Today in Armidale we launched “Equip”, a major investment in psychologically preparing rural communities for the increasingly severe and frequent extreme weather and disasters that will accompany climate change.

The method was piloted by UNE last year in Ebor NSW after that community was impacted by devastating bushfires, and was so successful it will be rolled out across nine rural communities in  NSW, South Australia and Western Australia over the next five years.

The team named this project “Equip” because it marks a shift from recovery-based approaches, to building preparedness and resilience in communities, thereby promoting g wellbeing in priority rural communities facing future environmental threats. The project is community led and focuses on upskilling community members and ensuring that skills and knowledge stay within the communities themselves.

Equip will work closely with nine fire, drought or flood prone communities in NSW, SA and WA, identify factors that protect wellbeing, and implement and evaluate community-based programs.

Climate change continues to increase the severity and frequency of environment threats such as fire,  drought, and flood and repeated exposure places rural Australians at an especially heightened risk of poor mental health, where service access is already limited.

Over the next year or so, our team of researchers from multiple universities including the University of Adelaide and Curtin university, will commence calling for community members across locations in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia  in each locations work with us to implement this large-scale community-based mental wellbeing program and to take part in the project.. It will be a five year journey, and we are excited to get to work.

Associate Professor Suzie Cosh, UNE Project Lead

UNE’s team includes Associate Professor Suxie Cosh, Associate Professor Warren Bartik, Associate Professor Amy Lykins, Associate Professor Phillip Tully, Associate Professor Melissa Parsons, and Professor Martin Thoms.

Equip is a project led by the University of New England, with researchers the University of Adelaide, Curtin University, Federation University, University of South Australia and Colorado University in the United States.

Additional partners include local health districts and primary health networks, the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, Rural Fire Service, Drought Hub SA, Armidale Regional Council, Disaster Relief Australia and Meat and Livestock Australia.

The project is funded by a $5 million Medical Research Future Fund grant.