Through extensive fieldwork and collaborative design, Griffith University has successfully trialed this system and delivered a range of initiatives aimed at supporting older people in managing the risks associated with extreme heat. 

Join them for a two-day symposium that brings together leaders and innovators across policy, practice, and research to critically explore the current state of heat EWS, identify key challenges in design and implementation, and shape a shared vision for future action. Whether you are a decision-maker, service provider, researcher, or community advocate, this symposium is designed to offer: 
 

• New insights into the role and value of EWS in heat planning and response
• Opportunities to network with others working at the intersection of climate, extreme events and health
• Exposure to emerging practices, including real-world lessons from diverse applications of EWS 
   

2025 International Symposium for One Health Research and Practice: From Vision to Collaboration and Action

Symposium Aims

• Strengthen global and regional One Health collaboration.
• Share successful One Health strategies and projects.
• Launch The Pengcheng Declaration to promote actionable solutions for global health security.

Why It Matters

• Addresses complex global health threats, especially emerging infectious diseases worsened by climate change.
• Promotes cross-sectoral collaboration across public health, animal health, agriculture, food safety, environmental science, AI, and health economics.

Program Highlights

• Day 1: Foundations of One Health and implementation challenges.
• Day 2: Case studies and collaboration strategies.
• Day 3 (Half-day): Exploring new technologies (AI, health economics), funding, and community networks.

Six Parallel Session Themes

1. Emerging infectious diseases & zoonotic transmission
2. One Health capabilities & capacities
3. Food security & safety
4. Endemic zoonotic disease control
5. Environmental integration
6. Antimicrobial resistance management

Contact for More Info

Dr. Paul Barnes: paul.barnes@griffith.edu.au 
Elena Schak: communications.onehealth@gmail.com 

Take part in the Flying Scientists: Engaging Rural Queenslanders in Science program for the 2025-2026 financial year.

Despite having a relatively decentralised population with strong regional centres, the majority of science related events are hosted in Southeast Queensland.

As a result, students and community members in regional and remote Queensland have limited exposure to science and scientists firsthand and are therefore less likely to choose science as a career path.

Want to share your work or insights in emergency management? Learn more about the Australian Journal of Emergency Management (AJEM) - a leading open-access publication that bridges research and practice. Whether you're a researcher, practitioner, or policy expert, AJEM offers a platform to publish and connect with a broad audience across Australia and beyond.

Meet the Editor: Associate Professor Melissa Parsons
I’m Associate Professor Melissa Parsons, a disaster resilience academic at Australia’s oldest regional university, the University of New England in Armidale, NSW. I am also the Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Journal of Emergency Management (AJEM). 
I help to plan each issue and have oversight of peer-review decisions about research papers. This is done with the support of the AJEM editorial committee made up of representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency, the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR), AFAC and Natural Hazards Research Australia. 
The committee meets regularly to plan current and future AJEM editions and to discuss emerging issues.
AJEM is a quarterly journal and is published by AIDR under the auspice of the National Emergency Management Agency. It is an online, open-source journal and is freely available on the Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub. You can subscribe to receive AJEM directly to your inbox. 

I would like to contribute to the AJEM but I am not a researcher, how can I contribute?
AJEM is a hybrid scholarly and practice-based journal. Each quarter, it publishes peer-reviewed scholarly research alongside non-peer-reviewed papers about practices, projects, initiatives and incidents. 
Its readership attracts subscribers including government policy makers, agency decision-makers and researchers in a very broad range of aspects covering emergency and disaster management and risk reduction. 
Importantly, AJEM assists the on-the-ground communities that turn much of the information into real-world benefit in their local area.
So, if you have been working on a project, a set of new policies or guidelines, some practice enhancement or have an informed view or perspective relevant to the sector, AJEM might well be a place to publish.
The AJEM Contributor Guidelines contain all the information about types or papers, how to prepare and how to submit. Brief descriptions are:

• Research – scholarly papers on findings of original research relating to emergency management and disaster risk reduction. Manuscripts are peer-reviewed (max 8,000 words incl references).
• Reports - descriptions of practices, projects, incidents, research, major initiatives and policies of interest to those sectors with a role or interest in disaster resilience or emergency management within the scope of AJEM (max 3,000 words incl references).
• News and Views - short articles  describing events, program updates, initiatives, policies, workshop/exercise outcomes, professional development and items of interest to AJEM readers, including obituaries (around 400-500 OR max 1,500 words).
• Viewpoints – AIDR-solicited suite of articles exploring cross-cutting and emerging issues. A ‘seed article’ is provided to invited authors for contribution of industry perspectives.
• Opinion piece - critiques of current or emerging issues in disaster resilience and emergency management by experienced and respected researchers, practitioners or others (around 400-500 OR max 1,500 words).
• Book review - articles reviewing a recently published book of interest to those in the sector (400-500 words).

I am a researcher and would like to submit an academic paper, what’s the process?
AJEM prioritises and publishes original research. This also include reviews, methods papers, data papers, short communications and case studies. 
Research manuscripts must follow a discipline-standard approach to scholarship, research practice, article style, composition and structure that is appropriate to the type of work undertaken. 
I’m often asked, ‘what the difference is between a research paper and a report article?’ 
Research papers have the markers of research scholarship, which means there is a defined and justified research problem using literature. There is a clear research aim. All data collection is undertaken using justified and standard methodologies. Findings are described using data and evidence and discussion of findings is in relation to the proposition. There must be a sound lead-in abstract giving context to the reason and benefit of the research as well as a conclusion that summaries the findings and the research benefits. 
This is established scholarly practice a necessary feature for research entering the emergency management body of knowledge. 
Research manuscripts are double-blind peer-reviewed and accepted or rejected based on reviewer comments.
So, if you are undertaking original research, or you are a research student, consider AJEM for research publication. This is especially important if your research is funded by Australian institutions because AJEM is open-source, has no publication fees and meets government publishing standards. 
More information is available via the AJEM Contributor Guidelines.

Who can I talk to if I need further information?
Inquiries and submissions can be sent to: ajem@aidr.org.au 
Research manuscripts to progress to peer review are sent to the Manager Editor for peer-review administration. Authors are provided with all process information. 
Other non-research papers are considered by AIDR and the AJEM Editorial Committee for viability. AIDR informs authors or acceptance (or not) at submission stage.
Inquiries by phone to AIDR at (03) 9419 2388 can also be made, however email is preferred. 

The AJEM is celebrating a milestone next year, what can you tell us about that?
2026 marks 40 years of publishing research and documenting the progress made in risk reduction!
AJEM was first published as a 6-page newsletter in March 1986 as the The Macedon Digest to fill an 'information void within the counter-disaster community'. 
In 1988, it was recast as the Australian Newsletter of Disaster Management and the document changed its format and size as research became more valuable to the sector. 
In 1995, the publication was registered as the Australian Journal of Emergency Management and was included in academic lists and entered the international stage.
For the 40th anniversary of AJEM in 2026, we envisage a series of ‘looking-back, looking forward’ articles over the years on aspects of emergency management. And we want to include tribute to past achievements and the movers and shakers on whose work has been the expanding foundation of policy and practice over the 4 decades. 
If this is you, contact AIDR now to offer your suggestion: ajem@aidr.org.au 
Publishing in AJEM builds the expert knowledge within the sector. Readership surveys 
consistently show that AJEM addresses current sector issues and is a reliable and rigorous source of knowledge.

AJEM standards of publication and free access to high-quality online formats is highly appreciated by authors and readers. And the best thing is – AJEM’s aim to translate knowledge into practice happens every year in communities in Australia, New Zealand and around the globe.
 

Applications for the HEAL Innovation Fund (HIF) 2025 are NOW OPEN!!

The HIF is a competitive seed funding program ($1 million over five years), to support interdisciplinary research addressing key priorities in environmental or climate change and health in Australia. The fund aims to support research with engagement that includes community and stakeholder co-design and has the potential to lead to further external funding.

Introduction 
Climate-driven disasters disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, particularly elderly residents in aged care facilities. Aged care facilities contain some of the most at-risk individuals, making disaster evacuation a complex and hazardous process, with older adults particularly susceptible due to mobility issues, cognitive impairments, chronic health conditions and dependency on medical equipment (Boon et al., 2014). 
This case study examines the challenges encountered during the Bundaberg floods, identifies best practises and offers recommendations for enhancing disaster preparedness and response. Drawing from a blend of academic and grey literature, it underscores the importance of integrated planning, robust communication systems and infrastructure resilience to safeguard aged care residents.

Background
In January 2013, Bundaberg, Queensland, experienced severe flooding due to Tropical Cyclone Oswald. Intense rainfall led to record-breaking flood levels in the Burnett River, inundating large areas of the city (Queensland Government, 2013). Over 4000 homes and 600 businesses were affected, with public infrastructure damage estimated at $103 million (Debbage & Fawcett, 2013; Queensland Government, 2013). 
The floods caused power outages, road closures, and disruption to emergency services, resulting in mass evacuations, including several aged care facilities whose residents faced immediate risk (Bundaberg Regional Council, 2013).  

Impact on age care facilities
Multiple aged care facilities in Bundaberg were severely impacted, requiring urgent evacuations. Key challenges included:

• Infrastructure damage: Floodwaters damaged electrical systems, plumbing, and accessibility features, making buildings unsafe for residents (Queensland Government, 2013).
• Loss of essential services: Power outages affected medical equipment and refrigerated medication storage, placing residents at risk (QRA, 2014).
• Evacuation logistics: Limited availability of ambulances and accessible transport delayed evacuations, increasing stress for residents and staff (Bundaberg Regional Council, 2013).
• Staffing shortages: Some workers were unable to reach facilities due to flooded roads, leaving remaining staff overwhelmed (Journey, 2014). 

Lessons learned 
The 2013 Bundaberg floods provided critical insights into the complexities of evacuating aged care residents during disasters, including:

• Early evacuation decisions: Facilities that delayed evacuations faced greater risks as floodwaters rose (Australian Ageing Agenda, 2013).
• Pre-established transportation plans: Struggles to secure sufficient accessible transport led to reliance on emergency services and military support (Bundaberg Regional Council, 2013).
• Communication failures: Lack of coordinated communication between providers, emergency services, and families led to confusion and delays (Queensland Government, 2013).
• Continuity of care: Some residents experienced health complications due to missing medications or lack of access to medical equipment (Queensland Government, 2013).
• Community Support: Local businesses, volunteers, and healthcare workers played a crucial role in assisting evacuees, highlighting the need for strong community partnerships in disaster planning (Bundaberg Regional Council, 2013). 

Best practices for evacuations
These best practices are based on academic research, emergency management guidelines, and disaster case studies:

• Disaster preparedness: Facilities should develop individualised disaster plans and conduct regular training exercises (Boon et al. 2014).
• Communication: Use centralised systems and geospatial tools for real-time updates (Wang et al., 2023).
• Logistics and transport: Pre-arranged transport contracts and early evacuation triggers.
• Building resilience: Retrofit buildings with flood resistant designs and back-up systems (Owens, 2024; Lim et al., 2023).
• Promoting collaboration:   Foster partnerships with emergency services and NGOs for resource sharing (Taylor et al., 2023).
• Medical and continuity of care: Evacuation kits and alternative care facility agreements.
• Psychosocial support: Trauma-informed care for residents and mental health support for staff.

Policy recommendations
The following policy recommendations aim to enhance the safety, efficiency, and resilience of aged care evacuations: 

• Regulations and funding: Regular review and updates to regulations, and dedicated funding for disaster planning and training.
• Inter-agency coordination: Establish regional emergency networks to ensure representation at Local Disaster Management Groups (LDMGs) and on the Australian Incident Management System (AIIMS), while enhancing communication systems.
• Evacuation logistics: Implement pre-arranged transport contracts and standardised evacuation documentation.
• Medical and psychosocial support: Fund crisis counselling and develop mental health programs.
• National disaster frameworks: Establish a national taskforce to advise and advocate for best practices.

Conclusion
Evacuating vulnerable residents from aged care facilities during disasters presents significant challenges. The 2013 Bundaberg floods highlighted critical gaps which led to delayed evacuations, increased stress on residents and staff, and preventable health complications.

While improvements have been made in disaster planning for aged care since 2013, there is still room for enhancement. This case study highlights best practices for aged care evacuations.

As climate change continues to increase the frequency and severity of disasters, it’s crucial that aged care evacuation planning keeps pace. This need is even more pressing given the aging populations in Australia and many other developed countries. Proactive investment in preparedness measures will save lives and reduce the financial and logistical burden of emergency responses. Moving forward, stronger policy enforcement, collaborative disaster planning, and improved resource allocation are essential to safeguarding vulnerable populations during crises.

This case study has been developed in collaboration with Bundaberg Regional Council, CCQ Country to Coast, Local Government Association Queensland (LGAQ), Redland City Council and Queensland Police Service.

Entries open – how will you solve this year’s wicked problem? 
Flex your creative thinking muscles and help revolutionise disaster resilience across Australia. 
We’re looking for the best and brightest early career researchers, postgraduate and undergraduate students from across Australia to innovate the way we respond to bushfires, floods, storms, cyclones and other natural hazards. 

The wicked problem 

Glocal Evaluation Week (2-6 June 2025) is a unique knowledge-sharing event, connecting a global community of people across sectors and regions. Over the course of a week, participants from all over the world join events - in their neighborhood or across the ocean - to learn from each other on a vast number of topics and themes.

The Resilient Australia Awards celebrate and promote initiatives that build whole of community resilience to disasters and emergencies around Australia as well as capture and share examples of resilience in action. The awards recognise collaboration and innovative thinking across a broad range of sectors and initiatives that strengthen disaster resilience with communities, institutions, and the private sector.