Regenerate Eurobodalla – a leadership development program designed in response to the 2019-20 bushfires – is currently open for applications. Its objective is to build leadership capacity within the community to help with its bushfire recovery and response to future challenges and opportunities.
The program, designed by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF), is an opportunity for up to 24 diverse leaders and individuals to combine their knowledge, expertise and efforts to build long-term community resilience and act in the future interest of the region.
The ARLF will work in partnership with the South Coast Health and Sustainability Alliance (SHASA) to deliver the program, working with community, business, land, emergency, government and other key stakeholders to ensure its success.
It includes identifying and working collaboratively on an agreed community project that not only builds resilience but ultimately boosts social and economic prosperity in the region.
The Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s Chief Executive Matt Linnegar said networked leadership requires knowledge and skills for a group of leaders to work collectively, despite their differences, on a shared purpose for the greater good.
“Regenerate Eurobodalla is essentially getting community leaders together to build a strong leadership network that has a shared understanding and can collaborate to solve complex problems,” he said.
“When future fire emergencies, or opportunities occur, this network will be invaluable. They won’t be just names to each other, they’ll know and trust each other and be able to work through the challenges in front of them.”
The Regenerate Eurobodalla program received grant funding from the Australian Government. It is part of the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery program that aims to support and build resilience in bushfire-impacted communities in NSW and the ACT.
It aligns with the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience’s focus on achieving community resilience through collective and shared responsibility and empowering individuals and communities to create change.
Mr Linnegar said the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation provides experience and connections like few other organisations in the country.
“The Australian Rural Leadership Foundation has been developing leadership programs for almost 30 years and we have come a long way from catering for people in traditional and established leadership roles to harnessing the potential of all people in rural, regional and remote Australia,” he said.
“The core of what we do is exposing people to situations and ideas that will enable them to see a bigger picture, a different perspective and ultimately have the courage to put their ideas into action, bringing others with them.”
The Regenerate Eurobodalla program kicks off with a one-day community design workshop on Wednesday the 17th of August at the Eurobodalla Botanical Gardens in Batemans Bay, to develop ideas for potential projects, identify possible candidates for the leadership program and other support.
It will be followed by a 9-day leadership development program delivered across four face-to-face residential sessions for participants living in the Eurobodalla Shire. These will run:
- SESSION 1: 31 OCTOBER-2 NOVEMBER 2022
- SESSION 2: 28-29 NOVEMBER 2022
- SESSION 3: 27-28 FEBRUARY 2023
- SESSION 4: 3-4 APRIL 2023.
Applications close Sunday 4 September 2022.
