The National Local Government Vulnerability Program is based on established and locally understood engagement, with an on-site presence underpinned by the guiding principle of locally led, locally understood, locally delivered.

The program delivered uniformly across local government, all jurisdictions nationally, delivers:

• Vulnerability assessment framework and council engagement methodology that collects data, profiles ‘vulnerability’
• Information and data platform aligned with other essential data sets supporting objectives of the National Emergency Management Agency
• Harmonised data and information accessible to Australian, state and local government to inform collaborative action
• Tailored data and information unique to each council to inform strategic decisions, measure, monitor investment in risk reduction preparedness, recovery and community capacity
• Calculation of vulnerability profiles to integrate into council’s strategic, community, business planning

The program is a six-step process which includes a facilitated workshop during which information is collected by an online vulnerability survey. The vulnerability profiling tool is designed around the United Nations Local Government Self-Assessment Tool for Disaster Resilience, tailored for local governments in Australia.

Delivered locally and consistently based on qualitative information and quantitative data, the program will create Australia’s vulnerability profile through the lens of local government and will, among other values, create a national data platform to enable benchmarking for each council, region, state and nationally. Monitoring and measuring Australia’s vulnerability profile and its change over time will provide a powerful and valuable method for informing decisions in mitigation investment focussed on building resilience.