Our youth disaster resilience program has had a glow-up! After a thoughtful co-design process with young people at Evans River High, NextGen Navigators is now officially known as Surviving Disasters: Northern Rivers — a humbling name that captures the spirit, strength and honesty of the next generation in our region.

We recently wrapped up a meaningful round of Community Carers and Responders (CCR) training in Evans Head. A committed group of locals came together to learn, connect, and explore how to support one another, not just in emergencies, but in everyday moments of care.

Find out more about our upcoming CCR training…

We’re co-designing a new series of workshops to support carers, disability support workers, and anyone supporting people living with disabilities and mobility challenges — helping them feel more prepared for, and confident in responding to, future disasters. This project has grown from earlier conversations with community members, who highlighted just how vital this area is. Now we’re taking it further — and we’d love your voice in the mix.

We’re delighted to share with you the final version of our report on Mutual Aid. This report marks an important milestone in our collective efforts to understand, honour, and support mutual aid practices across our communities. It brings together deep listening, critical reflection, and a systems-thinking lens to illuminate the real-world impact of grassroots organising and community-led care.

We are excited to share the Learning and Reflections Report from the 2024 pilot programs of NextGen Navigators at Mullumbimby and Evans River High Schools. This innovative youth resilience program, was co-designed with students and delivered in response to the growing need for disaster preparedness among young people in the Northern Rivers. The report offers rich insights into the pilot experiences and outlines key lessons for future program development.

We’re also excited to introduce Renee Arringer, who has joined the team as our Community Carers and Responders (CCR) facilitator and coordinator, and is also leading our SSVP Inclusive and Accessible project. Renee brings a unique and powerful mix of scientific thinking, community connection, and creative energy to her work. She's also a perfect fit for Plan C and we’re so lucky to have her on board!

Please join us in welcoming Jen Smith to the Plan C team! She’s hit the ground running on our Youth Disaster Resilience and Preparing with Pride projects, and we’re absolutely thrilled to have her on board. Jen brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to community, and we think you’ll agree—she’s a perfect fit for our values.

We’re thrilled to launch our new project, Inclusive and Accessible, designed to support some of the most underrepresented members of our community in building disaster resilience.

With support from Multicultural NSW, we’re excited to be rolling out a four-year youth disaster resilience program. Last year, we piloted the NextGen Navigators Program at Mullumbimby and Evans River High Schools — and we learnt a lot! Now we’re co-designing the next version with some brilliant students from Evans River High… read more!

Over this year, we’re bringing our CCR (Community Carers and Responders) network to towns and villages all across the Northern Rivers of NSW, and we’re kicking things off with training opportunities in the wonderful communities of Evans Head and Ballina. Check out the details below!

Plan C has partnered with The Returning to offer this culture camp, consisting of a five-day camp providing participants with a comprehensive range of disaster resilience skills, including emotional, social, and practical competencies.

For many of us in the Northern Rivers, we were fortunate to escape the worst of Cyclone Alfred but the impacts were still felt. The silver lining is that our communities and all levels of government - federal, state, and local - were better organised and worked together more effectively than ever before. Massive respect goes out to the incredible community hubs that self-organised to support their own areas. We’d love your feedback on our response throughout this time.

Last updated at: 12 March 2025, 16:16

These reports come from official sources and CCR (Community Carers and Responders), Plan C’s network of volunteers who provide on-the-ground updates during emergencies across the Northern Rivers.

Last updated at: 9 March 2025, 10:45 AM

These reports come from CCR (Community Carers and Responders), Plan C’s network of volunteers who provide on-the-ground updates during emergencies across the Northern Rivers.

Last updated at: 8 March 2025, 10:34 AM

These reports come from CCR (Community Carers and Responders), Plan C’s network of volunteers who provide on-the-ground updates during emergencies across the Northern Rivers.

Last updated at: 7 March 2025, 10:15 AM

These reports come from CCR (Community Carers and Responders), Plan C’s network of volunteers who provide on-the-ground updates during emergencies across the Northern Rivers.

We’re thrilled to announce that we've secured significant funding to expand our resilience-building programs, ensuring more inclusive, accessible, and community-focused initiatives. Here’s what’s coming up over the next few years…

We're so proud of the Evans River High School NGN crew! They successfully completed 4 days worth of training with us on disaster resilience, psychological first aid, bushcraft skills and practical first aid. We can't wait to see what happens next and we’re ready to use our learnings and redesign this program for youth in 2025 to 2028!

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us! It was truly heartwarming to spend time together and see so many friendly faces. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the scavenger hunt, which brought people of all ages together in such a fun and collaborative way. Watching everyone solve clues, answer quiz questions, and find each piece of the Plan C puzzles was a joy to behold. The energy, teamwork, and laughter made it a memorable experience for all. We’re so grateful for your enthusiasm and support—it’s moments like these that remind us how special our community is. Thank you for being part of it!

We are about to share an exciting report, led by Plan C board member Dr Claire McLisky, on how people in Greater Uki band together to help each other during tough times. This project, funded by Groupe URD as part of a global study, dives into the real stories of neighbours stepping up for one another during crises. After speaking with 29 locals, including community members, emergency services, and government reps, the report uncovers amazing examples of mutual support—like spontaneous flood rescues and organised groups such as Resilient Uki and other local resilience teams.