‘Community engagement in the post-disaster landscape’ was an evaluation of effectiveness of the Hotspots Fire Project in facilitating community-led disaster recovery and promoting community resilience in Carwoola NSW.

Carwoola NSW was impacted by a major bushfire in February 2017. Immediately after the fire, the Carwoola volunteer fire brigade was inundated with requests to help local residents improve their bush fire preparedness. To meet this demand, the NSW RFS and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW  ran their Hotspots Fire Project as a recovery tool for the disaster-affected community. Its overall aim was to make Carwoola’s residents and landscape more resilient to future bush fires. 

This research project examined the community needs in the post-fire environment, how the Hotspots Fire Project was adapted to meet those needs, and ultimately how effective it was.