As part of the redesign of our youth disaster resilience program, Surviving Disasters: Northern NSW program, we’ve added a new module focused on something that feels more important than ever: critical thinking during a disaster.

After Cyclone Alfred, we reached out to our network to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and how we can keep improving. Thirty-three people from across seven Northern Rivers LGAs responded, including both trained Community Carers and Responders (CCRs) and untrained community members. Their feedback has been incredibly helpful, and we’re grateful for everyone who took the time to share.

We just finished another round of Community Carers and Responders (CCR) training, this time in Ballina and feel this feedback sums it up pretty well:

"Grounding, mindful, informative. I now have a better understanding on what to do."

A group of Year 10 and 11 students from Byron Community College recently spent a day diving into disaster preparedness with Plan C.

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.