Goal
Wollondilly Shire Council is developing a Resilience Plan to help local communities prepare for future shocks, adapt to changing climate conditions and build stronger neighbourhood connections. As part of this broader engagement program, Council sought a series of workshops to validate early insights, capture lived experience and co-design practical actions directly with residents across towns and villages. These workshops were designed to ensure the Resilience Plan reflects real community priorities, especially in a region shaped by fire, flood and rural isolation.
Solution
JOC Consulting planned and facilitated targeted workshops for community and community organisations across the Shire. Each workshop used plain language, lived-experience discussions and collaborative exercises to make the idea of “resilience” clear and meaningful to participants. Activities guided participants to reflect on past events, identify local risks and strengths, and shape a set of shared actions and advocacy priorities for Council. The facilitation approach centred on deep listening, relatable language, and place-based conversations that acknowledged the Shire’s unique hazards from bushfire-prone bushland to flood-affected towns and rapidly growing new communities.
Outcome
The workshops provided Council with grounded, community-validated insights to refine the Resilience Plan. Participants affirmed the key concerns identified through earlier surveys, highlighted specific local vulnerabilities and contributed actionable ideas for preparedness, communication and neighbourhood support. The findings from these sessions now form a core evidence base for the Plan, ensuring its actions reflect lived experience and strengthening community buy-in as the project progresses toward implementation.