Resources for economic development professionals
Restore your Business Community – Practitioner’s Handbook (PDF)
This handbook has been developed by Murrindindi Shire Council to capture lessons learned, tips and resources to guide practitioners in helping their business communities through disaster planning, response and recovery. Thank you to Bob Elkington, Murrindindi Shire Council.
IEDC – Restore your local economy
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) has worked with and spoken to affected communities around the globe to gather a collection of resources to help communities through disasters. A vast array of practical information for communities working to rebuild resilient economies following disasters is located on IEDC’s managed website, Restore Your Economy.
In particular, EDA recommends the following IEDC produced resources as a guide for EDA members involved in disaster recovery:
Leadership in times of Crisis Toolkit (PDF)
In disaster-impacted communities, EDOs are in a position to lead economic recovery efforts by helping local businesses respond to impacts on their employees, their facilities, their customers and supply networks. However, all too often, economic recovery efforts are plagued by reactionary activities rather than a planned and strategic response. The key to a more rapid recovery is to take steps ahead of time to ensure your organization can fulfil the needs of the community after any type of major incident. This toolkit will help EDA members to set up a plan of action to be a resilient community, to respond more effectively to the economic aspects of disasters and to lead in efforts at recovery.
>> Download the Crisis Tookit here
Practical Advice for Transitioning to Recovery (PDF)
Another great IEDC resource to provide assistance to economic development professionals involved in disaster recovery.
A Business Civic Leadership Centre Report (PDF)
2010 Disaster Report: A Decade of Disasters is a compilation of lessons learned from disasters over the past ten years and a look ahead at the future of disaster management over the next decade. It is designed to catalogue and share best practices.
The Business Continuity Handbook
The Business Continuity Handbook by IEDC was produced to assist US firms planning for future crises and equipping businesses with the tools needed to survive threats, emergencies and disasters. It centres on establishing recovery strategies for critical business functions and making contingency plans to continue operations under different types of disasters.
Sunshine Coast Council
Sunshine Coast Council, in partnership with an independent Disaster Management consultancy firm, developed an Emergency Event Economic Recovery Manual detailing the contingency plans for economic disaster recovery services for businesses. This document details both operational and functional strategies concerning economic recovery mechanisms for the Sunshine Coast region in the event of a natural disaster.
This manual may provide guidance now, or into the future for EDA Members.
>> Download the Recovery Manual here
The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) develops, maintains and shares knowledge and learning to support a disaster resilient Australia. Building on extensive knowledge and experience in Australia and internationally, we work with government, communities, NGOs, not-for-profits, research organisations, education partners and the private sector to enhance disaster resilience through innovative thinking, professional development and knowledge sharing.
Rockhampton Regional Council
Case Study – Cyclone Maria: Rockhampton Regional Council’s Business Recovery and Resilience Plan
Logan City Council
>> How to prepare your business in the most effective way to reduce the impacts of a disaster.
>> Recovering from a disaster.
Business Continuity Plan Template
The purpose of developing a Business Continuity Plan is to ensure the continuation of your business during and following any critical incident that should result in disruption to your normal operational capability. This guide will assist you to undertake a Risk Management Plan and Business Impact Analysis, and create Incident Response and Recovery Plans for your business.
Bushfire Preparation Checklist (for Business)
This bushfire preparation checklist will help you to prepare your business for bushfire. Knowing your business has strategies in place to help cope with a natural disaster like a bushfire should make it easier for your business to minimise losses, maintain business continuity and recover quickly.
Top 10 Tips to Prepare Your Business Ahead of a Disaster
Like the rest of Australia, Logan is not immune to the threat of natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, heatwaves, landslides and severe weather. By actively preparing for disasters, you can help your business continue to operate and recover quickly. There are key activities that you can do to ensure your business is prepared.
IEDC Webinars:
- Guiding Your Community Image and Brand Through a Disaster
- Priority Economic Recovery Actions
- Retaining Businesses after a crisis
- Developing an entrepreneurship ecosystem for resilience
Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Western Australia
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA), in conjunction with the Office of Emergency Management under the All West Australians Reducing Emergencies (AWARE) grant program, has updated and published free of charge to members and non-members its Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Workbook.
CPA Australia
- Disaster Recovery Case Study: How one business reshaped itself following a disaster
- Disaster Recovery Toolkit – Steps to Recovery
Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience
This issue of the Australian Journal of Emergency Management focuses on recovery and how we best support people and communities post-disaster.
The University of Melbourne: Beyond Bushfires Study
The Beyond Bushfires: Community Resilience and Recovery study was conducted to examine the impacts of the Black Saturday and related bushfires of February 2009 on community members’ physical and mental health and wellbeing.