards highlighted the role of local communities and organisations in strengthening disaster preparedness and resilience across the state.
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