Nicole Lane, Echo’s Chief Executive Officer, said that Ready2Go focuses on building resilience in the face of climate change.

“Victoria experiences frequent patterns of extreme weather events and natural disasters, and it is important that communities are prepared for these events. We are delighted to receive funding from Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation to expand Ready2Go to ten more communities.”

Each pilot community will be allocated funding for volunteer security checks, community engagement and promotion, as well as any costs associated with administering the trial. Echo staff will provide mentoring at each stage of the trial, with regular reporting from these communities to monitor their progress and address any emerging challenges as they arise.

The ten communities will work with Emergency Management Victoria, local government and other agencies to establish an online database of suitable, pre-approved relocation sites. These will be assessed to ascertain their ability to manage vulnerable persons, disability access, heat health and bushfire management plans.

The Foundation’s Healthy & Resilient Communities Program Manager Harriet McCallum said, “We know that extreme weather events and disasters disproportionately affect those who are disadvantaged and socially marginalised in our communities.

"Ready2Go provides a solution for communities to be connected to these individuals with the focus of being prepared for and supported during these weather events, minimising the impacts on their health and wellbeing.”